View Full Version : How important are lyrics?
I was just thinking about the music I listen to, and it struck me that much of it is in languages that I cannot understand, and when I do listen to music in English I generally do not pay attention to the lyrics. I can feel and appreciate the emotion being expressed, but I do not listen to the lyrics.
I cannot think of a single song that I like for the lyrics. So I am just wondering, how important are the lyrics of the song for you? Do you really care what they are, or do you just like to listen to the instruments and voice and ignore the words?
I think the importance of lyrics to a song is dependent entirely on the strength of the instruments (or lack thereof!) accompanying the vocals, the actual message that the song may be trying to say, one's mood at the time and so on.
Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuDqHtAR6L8) is a good example of a song that I would listen to for the lyrics, as they are highly emotive and actually hold alot of meaning both for the vocalist and the listener; the accompanying music is sombre and suitable to the pace of the lyrics, even when it approaches the three minute mark and picks up.
Then there's If U Seek Amy (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=podSwaNge7E), where the lyrics do convey a message but I find that it's both inane and takes a back seat in comparison to the melody itself and the synths. Sure, I'll sing along to it, but I don't take particular stock in what I'm actually listening to. Similarly, there is Madamoiselle Juliette (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRRbJhEsqmI), which is entirely in French; the lyrics certainly have a meaning behind them, but I find that I listen to this more for the catchy beat and the fact that I love the language than the story she is trying to tell, despite the fact I understand every word.
And finally there's stuff like Killing In the Name, where the lyrics are largely nonsensical, the accompanying music isn't anything particularly amazing... and yet there's something about the song that invokes raw emotion and causes people to go nuts. I wouldn't listen to this for the lyrics or the music, but if it comes on when I'm in an alternative club... well, I'll be rocking along to it regardless. :P
GeneralHankerchief
03-06-2011, 05:12
Don't listen to 'em. This isn't a conscious decision on my part; it's just that I never pick them when listening to a song unless they're either very clear or I'm making a concerted effort to do so. For me, the parts of the song that trigger my emotions is mostly the instrumentalization/tone and the very general meaning of the lyrics.
Hooahguy
03-06-2011, 06:49
I think the importance of lyrics to a song is dependent entirely on the strength of the instruments (or lack thereof!) accompanying the vocals, the actual message that the song may be trying to say, one's mood at the time and so on.
This.
More often than not, I like a song because of both its music and lyrics. Rarely is it one over the other.
I try to find meaning in a song. For instance, the song St. Anger (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ajl1ABdD8A) is the song I listen to when Im really angry, because it just speaks to me on that level of "Im mad, Im bad, and Im gonna do something about it." Then I usually calm down because all my anger is being channeled and then released through that song.
In addition, the song Nothing Else Matters (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcbAibPA2yY) is also one that speaks to me. Whenever Im depressed about something/someone, its there to remind me that literally, nothing else matters than living my life the way I want to live it.
But I dont feel that way about that song because of just the lyrics or just the melody. Its both, which is usually the case for every song I listen to.
Reenk Roink
03-06-2011, 07:03
I listen to Soulja Boy so yeah...
I like hearing the lyrics for most songs. It makes it better.
gaelic cowboy
03-06-2011, 15:51
I was just thinking about the music I listen to, and it struck me that much of it is in languages that I cannot understand, and when I do listen to music in English I generally do not pay attention to the lyrics. I can feel and appreciate the emotion being expressed, but I do not listen to the lyrics.
I cannot think of a single song that I like for the lyrics. So I am just wondering, how important are the lyrics of the song for you? Do you really care what they are, or do you just like to listen to the instruments and voice and ignore the words?
Lyrics are extremely important Vuk if you learn just one song off by heart then you will understand why.
Lyrics often are the only way to express the true feelings of a people or nation they can speak to us in a way that actually articulating the same words in everyday speech cannot.
thefluffyone93
03-06-2011, 17:35
I normally listen to the Rock 'n Roll of the 60's-80's, and for the early half, such as the Beatles, you would really only get the song by understanding the lyrics.
