Finally in paperback and featuring seven new song commentaries, the #1 New York Times bestseller celebrates the creative life and unparalleled musical genius of Paul McCartney.

Spanning sixty-four years--from his early days in Liverpool, through the historic decade of The Beatles, to Wings and his solo career--Paul McCartney's The Lyrics revolutionized the way artists write about music. An unprecedented triumph (Times UK), this handsomely designed volume pairs the definitive texts of over 160 songs with first-person commentaries on McCartney's life, revealing the diverse circumstances in which songs were written; how they ultimately came to be; and the remarkable, yet often delightfully ordinary, people and places that inspired them. The Lyrics also includes:

- A personal foreword by McCartney
- An unprecedented range of songs, from beloved standards like Band on the Run to new additions Day Tripper and Magical Mystery Tour
- Over 160 images from McCartney's own archives

Edited and introduced by Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Paul Muldoon, The Lyrics is the definitive literary and visual record of one of the greatest songwriters of all time.

Winner, 2025 RUSA Outstanding Reference Award

Bruce Songs is an authoritative guide that offers an in-depth exploration of Bruce Springsteen's musical legacy. Covering Springsteen's entire discography, from Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. to Only the Strong Survive, this unique book combines historical context, literary analysis, and meticulous research.

Unlike any other resource, it provides detailed analyses of each album, essays on their historical significance, and a chronological examination of every studio song. Discover the stories behind the recordings and gain insight into Springsteen's creative process.

Rich with contemporary reviews, insider accounts, photographs, and special sections highlighting pivotal moments and key figures, Bruce Songs is an indispensable companion for fans and scholars. It offers an immersive journey through the music of the Boss, making it an essential read for anyone captivated by Springsteen's enduring musical legacy.

WINNER OF THE NOBEL PRIZE IN LITERATURE

A beautiful, comprehensive volume of Dylan's lyrics, from the beginning of his career through the present day--with the songwriter's edits to dozens of songs, appearing here for the first time.

Bob Dylan is one of the most important songwriters of our time, responsible for modern classics such as Like a Rolling Stone, Mr. Tambourine Man, and The Times They Are a-Changin'. The Lyrics is a comprehensive and definitive collection of Dylan's most recent writing as well as the early works that are such an essential part of the canon. Well known for changing the lyrics to even his best-loved songs, Dylan has edited dozens of songs for this volume, making The Lyrics a must-read for everyone from fanatics to casual fans.

Originally published in 1923, the nineteenth edition of the International Workers of the World's Little Red Songbook contains the most popular, timeless gems that are more relevant to working people today than ever before. Now, the most popular book in American labor history can remain a staple on picket lines and in the hearts and minds of people who need it all over the world for years to come.

A collection of lyrics and autobiographical commentary by singer Mark Lanegan, with a preface by John Cale and a foreword by Moby

With a voice that Pitchfork has called as scratchy as a three-day beard yet as supple and pliable as moccasin leather, former Screaming Trees and Queens of the Stone Age vocalist Mark Lanegan draws frequent comparisons to masters like Nick Cave and Leonard Cohen. Lanegan's voice is one of the most distinct and recognizable in rock, but his talents aren't limited to his vocal skills. Lanegan's lyrics are on par with the best of them, exploring with Blake-like insight the stark and scorched emotional terrain that exists somewhere beyond sadness, addiction, trauma, and spiritual longing.

With a body of work that now includes seven albums with the Screaming Trees, eleven acclaimed solo albums, three albums of duets with Belle and Sebastian's Isobel Campbell (including the Mercury Prize-shortlisted Ballad of the Broken Seas), and collaborative albums and singles with the likes of Queens of the Stone Age, Moby, Soulsavers, Twilight Singers, and countless others, Mark Lanegan occupies a singular space in rock music.

Now, for the first time ever, the reclusive singer presents a comprehensive look at his lyrics, the stories behind them, and the making of his albums. I Am the Wolf is a rare and candid glimpse into the inner workings and creative process of a legend.

