Perhaps Andy should rename himself to 'Lyric Provocateur' (just stay away from the mathematical theory...)! ;-)

Richard hits it rather closer than Andy, I think. The perfect lyric is the one that speaks to YOU. What it says to anyone else doesn't matter a crap, nor does the technical construction, rhyme, scan, blah (yes, Jerry, you are old-fashioned, but what the hell's wrong with that? ;-) ).

If you want evocative, emotive lyrics, combined with clever word play, look no further than Elizabethan airs; those of John Dowland especially, the chief, perhaps, amongst many. You also get musical complexity, if you want it. It might be "Come, Heavy Sleep", where the vocal line is a completely different melody & rhythm to what you're playing (which is all sorts of fun!). Just be warned, they're melancholy buggers - one of Dowland's most noted oeuvres begins "In Darkness Let Me Dwell..." Says it all really! ;-)