Ever listen to "I am the Walrus" just for the music, or for the lyrics?
For more recent music, most of what I hear is dance music, with the bass pumped up and with only a few words able to be heard. (Taio Cruz- Dynamite and Katy Perry's Firework)
However, I also listen to Eminem, and it is essential to listen to the lyrics in order to understand his meaning.
Prussian to the Iron
03-06-2011, 17:37
Lyrics typically aren't a big deal for me. If I do take the time to learn/listen to them closely, it's because I want to sing it and actually know what I'm saying.
I only know the lyrics to a few songs. And one of those is mine and my girlfriends song, so that's a given.
johnhughthom
03-06-2011, 17:41
Depends on the lyricist, if you don't pay attention the words the likes of Bob Dylan, Richey Edwards, Ian Curtis or Nick Cave you're missing most of the song. Whereas the likes of James Hetfield (sorry hooah), Noel Gallagher etc you can safely ignore.
Hooahguy
03-06-2011, 18:04
As you can tell, it really depends on the person.
I personally find that Bob Dylan is an awful lyricist. For example, I find his song "You aint goin nowhere" is dull and honestly makes me want to puke.
Totally overrated.
johnhughthom
03-06-2011, 18:09
As you can tell, it really depends on the person.
I personally find that Bob Dylan is an awful lyricist. For example, I find his song "You aint goin nowhere" is dull and honestly makes me want to puke.
That's not really the point hooah, I actually like Metallica and was a big fan in my teenage years, up to Load anyway. The point is, if you listen to songs by the artists I mentioned the lyrics are a huge part of the song, when I listen to Metallica the lyrics are a lot less important than the music (except for One maybe). Though it is down to personal opinion as you say.
Prussian to the Iron
03-06-2011, 18:13
That's not really the point hooah, I actually like Metallica and was a big fan in my teenage years, up to Load anyway. The point is, if you listen to songs by the artists I mentioned the lyrics are a huge part of the song, when I listen to Metallica the lyrics are a lot less important than the music (except for One maybe). Though it is down to personal opinion as you say.
True for Metallica at least; I literally don't know any lyrics to 'Battery' besides "Mother ******* BATTERY!!!" :P
Lyrics are extremely important Vuk if you learn just one song off by heart then you will understand why.
Lyrics often are the only way to express the true feelings of a people or nation they can speak to us in a way that actually articulating the same words in everyday speech cannot.
lol, actually, most lyrics to songs are silly, and I would rather listen to the music and give it my own meaning than think of it along the lines of its silly lyrics. Often times the lyrics are at odds to the emotion being expressed by the music, in which case I consider the music more important.
Hooahguy
03-06-2011, 18:15
That's not really the point hooah, I actually like Metallica and was a big fan in my teenage years, up to Load anyway. The point is, if you listen to songs by the artists I mentioned the lyrics are a huge part of the song, when I listen to Metallica the lyrics are a lot less important than the music (except for One maybe). Though it is down to personal opinion as you say.
Oh, in terms of song structure? Then yes, its fair to say that. Dylan and others like that rely on only the lyrics to get the point across while the music is there for setting.
But its the nature of rock and metal for music and lyrics to go hand in hand, even if music is sometimes pulling the lyrics along.
I personally find that Bob Dylan is an awful lyricist. For example, I find his song "You aint goin nowhere" is dull and honestly makes me want to puke.
Bob Dylan, folk era? Bob Dylan, post-folk/electric era? Bob Dylan, Christian era?
"Subterranean Homesick Blues" is genius. Same goes for "Like a Rolling Stone". But if you listen to "Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window", you'll find that the lyrics don't make any real sense. Then again, it's not one of his better known songs. I saw "No Direction Home" a couple of days ago, and Joan Baez mentioned that she recorded a song Dylan wrote, and he couldn't even remember writing it. He wrote a lot. But to base your opinion of Dylan's work on "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere" is to base your opinion of The Beatles on "Obladi-Oblada", or your opinion of The Who on "Can't Explain". Those aren't really the songs really worth remembering, are they? They're not half-bad, but they're not brilliant either.