Soul Asylum has been a leading force on the alternative rock scene since the 1980s behind Dave Pirner's passionate and inspired songwriting. Beginning with his high school band, the Schitz, and then the precursor to Soul Asylum, Loud Fast Rules, Pirner's songs have run the gamut from punk rock ragers to soulful ballads, from humorous ditties to intense social commentary.

Collected here, for the first time, are the complete lyrics from more than forty years of songwriting by Pirner. From Soul Asylum's early Twin/Tone releases--Say What You Will, Made to Be Broken, While You Were Out--through the latest, hot-offv-the-presses release--Hurry Up and Wait--Loud Fast Wordsoffers firsthand commentary from Pirner reflecting on every album and every song from his repertoire. He leads you through the band's early indie success and the songs that helped catapult Soul Asylum into the major-label mainstream with Hang Time, And the Horse They Rode in On, and the triple-platinum Grave Dancers Union, including the Grammy-winning Runaway Train. Two more albums in the 1990s--Let Your Dim Light Shine and Candy from a Stranger--were followed by three full-length records, two live albums, and several compilations leading up to the newest 2020 release. Pirner also digs into the vault and shares his recollections of the 1986 cassette-only release, Time's Incinerator.

Loud Fast Words takes you inside the mind and creative process of one of America's great songwriters. Dig into the words and meanings for more than 150 songs from this hugely popular and durable band.

From his early Liverpool days, through the historic decade of The Beatles, to Wings and his long solo career, The Lyrics pairs the definitive texts of 154 Paul McCartney songs with first-person commentaries on his life and music. Spanning two alphabetically arranged volumes, these commentaries reveal how the songs came to be and the people who inspired them: his devoted parents, Mary and Jim; his songwriting partner, John Lennon; his Golden Earth Girl, Linda Eastman; his wife, Nancy McCartney; and even Queen Elizabeth, among many others. Here are the origins of Let It Be, Lovely Rita, Yesterday, and Mull of Kintyre, as well as McCartney's literary influences, including Shakespeare, Lewis Carroll, and Alan Durband, his high-school English teacher.

With images from McCartney's personal archives--handwritten texts, paintings, and photographs, hundreds previously unseen--The Lyrics, spanning sixty-four years, becomes the definitive literary and visual record of one of the greatest songwriters of all time.

Since the release of their breakout debut album in 2008, Fleet Foxes and their front man, singer-songwriter Robin Pecknold, have enjoyed international critical and commercial acclaim. Their music has helped reshape the American indie-folk sound through songs that are acoustically and melodically driven, steeped in gospel-like harmonies, and propelled by Pecknold's resonant, earthy, and timeless lyrics.

Wading in Waist-High Water: The Lyrics of Fleet Foxes contains Pecknold's complete lyrics from fifty-five songs, capturing the poetic and inventive storytelling that is a hallmark of the band's music. These richly layered lyrics explore the complexity, darkness, and beauty of physical and emotional landscapes, both pastoral and modern. Accompanying the lyrics, Pecknold includes notes on his creative processes, inspirations, and motivations.

With an introduction by celebrated novelist Brandon Taylor, and an afterword by Pecknold, Wading in Waist-High Water is a moving and intimate look at the art of songwriting, the joy of music-making, and what it means to produce meaningful and memorable sound.

Dylan remains the rare singer whose work is worth reading on the page. His words are consistently funny, alive to the sound of language, and of course appealingly cryptic. --The New York Times Book Review

A new collection of Bob Dylan's most essential lyrics--one hundred songs that represent the Nobel Laureate's incredible range through the entirety of his career so far.

Bob Dylan is one of the most important cultural figures of our time, and the first American musician in history to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. 100 Songs is an intimate and carefully curated collection of his most important lyrics that spans from the beginning of his career through the present day. Perfect for students who may be new to Dylan's work as well as longtime fans, this portable, abridged volume of these singular lyrics explores the depth, breadth, and magnitude of one of the world's most enduring bodies of work.

