i think stephin merritt is one of the greatest living song writers, according to his wiki describes merritt’s  lyrical style to  include the following themes:  the age 17, dancing, seasons (most often summer), youth, old age, cities (especially New York City and Paris), the moon, the sun, the stars, rain, the night, marriage, blue eyes, faces, trains and railroads, the road, crying, murder, drinking, musical instruments, and love.