Hey, this is a good point. Everyone says dylan was a good luyricist. I think so too, but some of the stuff he says confuses the hell out of me.

well...his lyrics dont bother be per say...but the way he sings them makes me insane.....ugg.....(sorry in advance to whoever is a dylan fan)

Dylan was a great lyricist because of the imagery he created. Right now I'm really into a Paul simon style in which the lyircs are more impressionistic than metaphorical, like "Obvious Child" or "Boy in the Bubble." This foreces the lsitener either to discarsd the music out of hand or to find what the lyrics mean to them on a very personal level.

www.umich.edu/~papker

hmm, hard question.
But for me it's a melody that must catch at the first time (or the first times) you hear it... and that you never get tired of.
Deep and meaningful lyrics are the best, and very poetic and with some figurative language (works good too).
Or just a clear message can also be okay...
It all depends on which genre it is........
Is it pop must it have a clear message, indie very poetic etc. etc.

If you're writing to appeal to a wider audience, then understanding that target audience is the key. Writing with a social conscious is also another way. And writing by rules defined by a genre given the social and economic climate at the time is another way.

But if you're writing for yourself, it's whatever gives you satisfaction or you're driving motivation to write in the first place.