As a songwriter I have had many of influences in my life from the songwriter catagory the list is many. Bob Seger, Gordon Lightfoot, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Billy Joe Shaver, Neil Diamond, Jeffery Steele, John Prine and so many more. The one that stands above the all is Steve Earle. To paint a picture with words like Steve Earle can is not only a gift but bordline genuis.
here is just a piece of his work from Tom Ames Prayer

Well they sent the preacher down to my cell
He said the Lord is your only hope
He's the only friend that you gonna have
When you hit the end of Parker's rope

Well I guess he coulda' kept on preachin' 'till Christmas
but he turned his back on me
I put a home made blade to that golden throat
and asked the deputy for the key

Steven Spielberg could not even paint this on film they way Steve Earle has wrote this.
I remember I saw Steve in Victoria BC Canada in 1989 at his Copperhead Road tour. He played for 3 hours without a break and had everyone in the palm of his hand. A dream of mine would be to sit down a write a song with him. Though I am pretty sure I would just sit there with blank look on my face like when the beatles met elvis.
For any young song writers out there who are looking to learn more about songwriting go buy a Steve CD or download and just sit and listen to his lyrics. If they don't paint a picture in your brain then you don't have one.
There are others that come a close second to Steve and that is Billy Joe Shaver and Bob Seger. Hell they all are a close second
Ken McCoy
http://www.mccoycountry.com/
http://www.facebook.com/sob.ken.mccoy#!/pages/Ken-McCoy-Band/210018965695485