I don't get it. But someone else did. Maybe the song wasn't written for me. Just by me.

Just the point. It is a bit of a mystery why some ideas work for some people and why some don't or exactly where our ideas come from or if we should take any credit at all, for the songs that may work.

As for the lists. We have many Mudcat lists, but it is more interesting to hear the songs and the reasons, than just read the names. I hope the originator of the thread thinks this too?

I would honestly be well chuffed, in the unlikely event I were to be included on this list, but would probably not think that I honestly deserved to be there. Perhaps those listed would also think they did not deserve to be in such exhalted company?

It would be an interesting exercise to see, off of the top of our heads, how many memorable songs (by definition ones that we remember) that we can place against those songwriters listed. I have no idea what that would prove however! Only that given a lifetime of professional songwriting, there would not be too many (with some possible exceptions).

As for me, the best lines are the perfect match of melody and lyric. Which is why it has to be a song, say rather than a poem or a just tune. I will know it when I hear it and I will not expect to hear it only from well-known songwriters.