Poetry and rock lyrics aren’t mutually exclusive, but they rarely exist together. One artist who excels at both is Patti Smith. The fact that she was a key figure in the original punk rock movement while also being a respected poet made her an intriguing figure in my teenage years. Her most successful album, Easter (1978), contained her collaboration with Bruce Springsteen, who co-wrote Because The Night, a song that is timeless and powerful. Other favorites are the title track, with all its religious imagery and hypnotic pulse, Till Victory, the rebellious opening song, and a very fierce tune with a controversial title that has been covered by Marilyn Manson (no stranger to controversy himself)! The song in question isn’t what it appears on the surface, and is open to interpretation, and, like all great art, makes it interesting to debate or to simply enjoy on its own merit. It also rocks harder than anything else on the album. Even if she wasn’t a wonderful poet and songwriter, I would still love Patti Smith just for her voice…it has just always worked for me.

Written By Braddon S. Williams