“Poetry has a bad rap,” Tanya Davis explains to The Coast, and, quite frankly, I agree. She articulates to the interviewer that she is a writer first and a musician second, relying on the rhythms of poetry to translate, and the approachability of the music to amplify it. Tanya Davis wrote the music that showed me the difference between setting music as the background for words versus the more common inverse. Since then, I’ve been on the hunt for artists who use music as a vessel for their poems, like she does. Below are ten songs that I think make the cut.

Tanya Davis - "Eulogy for You and Me"

It wouldn’t make sense to start off with anyone else but my introduction to this type of musician: a writer first, and music-maker second. Tanya Davis’ poem on grief is resilient and simultaneously vulnerable as her voice echoes against the guitar-picked, rolling tune. Thank you, Tanya Davis, for the countless hours of quiet counsel this song has given me, and for the way it draws on nature’s cycles to frame grief as a necessary part of life.

Patti smith - "Redondo Beach"

I would be remiss to make this list and fail to include one of the original rock-n-roll poets, Patti Smith. While almost all of her songs have obvious poetic practice involved, "Redondo Beach" was adopted from the poem found first in her book Kodak, written much before this song. The track reflects Smith’s nerves following a fight with her sister, but the musicality doesn’t always reflect that. There seems to be a distinct divide between what Smith is saying as a musician. There is frustration in the beat that lays behind the fear of the words. Listening to this song versus reading the lyrics provides two different interpretations of emotion. Here, we see how music and poetry can work together to tell a story at a deeper level.

Olivia Rodrigo - "Lacy"

Olivia Rodrigo took a class at USC for poetry, and out of an assignment for that class, this song was born. Rodrigo originally used the piece to challenge herself as a musician, figuring out how to best set it to music and let the two pieces of art synthesize. Poetic and intentional, this song exemplifies the idea of the sung ballad.

Alanis Morissette - "Not the Doctor" N

Alanis Morissette permanently lives on my punk poetry playlist, and it would be wrong to make this list without including musicians from all different times, since this isn’t a new form of musical inspiration. Morissette's distinctiveness and immortality lives through her punk-ish, spoken-word tone of her songs. "Not the Doctor" is a clear, example of this as Morissette follows a repetitive, 'A-B-B-A', poetic pattern.

John Lennon - "Working Class Hero”

There is little that hasn't been said about the musical supremacy and lyrics of John Lennon. However, I think there is value in adding his name to the list as a famous writer and musician. His own prose and poems were published works, and his solo-work on projects such as Plastic Ono Band showcase this talent with little of the flashy musicianship that typically accompanies his name.

SZA - "Twenty Something"

Rap is often considered poetry in performance: a more commercial form of an art that has historically been treated as hard to market. The derivation of rap and spoken-poetry as a genre is a gray area, but I think the separation is undoubtable in the R&B musicians and rappers today. SZA, for example, writes in her more vulnerable music what can only be conceived as poetry. Her delivery in “Twenty Something” isn’t quite rap or song. It’s closer to spoken word, as she reflects on her own life as a twenty-something.

Cat Stevens - “Morning Has Broken”

Cat Steven’s role as both poet and musician is evident in each of his works. Each work is distinctly his, distinctly vocal and verbal without shying away from rhythm. His inspiration, coming from both Rumi and William Blake, is evident in all of his pieces. “Morning Has Broken” is my favorite example of this in his work, although all find harmony in similar written roots.

Zach Bryan - " Fear and Fridays (Poem) "

Zach Bryan is at the forefront of the folk-country scene, two genres that long have their roots in storytelling. Overt in all of Bryan’s work is his feel of rhythm and linguistic intentionality. Imagery backed by beautiful, soulful tunes is the theme of the works accompanied by this lead track. To open his self-titled album with a poem shows the dedication Bryan has made to his story-telling and words. This poem-piece, “Fear and Fridays” holds music alongside with earnest and raw expression.

Fiona Apple - "Paper Bag"

Fiona Apple’s quoted inspiration being Maya Angelous feels obvious when listening to this masterpiece. "Paper Bag" is a majestic, image-filled emotional rollercoaster where every single line feels intentional. There are few lyrics that haunt me like the one’s found within this song, as I feel myself reaching for similar metaphors in conversation: comparing the desperation of dating in Los Angeles to a bird who, hungrily, mistakes a paper bag for a meal.

Adrienne Lenker - "Sadness as a Gift"

Adrienne Lenker has surpassed the title of songwriter, to me. Her work is too vulnerable, too authentic, and too artful for her words to be treated as just another instrument. While Lenker uses her voice as instrument, the words lead the song, painting visceral images that are hard to confront. In her depiction of a relationship ending, “Sadness as a Gift” paints a poetic balance of song and spoken word.

Check out the full Spotify playlist for this article below.

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