Listen to "Subterranean Homesick Blues" or "Crash on the Levee" or "Like a Rolling Stone". Dylan manages to bring some very cool messages across. They're just not really that simple or obvious.
Hooahguy
03-06-2011, 18:34
"You Ain't Goin' Nowhere" is just one example. I didnt feel the need to list of a bunch of his songs, and needless to say, Ive heard many of them. My carpool driver loves the guy and insists we listen to him every day.
But as said, its really a matter of opinion.
johnhughthom
03-06-2011, 18:36
But if you listen to "Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window", you'll find that the lyrics don't make any real sense.
It was written solely to be a cool Hendrix cover:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8O_qjg6I3P4
thefluffyone93
03-06-2011, 18:42
"This Video contains content from Sony Music Entertainment. It is not available in your country."
..........................
SONY OWNS JIMI HENDRIX!?!?!
gaelic cowboy
03-06-2011, 19:00
lol, actually, most lyrics to songs are silly, and I would rather listen to the music and give it my own meaning than think of it along the lines of its silly lyrics. Often times the lyrics are at odds to the emotion being expressed by the music, in which case I consider the music more important.
Thats cos most stuff today people are listening to is rubbish, I'm talking about actual songs with real lyrics.
Have you ever actually sat and listened to someone singing an unaccompanied ballad, the power of lyrics far outstrips music. I have lost count of the amount of times I have sat and listened to songs being sung at family occasions both myself and others, I can assure the power of the lyrics of a song can change the mood of a gathering instantly.
It was written solely to be a cool Hendrix cover:
Lies. Listen to his version with The Hawks (The Band), it's really cool.
johnhughthom
03-06-2011, 19:30
Lies. Listen to his version with The Hawks (The Band), it's really cool.
Nah, I can't take anybody who likes The Who seriously. :tongue3:
thefluffyone93
03-06-2011, 19:42
Nah, I can't take anybody who likes The Who seriously. :tongue3:
AGHSDUJSHDUCKJHBII!!!!
NO.
INVALID.
WRONG!
Thats cos most stuff today people are listening to is rubbish, I'm talking about actual songs with real lyrics.
Have you ever actually sat and listened to someone singing an unaccompanied ballad, the power of lyrics far outstrips music. I have lost count of the amount of times I have sat and listened to songs being sung at family occasions both myself and others, I can assure the power of the lyrics of a song can change the mood of a gathering instantly.
hmmm...maybe, but I have never heard a song that was able to really affect me with its lyrics. Maybe I am just not looking in the right places.
The Stranger
03-06-2011, 23:01
im a linguist... so i find lyrics very important. when i listen to music i listen for the lyrics. but i can appreciate total instrumental music as well. for me music doesnt need lyrics per se but if u do have lyrics you should have good lyrics not just crap.
The Stranger
03-06-2011, 23:03
As you can tell, it really depends on the person.
I personally find that Bob Dylan is an awful lyricist. For example, I find his song "You aint goin nowhere" is dull and honestly makes me want to puke.
Totally overrated.
the guy is a genius. his early lyrics are insanely good. and most of them also just plain insane.
Hooahguy
03-06-2011, 23:05
the guy is a genius. his early lyrics are insanely good. and most of them also just plain insane.
As been said about this topic many times over, it depends on the person.
The Stranger
03-06-2011, 23:06
Bob Dylan, folk era? Bob Dylan, post-folk/electric era? Bob Dylan, Christian era?
