Anyone still do insightful or intelligent lyrics?

Albert, you're right.

Now that I think of it, GW's thoughts at the time he was sitting in that classroom were probably as barren as an Afghani desert. I'm sure Slick Willy's mind was filled with multi-colored, booty-licious, intern explosions while Monica was a bobbin' away. Whoa, that last part sounded like a Paul Simon song.

Thanks, UncleJeff! I guess many of my posts are inspired by a delirious confusion caused by staring at 1280 x 1024 pixel resolution boobs at work.

I love my job!

I have to third or fourth-Aimee Mann. I don't think she has any peers in the lyrics/poetry department... along with excellent arrangements.

Like stated, Byrne. He is a prototypical intelligent lyricist. It may be tucked in somewhere on this thread, but I'm a little surprised I did not read "Ani DiFranco".

“And now I stand, forsaking pride The time has come to turn the tide I've drawn the line, I've built my wall And I won't let one more dream fall All days of innocence, I surrendered long ago Where's the wind that takes me higher The hand that offers peace The heart that still gives shelter? I want to go back to find The innocent days that I left behind I still believe they're holding ground Behind the Battle Lines If it takes a million miles over land and sea Gonna swim in the rivers of purity I know they still run free Behind the Battle Lines One more mountain I must climb I've scaled so many in my time And if the sun goes down on me The light of truth will help me see All days of innocence, I surrendered long ago Where's the voice that speaks of mercy The eyes that are not blind The love that's never ending? A vision of eternity Oh, Lord! Never take the dream from me Here I am, standing at the edge of destiny?”

This was particularly meaningful to me from Sarah Jarosz' album World on the Ground from this past year. 

What makes a life complete?
Roads traveled and the people you meet?
Or is just the silence of the times in between?

Written by a 28 year old, but the feeling is so completely right for me with many more years of life experience.

Great lyrics.

lemmy kilmister
dave mustaine
thin lizzy (Gary Moore)
onslaught 
Mercyful fate (king diamond)
Paul samson
paul di’anno
Bathory 

several others!

 Metal!

Even the the OP's OP was from 17 years ago, it still translates into: "I've lost touch with modern music and am hanging onto music I grew up with."

It's a shame to become a musical dinosaur surrounded by beautiful fossils.

Actually no, that is not a translation, that is a completely different thing altogether! What the OP actually said was,

Is anyone writing intelligent, insightful lyrics anymore?

How do you "translate" that into "lost touch with modern music"????!!!

But hey, you're the expert. Translate these monster hits for me- into something intelligent and insightful: 

I feel stupid and contagiousHere we are now, entertain us
A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido
A denial, a denial, a denial, a denial, a denial

and that was an "oldie" compared to this NUMBER ONE from TODAY'S Billboard Top 100:

Once upon a time, man, I heard that I was ugly
Came from a bitch who nigga wanna fuck on me! said my face bomb, ass tight
Racks stack up Shaq height
Jewelry on me, flashlight
I been lit since last night
Hit him with that good-good
Make a nigga act right
Broke boys don't deserve no pussy (I know that's right!)Big bag bussin' out the Bentley Bentayga
Man, Balenciaga Bardi back and all these bitches fucked
It's big bags bussin' out the Bentley Bentayga, man
Birkin bag, Bardi back and all you bitches fucked 

Intelligent. Insightful. ROTFLMAO!

"Anyone still do insightful or intelligent lyrics?"

Not for a bit over a month now.

Another thought about the OP's post. Writing in 2004 and bemoaning the paucity of "insightful and intelligent lyrics" also translates into not being able or willing to branch out into other genres. The artists mentioned in the OP were all comfortable, safe, white Boomer artists firmly entrenched in that cultural paradigm of lyrical, non-confrontational poetry which, compared to the world of the first decade of the 21st century, was analogous to the mushy comfort of mashed potatoes and stuffing. 

And yet in 2004 you had Nas and KRS-1 perpetuating and redefining intelligent, insightful lyrics; you had Lady Gaga and Prince penning masterful lyrics for themselves and other artists; you had "conventional" singer-songwriters like Josh Rouse, Neko Case, and even Tori Amos all writing powerful, poetic lyrics.
I realize my dinosaur comment was condescending, but anyone who bemoans the lack of anything in contemporary music and then proceeds to reel off artists from decades ago is simply confessing a static perspective.