File under "Decline of Western Civilization"

Exclusively for USA WEEKEND, the music experts at Billboard magazine offer up the
Top 10 song lyrics of this generation

Family Affair, Mary J. Blige: “'Don't need no hateration, holleratin' in this dance for me.' She makes street talk poetic."

Fallin', Alicia Keys: "Alicia is so hot because she gets easily in touch with her emotions. Here, she battles with love; 'Sometimes I feel good/At times I feel used.' "

Smooth, Santana featuring Rob Thomas: "It's very sexy. It almost reminds me of a tango, the way the words fit together."

Hey Ya!, Outkast: "At one point, he says, 'Y'all don't want me here, you just wanna dance.' He talks directly to the listener, which is a great technique."

Missing, Everything but the Girl: "It's literally about one line: 'And I miss you/Like the deserts miss the rain.' The imagery is so vivid, you can build an entire song around it."

Gangsta's Paradise, Coolio: "It's gritty; it's real. He talks about gang violence with such resignation, suburban white kids related to growing up in Compton."

Lose Yourself, Eminem: "It's his life story, and it's almost better than the movie. He'll say something clever and have a good laugh at himself."

Stay, Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories: "I love that she's just rambling, because that's how arguments happen: You don't sit down and script it."

No Scrubs, TLC: "It's very innovative. They popularized the term 'scrub,' which became a phenomenon."

We Belong Together, Mariah Carey: "She cleverly brings up listening to other songwriters -- Bobby Womack and Babyface. And you don't expect Mariah Carey to sit around and listen to the radio!"

- Bob