Musician Books of Poetry / Lyrics

Florence Welch is in New Zealand this week with Florence and the Machine, playing at Laneway Festival as well as doing a standalone concert. She's recently published a book Useless magic: Lyrics and poetry that adds her to a select group of musicians - those who've had their poetry and/or lyrics published in book form. The first one I remember of this rarefied genre was Jewel's A Night without Armor back in the 90s. I haven't actually read it, but I remember it was a big deal.

Reading my worn, well loved copy of @jeweljk’s A Night Without Armor. This book inspired so many notebooks filled with terrible angsty poems from my youth. I still love it. pic.twitter.com/DPZM4fkkHZ

— William Ottens (@williamottens) December 4, 2018

Here are some more books of poetry and lyrics by artists. As you'd expect, solid representation by Leonard Cohen:

• Useless magic: Lyrics and poetry Florence Welch
• Tears for water: Songbook of poems and lyrics Alicia Keys
• The Lyrics of Leonard Cohen
• Leonard Cohen: Poems and songs
• Lyrics 1962 to 2001 Bob Dylan
• Pass thru fire: the collected lyrics Lou Reed
• The complete poems and lyrics Joni Mitchell
• Book of longing Leonard Cohen
• The rose that grew from concrete Tupac Shakur
• Sick bag song Nick Cave (there is also a book of his lyrics The Complete Lyrics 1978-2013)

Useless Magic