"Subterranean Homesick Blues" is genius. Same goes for "Like a Rolling Stone". But if you listen to "Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window", you'll find that the lyrics don't make any real sense. Then again, it's not one of his better known songs. I saw "No Direction Home" a couple of days ago, and Joan Baez mentioned that she recorded a song Dylan wrote, and he couldn't even remember writing it. He wrote a lot. But to base your opinion of Dylan's work on "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere" is to base your opinion of The Beatles on "Obladi-Oblada", or your opinion of The Who on "Can't Explain". Those aren't really the songs really worth remembering, are they? They're not half-bad, but they're not brilliant either.
Listen to "Subterranean Homesick Blues" or "Crash on the Levee" or "Like a Rolling Stone". Dylan manages to bring some very cool messages across. They're just not really that simple or obvious.
add to that list Mr Tambourine Man! that song is awesome. or If you see her Say hello.
my dad has a book with all the lyrics of bob dylan and sometimes i just read it. some songs are pure poetry.
anyway in the case of dylan lyrics are most important. i remember when i was small i would force my dad to turn off dylan when he listened to it. i found it very ugly music. but when i grew up and start to understand what he was saying i really appreciated it. now when i listen to music, which isnt very often tho, i listen to dylan most of the time.
Ironside
03-06-2011, 23:49
hmmm...maybe, but I have never heard a song that was able to really affect me with its lyrics. Maybe I am just not looking in the right places.
Probably.
While I'm usually not that caring about the lyrics, but often treats it more like a type of instrument, there are parts of songs that do stand out and affects me. It's very rare for it to be a whole song though.
But the big boon about the lyrics is that it's definitly the easiest part to join in with. Singing the lyrics beats humming quite a bit.
Just to check if there might be any connection, how are org members seeing poetry? I almost never find it good and got no real interest in it.
Was thinking that those who finds lyrics to be very important, might be enjoying poetry more.
Megas Methuselah
03-06-2011, 23:50
It depends. When I listen to love songs or songs about the realities of life, the lyrics are just as important (in many cases, even more important) than the beat/instrumental. But for the party songs, I just want a catchy hook and a shiny beat.
The Stranger
03-06-2011, 23:54
Just to check if there might be any connection, how are org members seeing poetry? I almost never find it good and got no real interest in it.
Was thinking that those who finds lyrics to be very important, might be enjoying poetry more.
thats true for me.
johnhughthom
03-07-2011, 02:06
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQKUGG1mDWY
If you think lyrics are unimportant in music how about this from the Manic Street Preachers. Their guitarist/lyricist disappeared 15 years ago and this song was made from a scrapbook of lyrics he left behind. The guy singing was/is his best friend and the lyrics can be interpreted as a goodbye to his bandmates, James Dean Bradfield, the usual singer, couldn't sing the song as it made him too emotional. When I heard it performed live in Belfast 18 months ago I'm not ashamed to say I had tears in my eyes, it made it even more emotional when they said it was the last time it would be performed live. If you aren't a Manic Street Preachers fan it will probably sound rubbish, if you are it touches your heart in a way nothing else can, and it's all down to the lyrics.
Rhyfelwyr
03-07-2011, 02:31
My taste is more shallow, I like upbeat songs and the lyrics aren't important.
I like music to make me feel good. You are all emos!
johnhughthom
03-07-2011, 02:46
I'm going to go back to the Manic Street Preachers for how important lyrics can be.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hMqpR9AogI&feature=related
I still remember sitting in with a load of friends when that came on Top of the Pops, they were like WTF??!!! I felt pretty cool because I knew who Miller, Mailer, Plath and Pinter were and I could spell. Well, better than them anyway.
thefluffyone93
03-07-2011, 06:24
Reading through this thread again made me realize that this discussion is moot, for a few reasons.
1) Many different types of genres. You listen to pop for the beat, rap for the meaning, and rock for emotional release (head banging or otherwise)
2) People have their own taste in music, which may be centered around lyric or tune heavy songs. To push for the opposite of what someone listens to is difficult, as chances are they have rarely been exposed to the other music.
Of course, this is my opinion, and you have every right to ignore it.
