Steven Tyler is one of the most recognizable voices in rock. It’s not just his skill behind the microphone that makes him so unique, his pen is similarly singular. Check out three of his best lyrics, below.
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3 of the Best (and Most Unique) Steven Tyler Lyrics
1. I know it’s everybody’s sin / You got to lose to know how to win (“Dream On”)
“Dream On” remains one of Aerosmith‘s most affecting songs. The sweeping ballad is most known for Tyler’s wailing high notes, but the lyrics are equally as interesting if one cares to dive into them. The lines above feel particularly wise. Sometimes it’s the falling down that teaches us how to get back up. For a line in a rock song, this verse is markedly positive and inspiring.
2. Some sweat hog mama with a face like a gent / Said my get up and go, musta got up and went / Well I got good news, she’s a real good liar / ‘Cause the backstage boogie set your pants on fire (“Sweet Emotion”)
Tyler isn’t afraid to be irreverent with his lyrics. He seems to always say things as they come to him–no filter necessary. In the lines above, he references a woman who says she wants nothing to do with him, though he knows the truth: The backstage boogie set your pants on fire.
3. Seesaw swingin’ with the boys in the school / And your feet flyin’ up in the air / Singing, hey diddle diddle / With your kitty in the middle (“Walk This Way”)
“Walk This Way” was a hit twice over–first with Aerosmith and then again with Run–D.M.C. Needless to say, the song has a sort of universal appeal. The motormouth lyrics are insatiably catchy (not to mention hard to sing along to). Tyler injected an energy into this song that made it a hit across several generations.
(Photo by Lisa Lake/Getty Images)
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