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Do you care about lyrics?

post #1 of 51
10/23/09 at 7:23pm
Thread Starter 
I've seen a few people implying that their enjoyment of music could be affected by depressing/upbeat/other lyrics, and it got me curious how universal that was. I'm not talking about tone or melody, just the concrete message conveyed by spoken words(Even an abstract sentence is more concrete than interpretation of a melody). Who listens for/looks up/cares about lyrics?
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post #2 of 51
10/23/09 at 7:27pm
I do, alot of my sonds would be garbage without the lyrics. one of my favorite songs is by Manchester orchestra and it seems to be based on the writers dad dying and the effect, there's basically only an organ playing and without the words the song would suck.
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post #3 of 51
10/23/09 at 7:33pm
I could care less about lyrics. I am not looking for a story in music, I read if I want a story. I see the voice as just another instrument.

My wife on the other hand, puts a great deal of emphasis on the lyrics.
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post #4 of 51
10/23/09 at 7:36pm
As I listen to a lot of metal, I can't understand the bulk of the lyrics anyway. Not a big deal for me. I'm not one of those people that memorize lyrics and sing along. My fiancee, on the other hand, is all about singing along.
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post #5 of 51
10/23/09 at 7:41pm
In general i am much more aware of the tempo, pace and simply the music in general with lyrics being secondary. I will say however that a song with great music and great lyrics will generally get much higher scores just as a song with crappy lyrics will cause me to not listen to it.
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post #6 of 51
10/23/09 at 7:42pm
Ha ha. I like this thread. Most of the time I listen to lyricless music and when I do, I don't even pay attention to what the meaning is. When I try to though, I start drifting back to what the music is doing. I do notice when there is a bad lyricist. Even though I don't really listen to words, I CANNOT listen to music when an artist has terrible lyrics. Pretty weird eh.
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post #7 of 51
10/23/09 at 9:18pm
It really, really depends. Some artists place an emphasis on their lyrics, and when this is apparent and up front I do notice them and I do care about them. Bob Dylan is a good example. I definitely pay attention to his lyrics, as they were obviously a critical piece of the music and the Dylan experience. Some bands care a lot less about their lyrics, so I do too.
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post #8 of 51
10/23/09 at 9:44pm
Lyrics are very important to me.
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post #9 of 51
10/23/09 at 9:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by darcyb62 View Post
I could care less about lyrics ...
does that mean you care a lot, or did you mean "I couldn't care less"?
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post #10 of 51
10/23/09 at 9:56pm
*wonders if this is in refernce to his "lighter" version of Opeth thread*

As long as the lyrics aren't full of swearing(a little I don't mind to much), they are just badly written I do tend to mind, and it effects the quality of the music for me.

As for the tone they set, I prefer more netural, or "happy" frame for the lyrics, but I the other "downer" stuff is okay, it just probarly won't get as much play time as other stuff(even if I like the music/vocal style).

But I usually find myself placing a large amount of importance of the vocals, if they have 'bad' vocals I really find it hard to listen the rest of music(this also expands to bad lyrical writing) also yes, somebody who listens to largey screaming/growly type of vocals about vocal quality

In short: it doesn't effect my enjoyment of the music, it just effects how much play time it well get, and my over all feeling towards it--though I still enjoy it.
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post #11 of 51
10/23/09 at 9:56pm
Music that has no lyrics isn't an issue. Listening to the lyrics of music that contains lyrics may not always be essential to appreciation of the music. However, to call any band or group great in spite of your being completely ignorant or indifferent to their lyrics is profoundly foolish. Being in a band that makes music that contains crap lyrics is profoundly foolish and cynical.

I could come over to your house and play the spoons for you and your loved-one, and you'd both despise me because I can't play the spoons--or any other instrument. We'd all agree that musicianship requires artistry, and art is the old word for any meaningful skill or science that must be learned, memorized, and practiced in order for someone to attain proficiency. If you tell me that your favorite band produces amazing, compelling, ingenious music with lyrics that you don't care about, I'll ask whether it's the band that knows nothing about the art of writing lyrics or the fans who wouldn't know good lyrics if they heard them that's the bigger pack of idiots.
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post #12 of 51
10/23/09 at 10:12pm
I'm generally in the camp that doesn't care as much about lyrics. Exceptionally good or bad lyrics will get noticed, but the melody to which the lyrics are sung and the harmony behind it are much more important to me.
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post #13 of 51
10/23/09 at 11:34pm
Yes and no. I notice them, but I dont care about them.

However, if the lyrics are exceptionally good or exceptionally bad, that is when I start to care.
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post #14 of 51
10/23/09 at 11:47pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by darcyb62 View Post
I could care less about lyrics. I am not looking for a story in music, I read if I want a story. I see the voice as just another instrument.
I agree with this 100%.

Early in my listening life I went so far as to only listen to foreign music so I wouldn't be forced to subconsciously process the lyrics. After that experience I can tune out english without much effort. There are some occasional songs I like the lyrics of, but most of them I actively ignore.

Quote:
Originally Posted by catachresis View Post
If you tell me that your favorite band produces amazing, compelling, ingenious music with lyrics that you don't care about, I'll ask whether it's the band that knows nothing about the art of writing lyrics or the fans who wouldn't know good lyrics if they heard them that's the bigger pack of idiots.
Last I checked music was about music, not words.
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post #15 of 51
10/23/09 at 11:51pm
I'm also one who doesn't care about the lyrics. They're just a plus to make the tune flow better. I agree with Maxvla. I can listen and appreciate songs in different languages.
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