The complete lyrics of Syd Barrett - 52 songs written for Pink Floyd and during his subsequent solo career - are presented together for the first time, along with rare photos and artwork, to form this beautifully illustrated book.

Despite just a three-year tenure with the band, co-founder Syd Barrett's influence on Pink Floyd was profound and long-lasting. If his guitar gave the early Pink Floyd a distinctive hallucinatory sound, his often obscure and surreal lyrics were perhaps even more intoxicating.

Compiled in collaboration with the Syd Barrett estate, and featuring a foreword from former Pink Floyd manager Peter Jenner and a comprehensive introduction by biographer Rob Chapman, The Lyrics of Syd Barrett delves deep into one of rock'n'roll's most imaginative and searing minds.

In 2004, Keane released their debut album, Hopes and Fears, to widespread critical acclaim. Published by Faber Music & Island Records, Hopes and Fears went on to sell millions of copies worldwide and has become one of the most beloved albums of the 21st century.

Now, with full album lyrics, including B-sides and rarities, original notebook scans, photographs and ephemera, alongside unprecedented insight and behind the scenes reflections from the members of Keane, this beautifully presented hardback book celebrates the 20th anniversary of this iconic album.

The second volume of Sondheim's collected lyrics is both a remarkable glimpse into the brilliant mind of a legend, and a continuation of the acclaimed and best-selling Finishing the Hat.

Picking up where he left off in Finishing the Hat, Sondheim gives us all the lyrics, along with excluded songs and early drafts, of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods, Assassins and Passion. Here, too, is an in-depth look at the evolution of Wise Guys, which subsequently was transformed into Bounce and eventually became Road Show. Sondheim takes us through his contributions to both television and film, some of which may surprise you, and covers plenty of never-before-seen material from unproduced projects as well. There are abundant anecdotes about his many collaborations, and readers are treated to rare personal material in this volume, as Sondheim includes songs culled from commissions, parodies and personal special occasions--such as a hilarious song for Leonard Bernstein's seventieth birthday. As he did in the previous volume, Sondheim richly annotates his lyrics with invaluable advice on songwriting, discussions of theater history and the state of the industry today, and exacting dissections of his work, both the successes and the failures.

Filled with even more behind-the-scenes photographs and illustrations from Sondheim's original manuscripts, Look, I Made a Hat is fascinating, devourable and essential reading for any fan of the theater or this great man's work.

Selected and arranged by the author, with an expansive introduction by the novelist David Mitchell, How To Be Invisible presents the lyrics of Kate Bush for the first time in a beautiful cloth-bound edition.

Kate Bush is a true iconoclast and one of the most revered contemporary musical artists of recent years. Since her emergence in 1978 she has forged a creative path which has proved to be both highly innovative and hugely inspiring. Her artistic achievements have helped shape our cultural landscape and her singular vision has influenced many others. In 2002 Kate won the Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music, one of many awards won by her over the years. In 2012 her album 50 Words For Snow won Best Album at the South Bank Sky Arts Awards whilst in 2014 Kate won the Evening Standard Theatre Award for her live show Before The Dawn, which played for twenty-two nights at London's Hammersmith Apollo

