4 of the Most Perfectly Written Pop Lyrics of the 20th Century

Some pop lyrics just hit different, especially when it comes to pop songs from the 20th century. Let’s take a look at some of the most beautifully written lines in pop music history, shall we? A few of these lyrics might get under your skin.

“I Am The Walrus” by The Beatles (1967)

“Semolina pilchard / Climbing up the Eiffel Tower / Elementary penguin singing Hare Krishna / Man, you should have seen them kicking Edgar Allan Poe.”

I don’t think there’s a some more picked-apart than The Beatles’ “I Am The Walrus”. People are still trying to figure out this song’s meaning, with many focusing on the above-mentioned line in particular. Is it some great literary critique? A deep spiritual allegory for the experience of 1960s counterculture? Is it all about drugs? Who knows? In the end, John Lennon admitted he wrote it to throw over-analyzers for a loop. It could very well mean nothing at all.

“Cloudbusting” by Kate Bush (1985)

“You’re like my yo-yo / That glowed in the dark / What made it special / Made it dangerous / So I bury it / And forget.”

Who knew a line about a yo-yo could be so deep? “Cloudbusting” can be found on Kate Bush’s widely loved art pop album Hounds Of Love from 1985. The second single from the album, “Cloudbusting” is rich in its symbolism, hypnotic lyricism, and overall storytelling. Told from the perspective of a philosopher’s son, this is one of those tracks that listeners (and even non-fans of Bush) find fresh interest in with every listen. It’s certainly one of my favorites.

“Oh! You Pretty Things” by David Bowie (1971)

“Look out at your children, see their faces in golden rays / Don’t kid yourself they belong to you / They’re the start of the coming race.”

There are so many David Bowie lines I could have included on this list. The ending portion of “Under Pressure” still hits me in the heart, though that Queen collaboration would be closer to classic rock than pop. In the end, I went with the above-mentioned line from “Oh! You Pretty Things”. Many musicians have tried to explore the generational gap, but few have written lines about it as honest and realistic as this one.

“Sign O’ The Times” by Prince (1987)

“A skinny man died of a big disease with a little name / By chance his girlfriend came across a needle and soon she did the same.”

This underrated gem with a funky, minimalist edge was one of many hits for pop icon Prince. “Sign O’ The Times” was a No. 3 hit on the Hot 100, and it also boasts some of the best lyrics of the 20th century. While I understand why “Kiss” and other hits by Prince are more long-enduring in the history of pop music, this particular song is really an artistic, fascinating piece of work. So much of Prince’s music was pure pop escapism. “Sign O’ The Times”, however, was a poignant examination of violence, political unrest, and the AIDS crisis.

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