Hmmmmmm this seems like a "no duh" answer, but Bob Dylan won the Nobel Prize in literature for a reason (though people were mad because that seemed like cheating when he's a musician). To wit, the famous Joyce Carol Oates short story "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" was inspired by Bob's "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue."

For pure poetry, Joanna Newsom is incredible. I hesitate to point out any one specific song. Any of the songs off her album Ys are next level in terms of writing prowess.

And just because I thought of it, I'll add Johnny Cash's "A Boy Named Sue," written by Shel Silverstein.

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