Radiohead Complete is the definitive collection of Radiohead songs, including every song ever released by the British rock band (at time of publication). This artist-approved, 368-page book contains 154 songs, including B-sides and rarities, all with lyrics and guitar chords. It also features 48 pages of artwork by the band's album artist Stanley Donwood, who designed the exclusive cover artwork.
Titles: (Nice Dream) * 15 Step * 2+2=5 * 4 Minute Warning * A Punch up At a Wedding * A Reminder * A Wolf at the Door * Airbag * All I Need * The Amazing Sounds of Orgy * Anyone Can Play Guitar * Backdrifts * Banana Co. * Bangers + Mash * The Bends * Bishop's Robes * Black Star * Bloom * Blow Out * Bodysnatchers * Bones * Bullet Proof . . . I Wish I Was * Burn the Witch * The Butcher * Climbing up the Walls * Codex * Coke Babies * Creep * Cuttooth * The Daily Mail * Daydreaming * Decks Dark * Desert Island Disk * Dollars and Cents * Down Is the New Up * Electioneering * Everything in Its Right Place * Exit Music (For a Film) * Faithless, the Wonder Boy * Fake Plastic Trees * Faust Arp * Feral * Fitter Happier * Fog * Ful Stop * Gagging Order * Give up the Ghost * Glass Eyes * The Gloaming * Go Slowly * Go to Sleep * Harry Patch (In Memory Of) * High & Dry * House of Cards * How Can You Be Sure * How Do You Do? * How I Made My Millions * How to Disappear Completely * I Am a Wicked Child * I Can't * I Might Be Wrong * I Promise * I Want None of This * I Will * Identikit * Idioteque * Ill Wind * In Limbo * India Rubber * Inside My Head * Jigsaw Falling into Place * Just * Karma Police * Kid A * Killer Cars * Kinetic * Knives Out * Last Flowers * Let Down * Lewis (Mistreated) * Life in a Glasshouse * Lift * Like Spinning Plates * Little by Little * Lotus Flower * Lozenge of Love * Lucky * Lull * Lurgee * Man of War * Maquiladora * Melatonin * Million Dollar Question * Molasses * Morning Bell * Morning Bell / Amnesiac * Morning Mr Magpie * Motion Picture Soundtrack * My Iron Lung * Myxomatosis * The National Anthem * No Surprises * Nude * The Numbers * Optimistic * Packt Like Sardines in a Crushd Tin Box * Palo Alto * Paperbag Writer * Paranoid Android * Pearly * Permanent Daylight * Planet Telex * Polyethylene (Parts 1 & 2) * Pop Is Dead * Present Tense * Prove Yourself * Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors * Punchdrunk Lovesick Singalong * Pyramid Song * Reckoner * Ripcord * Sail to the Moon * Scatterbrain * Separator * Sit Down. Stand Up * Skttrbrain * Spectre * Staircase * Stop Whispering * Street Spirit (Fade Out) * Stupid Car * Subterranean Homesick Alien * Sulk * Supercollider * Talk Show Host * There There * These Are My Twisted Words * Thinking About You * Tinker Tailor Soldier Sailor Rich Man Poor Man Beggar Man Thief * The Tourist * Trans-Atlantic Drawl * Trickster * True Love Waits * Up on the Ladder * Vegetable * Videotape * We Suck Young Blood * Weird Fishes/Arpeggi * Where I End and You Begin * Worrywort * Yes I Am * You * You and Whose Army? * You Never Wash up After Yourself.

A Treatise on Possibility: Perspectives on Humanity Hereafter by Rou Reynolds is a companion guide to the critically acclaimed sixth Enter Shikari album Nothing Is True & Everything Is Possible.

Human possibility. If we get our act together, our long-term potential is virtually infinite. And infinitely beautiful. But currently humanity is being guided not by wisdom, cooperation and self-reflection but by archaic systems and false assumptions. There are warning signs everywhere: ecological destruction, mental health crises, and obscene levels of inequality.

At a time when quite literally Nothing Is True & Everything Is Possible, Rou Reynolds has gone in deep, head first, exploring the predicaments of modernity. Using his lyrics to navigate the complicated web of problems, he arrives on the other side with his Treatise on Possibility. Hard-hitting and thought provoking, this is a unique perspective on humanity as we approach a point of great change.

Cole Porter possessed to a singular degree the art of expressing depth through apparent frivolity. The effervescent wit and technical bravura of his songs are matched by their unguarded revelations of feeling. In the words of editor Robert Kimball, Porter wrote tellingly of the pain and evanescence of emotional relationships. He gently mocked propriety and said that few things were simple or lasting or free from ambiguity. Of the masters of twentieth-century American songwriting, Porter was one of the few who wrote both music and lyrics, and, even in the absence of his melodies, his words distill an unmistakable mixture of poignancy and wit that marks him as a genius of light verse.