Song lyrics are important to me. One of my favorite bands for lyrics is the band Minor Threat. The lyrics aren't really poetic, what makes them great is they are very straight forward and personal, so they're really easy to relate to. Sometimes crude simplicity can be just as effective as elaborate metaphors.
I like the vocal element in music and it's nice when it's (much) more than oe and aa, but I prefer to not understand any of it. So, a foreign text is best for me.
I like the vocal element in music and it's nice when it's (much) more than oe and aa, but I prefer to not understand any of it. So, a foreign text is best for me.
Exactly Tosa! That is exactly how I feel. I see the voice as more of an instrument, yet at the same time I want to hear the emotion that comes with saying something important. I think that is why 99% of what I listen to is foreign. :P
And finally there's stuff like Killing In the Name, where the lyrics are largely nonsensical, the accompanying music isn't anything particularly amazing... and yet there's something about the song that invokes raw emotion and causes people to go nuts. I wouldn't listen to this for the lyrics or the music, but if it comes on when I'm in an alternative club... well, I'll be rocking along to it regardless. :P
how is 'killing in the name of' lyrics nonsensical????
personally I pay attention to around 80% of the music I listen to...
how is 'killing in the name of' lyrics nonsensical????
The only lyrics that make any sense in that song are the expletive-laden ones at the end.
The only lyrics that make any sense in that song are the expletive-laden ones at the end.
if that's all you get from the song I think you are not understanding it...
the song is about police brutality and the collusion that existed between the police and some racist groups like the Ku Klux Klan in the united states in the 60's.......and more generally it's about the abuse of force by the state.
Togakure
03-09-2011, 03:02
This has interested me for a long time. The majority of people whom I've asked about this replied that lyrics were a primary focus, and favored music with lyrics over instrumentals. However, the great majority of musicians, excluding singers, focus primarily on the music, of which the lyrical melody is only a part, and most admitted that they couldn't recall the lyrics of songs they played once or twice a night, every night, 4-6 days a week! I am one of those: when I listen to music, it's the tones, rhythms, orchestration and arrangements that intrigue me. I like instrumentals and music with lyrics equally--the words are just articulations of the vocal melody, and rarely do their meaning catch my attention, unless I happen to be reading them and not listening to them.
if that's all you get from the song I think you are not understanding it...
As I've already stated though, it's not a song I particularly wish to understand; if I'm honest, I don't really care for de la Rocha's rant-rapping.
I wouldn't go so far as Simon Cowell and say that RATM are rubbish; I can enjoy the song in an alternative club, but it's not really something I'd listen to for it's lyrical content or the instrumental components.
thefluffyone93
03-11-2011, 22:27
I know a few groups that focus on both good lyrics and music.
Queen is one, with Brian Mays excellent guitar, and Freddie's powerful vocals.
Just watch this (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBfVpG2PqPo&feature=fvst)and you can see how powerful his voice is.
In fact, just watch any of Freddie's live performance videos.
Another band would be YES.
Even though some of their songs reach almost 20 minutes, the lyrics are just as essential.
Togakure
03-17-2011, 06:01
I agree with Queen, but I'm biased because they were one of the first rock bands I ever listened to as I transitioned from purely classical exposure to the rock world. Hence, they're an all-time favorite. I would guess that I can recall more Queen lyrics and melodies than any other band's.
Not so much with Yes, but that may be because I've never much cared for Jon Anderson's voice. Yes' musicians were all extremely talented so what they were doing always captured my attention.
Journey is a good example of a band where the lyrics and vocal grabs my attention as much as does the music. This is probably because the songwriting is pretty mainstream and "mundane" outside of Neal Schon's extraordinary guitar work and Perry's vocals.
a completely inoffensive name
03-17-2011, 10:18
Lyrics are everything, this song pretty much explains it all:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CD2LRROpph0
thefluffyone93
03-17-2011, 16:30
HERESY!!
BURN IT! BURN IT ALL!!
Ironside
03-17-2011, 19:32
Well, I do grant that's the lyrics that pushes that "song" from bad to unbearable.