Selected from over eight hundred songs, here are Porter's finest flights of invention, lyrics that are an indelible part of 20th-century culture: Let's Do It, Love for Sale, I Get a Kick Out of You, Anything Goes, In the Still of the Night, I Concentrate on You, and dozens more.

About the American Poets Project
Elegantly designed in compact editions, printed on acid-free paper, and textually authoritative, the American Poets Project makes available the full range of the American poetic accomplishment, selected and introduced by today's most discerning poets and critics.

Initially published in 1998, Patti Smith's Complete Lyrics was a testimony to her uncompromising poetic power. Now, on the fortieth anniversary of the release of Horses, Smith's groundbreaking album, Collected Lyrics has been revised and expanded with more than thirty-five additional songs and liberally illustrated with original manuscripts of lyrics from Smith's extensive archive.

Patti Smith's work continues to retain its relevance, whether controversial, political, romantic, or spiritual. Collected Lyrics offers forty-five years of song, an enduring commemoration of Smith's unique contribution to the canon of rock and roll.

In 1905, representatives from dozens of radical labor groups came together in Chicago to form One Big Union--the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), known as the Wobblies. The union was a big presence in the labor movement, leading strikes, walkouts, and rallies across the nation. And everywhere its members went, they sang.

Their songs were sung in mining camps and textile mills, hobo jungles and flop houses, and anywhere workers might be recruited to the Wobblies' cause. The songs were published in a pocketsize tome called the Little Red Songbook, which was so successful that it's been published continuously since 1909. In The Big Red Songbook, the editors have gathered songs from over three dozen editions, plus additional songs, rare artwork, personal recollections, discographies, and more into one big all-embracing book.

IWW poets/composers strove to nurture revolutionary consciousness. Each piece, whether topical, hortatory, elegiac, or comic served to educate, agitate, and emancipate workers. A handful of Wobbly numbers have become classics, still sung by labor groups and folk singers. They include Joe Hill's sardonic The Preacher and the Slave (sometimes known by its famous phrase Pie in the Sky) and Ralph Chaplin's Solidarity Forever. Songs lost or found, sacred or irreverent, touted or neglected, serious or zany, singable or not, are here. The Wobblies and their friends have been singing for a century. May this comprehensive gathering simultaneously celebrate past battles and chart future goals.

In addition to the 250+ songs, writings are included from Archie Green, Franklin Rosemont, David Roediger, Salvatore Salerno, Judy Branfman, Richard Brazier, James Connell, Carlos Cortez, Bill Friedland, Virginia Martin, Harry McClintock, Fred Thompson, Adam Machado, and many more.

Featuring a new introduction by the author, Faber presents a beautiful paperback edition of How To Be Invisible, the lyrics of Kate Bush.

Selected and arranged by the author, How To Be Invisible presents the lyrics of Kate Bush in a beautiful new paperback edition featuring a new cover by illustrator Jim Kay.

Song to the Siren is the best of Larry Beckett's lyrics of the past fifty years, conceived as poems that can be sung. Most have been set to music and recorded. It includes every kind of lyric: ode, cycle, carol, hymn, ballad, serenade, erotica, blason, aria, blues, lullaby, elegy. Song to the Siren itself, written with Tim Buckley in the sixties, is a modern standard, recorded by This Mortal Coil, Robert Plant, Bryan Ferry, George Michael, Sinead O'Connor, Kitty Macfarlane, and over a hundred other musicians. It's been played in a number of film soundtracks: Moonlight Mile, Lost Highway, The Lovely Bones, Justice League. This is its first publication. The book includes an appendix with music sources and recording history for each lyric, and an essay on the genesis of Song to the Siren.