But on the other hand, jht:s examples are songs were the lyrics have very little influence on the first impression, for me.
Typically for me, I find lyrics to be important. However, that is an unfair generalization based upon the type of music I usually listen to.
I would argue that it is not even the person so much, but the style of music.
Lyric is certainly less important in types of music such as classical & orcestral music - where the voice is truly an instrument and the word itself is less important. You do not have to understand the language to appreciate most Opera or even Handel's Messiah. Similarly, in most dance & club music I would argue that the lyric is less relevant than the sounds or even the beat. Daft Punk's success is certainly not due to lyrical content, and most club music is more about the rythm and beat. Pop music is another case where, I really don't even want to know what they are saying - and if I do it will probably annoy me, but then again I rarely listen to pop music anyway.
A lot of folk music is much more about the lyric than the music itself...simple music to convey a story. I cannot imagine listening to a Bob Dylan for the sound of his voice.
On the other hand, A lot of other music has where music and lyric work together to build the significance and power of the song. You can still enjoy it without the lyric, but with it - you can reach an entirely different level.
Most of you are probably not familiar with Matthew Good, but if you read his lyrics/poetry alone, it is powerful...if you listen to the song ignoring lyric, it is still technically brilliant and appealing...but the combination of the two is genius(examples:"Silent Army for the Trees" and "Bad Skies over Bad Lands"). I would say similar things about some of Pink Floyd, Loreena McKennit, maybe even RATM (RATM in the sense that you can appreciate a loud song, but if you share their rage about the subject matter then you will rage all the more - so to speak).
Depends on the lyricist, if you don't pay attention the words the likes of Bob Dylan, Richey Edwards, Ian Curtis or Nick Cave you're missing most of the song. Whereas the likes of James Hetfield (sorry hooah), Noel Gallagher etc you can safely ignore.
I am kind of with Hooahguy on this one...while some Metallica is inane drivel, there are some songs of theirs which I have been able to relate to very well. A few in particular (along with some Pink Floyd and Blue Rodeo) were anthems to me in getting through a very rough time a few years back.
You point out Bob Dylan (for whom I do have a great deal of respect), but it recently came to my attention that he wrote that song "Friday" that everyone has been making fun of. I certainly would take several of James Hetfield's writings over that any day.
In the end, perhaps it is like wisdom in life...sometimes the most profound thought will come not from the master but from the newest student. Or who knows where someone will find meaning, even if you or I do not.
For all I know, there is some teenager listening to Britney Spears and thinking to herself "Yeah, that is exactly how I feel". (In fact, now that I think about it, this could be a great way to determine who should be institutionalized at an early age.)
You point out Bob Dylan (for whom I do have a great deal of respect), but it recently came to my attention that he wrote that song "Friday" that everyone has been making fun of.He didn't, it's a joke.
Don't forget Robbie Robertson though:
Then there comes a man with a paper and a pen
Tellin' us our hard times are about to end.
And then, if they don't give us what we like
He said, "Men, that's when you gotta go on strike."
Corn in the fields.
Listen to the rice when the wind blows 'cross the water
King Harvest has surely come
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_hsp4SBwO4
johnhughthom
03-21-2011, 00:45
You point out Bob Dylan (for whom I do have a great deal of respect), but it recently came to my attention that he wrote that song "Friday" that everyone has been making fun of.
It would be hilarious if he had written it as a joke or something, "See, I can write inane cheesy pop if I want to."
He didn't, it's a joke.
Well that joke, at least, is on me.
I should have known better than take the word of an ORG member at face value. (I remember some of Solypsists old screen-shot edits that got the whole community talking about new features being added to TW games...only to get the let down later.). Anyway, after being away so long, I should not be surprised that I had to learn this lesson anew.
Anyway, I cannot name them, but I do remember a few old Bob Dylan songs that were nothing to shout about lyrically. My point does not really change.
(I am not dissing Bob Dylan either, but when you have written as many songs as he has, there are going to be some duds in there)
P.S. - Thanks for actually letting me know about that song. It could have gotten rather embarrassing. I just figured it was one of those, "I have to write a 20 songs by the end of the day to pay the rent" sort of songs. And he does have some pretty mundane songs like that - say "Country Pie" as an example.
So please excuse me, I have to go eat some country pie of my own...humble pie to be precise.
Anyway, I cannot name them, but I do remember a few old Bob Dylan songs that were nothing to shout about lyrically. My point does not really change.
Apple Sucklin' Tree? Please Mrs. Henry?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZqosd5zwho
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dft7RFqB1_A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_N0sw87bQk
Who needs lyrics?
johnhughthom
03-21-2011, 17:52
Okay, so I steeled myself and listened to that entire Friday thing, and incidentally didn't find it worse than most pop music these days, did I really just see a guy in his 40s rapping about following the school bus?
Okay, so I steeled myself and listened to that entire Friday thing, and incidentally didn't find it worse than most pop music these days, did I really just see a guy in his 40s rapping about following the school bus?
Yes, yes you did. ... ish
thefluffyone93
03-25-2011, 17:16
Anyway, I cannot name them, but I do remember a few old Bob Dylan songs that were nothing to shout about lyrically. My point does not really change.
But at least the music was still good.
I mean, the Beatles' "I am the Walrus" didn't make a lick of sense at all, but it has that psychedelic feel due to the music.
Groovy man, just groovy.
There are some songs which have had masterful lyrics written to them, and which indisputably make the song as good as it is: You Shook Me All Night Long (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bomv-6CJSfM) by AC/DC is the very best example of this. The allusions and innuendos are just superb, and the sheer brilliance of its lyrics always makes me laugh and puts me in a good mood. Likewise with Bobby Brown Goes Down (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ac02hVqLV1Y), and most other Zappa songs (Obviously explicit if for some reason you've never heard that song).
There are also others for which the lyrics are utterly irrelevant - most Radiohead songs fall into this category, as well as Muse, Mastodon, any of my Prog, and the Dirty Projectors. The vocals in any of these serve more as instruments then as any conveyor of meaning, which is why the lyrics are pretty irrelevant. There are also songs which completely lack lyrics and even vocals such as the fantastic songs (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-YFDV-5x8A&feature=related) inspired by Homestuck (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-YFDV-5x8A&feature=related) (Listen to them NOW!), as well as a lot of classical music to no detrimental effect whatsoever.
When it comes to classical though, I'm a firm believer in the idea that music is very hard to appreciate completely in a vacuum of emotional meaning and content - neither sound nor the ways in which they can be arranged have artistic merit in themselves, and it's only through the ideas and emotions that are conveyed in the music that we are able to appreciate it. For example, this part of the 2nd Movement of Shosty's 11th Symphony (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2n2tKOATj-A)represents the build up to and the moment when the Tsar's soldiers murder their own people on Bloody Sunday in 1905 on the order of the Tsar himself. As it is completely free of imagery that requires it to solely mean that particular event, it can easily be used to represent the nauseating fear that protesters against any autocratic regime feel, and the sheer terror that those same innocents feel when they are being hunted down by their own state. Stripped of those connotations, it is hollowed out and becomes a mildly thrilling piece with no cultural value.
I went off the deep end a bit there, but that's what a studying for a degree in philosophy does to you I guess :shrug:
Craterus
04-01-2011, 12:34
"Tomorrow is Saturday and Sunday comes afterwards"
Other aspiring lyricists should just give up now, we've reached the zenith. A greater expression of the complexities of human existence will never be achieved.
Also, a topic about lyrics vs music and no mention of Tom Waits or Leonard Cohen? Where are the 'lyrics are everything' fanboys and why aren't they doing their jobs properly?
The living proof that good lyrics don't make good music is Bob Dylan.
vBulletin® v3.7.1, Copyright ©2000-2025, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.