Do LYRICS affect what music you play or like?

[iq160plus]

How large of a part do LYRICS have in your choice of tunes? I would at first say that it doesn't matter to me that much with one huge caviat: If lyrics are offensive, I won't play them.

Otherwise, I seem to find myself in quite different moods when I go to make a 'playlist' for the evening. Sometimes its 80's, but mostly hard rock, and then sometimes its all easy listening (about once a month), then back to hard rock and metal.

I just latched onto "If I Die Tomorrow" by Motley Crue. I love it, and yet I dont relate to the lyrics in anyway that I can imagine. It's purely the rythym and syncopation AND JAMMIN.

I put limited choices in the poll for a reason....what is the OVERWHELMING option you would choose.

Ok, we all might put on a song due to a tragic event, but that is a one time deal. Also, I used to DJ alot, and played all sorts of crap I hated but that is not the essence of what I listen to.

 

[fante7]

I put "never". I barely know any of the lyrics of the songs I listen to. I also listen to a fair amount of instrumental music. To me, the voice is another musical instrument... and not a poetic instrument.

 

[deadlierchair]

To be honest, I don't listen to lyrics that often, I just listen to the overall sound or have music in the background. Then other times, I listen to the words but don't synthesize them to memorize them as much as just acknowledging what's being said.

 

[Rempert]

Hrmph, it depends on the artist. Some artists, like Springsteen or Eminem, would not be nearly as worthwhile to me if not for the lyrics. With others, like Pink Floyd or Mariah Carey, the lyrics are pretty worthless on some of their songs, but the music is still enjoyable. So I guess I would say that I rarely avoid an artist because of lyrics, but there are artists that I play more because I like the lyrics. They have to either good music or great lyrical content, but not necessarily both.

 

[asmox]

i put 'never'.

like one of the posters above, i hear the voice as a musical instrument.. not a poetic one.

i'm also very much into instrumental music.. and the majority of music i listen that does have vocals, still revolves around innovative instrumentation.

 

[catachresis]

I put 'always'. I'm a verbally-oriented person.

It strikes me that, musically, new offerings from young bands and soloists in general today are more varied, intriguing, polished and professional than they've been for the last twenty years. However, my sense is that, as our culture has become much more attuned to pictorial and cinematic expression in this period, the general quality of lyric writing has noticeably declined. Many people point out that they rarely pay attention to the lyrics of songs they listen to. I think that, if many of the new experimental pop musicians of today were honest, they'd confess that they're rarely very concerned about what goes into their lyrics.

 

[Asr]

Hell yes.

I have an aversion to lyrics in general - most artists (well, those in the "Top 40" at least) don't use them to add anything to the music and it's all a bunch of nonsense. And when lyrics don't add anything, they've become pointless.

There are only two kinds of music I'll accept: the one without lyrics, and the one that uses it to good effect.

 

[jefemeister]

not really, but it's funny you bring this up. I've noticed this on two albums I've bought somewhat recently: Sufjan Steven's "Illinoise" and Fiery Furnaces "EP". Illinoise has a really amazing and beautiful song that once I listened a bit more carefully realized was about the serial killer Gacy. EP's opening track is awesome but it's all about the singer getting beaten by her husband (not sure if there's any truth to it.) I still like these songs a lot but for some reason they just don't sit quite right with me. If someone comes over to listen to some music I don't think these are two tracks I would pull out right away eventhough I love them and they sound great to boot.

 

[Glod]

I think the language plays an important role. For none natives, the language of the lyrics will always be a "foreign" element, more or less.

I remember Björn Ulvaeus (ABBA) in an interview many years ago, where he commented on the band´s success. He emphasised the importance of the symbiosis between the music and the lyrics: "The lyrics must sound good". With that he meant that the words needed to fit very well with the rhythm and with the right emphasis. That would imply that the message of the lyrics might has to come second. I don’t think he was very controversial in his views.

I rarely take notice of the lyrics. Only in less dense music.

 

[dhwilkin]

In absolute terms, no. Likes others have said, the voice is first and foremost another musical instrument, and a great one to convey emotion. So, if I don't like the musical nature of the song, I'm not going to care how clever or interesting the lyrics are. OTOH, if I do like the musical nature of the song, lyrics that I find interesting or clever (which isn't often, since I listen more for emotional stimulation) can make me like a song more. So, rarely.

edit: actually, the poll is slightly different from the thread title question. so for the poll, I vote for the mood option.

 

[VicAjax]

with few exceptions, i hear vocals as just another instrument in the music. when i do listen to what the lyrics are, it usually reinforces my opinion that the vast majority of lyrics in mainstream music are utterly insipid, even if they aren't downright cheesy.

the only exceptions, where i do take note of the lyrics, are when they can stand on their own, without music, and still sound artful. elvis costello, tom waits, robyn hitchcock, lou reed and bob dylan are among the few lyricists whose words i can read without cringing.

younger artists such as sufjan stevens, elliott smith, the arcade fire... i find that they don't embarrass themselves, but their lyrics aren't equal to their music-writing talents, and they certainly don't rise to the level of the people listed above.

sometimes i wonder if the art of lyric-writing has sort of died, or if it's simply a rarer talent than music-writing.

 

[soundboy]

I guess I am in the minority here....I always listen to the lyrics. It may be stupid, cheesy, or pure nonsense, but I always listen to it. For me, the music is merely a vehicle to drive the message (the lyrics) home. On top of that, the lyrics means different things when you listen to the songs at different times....I have listen to songs that I don't get when I was younger, only to understand the lyrics better due to my own personal experiences or simply from being in a different mood.

So, for me at least, I certainly don't want depressing lyrics when I am in a happy mood.

 

[Cordmore]

I too always listen to the lyrics. Guess it depends on what kind of person you are. I always want to understand what songs are about and really "analyze" their meanings. It also depends on how you listen to music. I find that I'm best able to concentrate on lyrics when I listen to music before I sleep, while I barely think about the lyrics when I'm in the car or listening on the go.

 

[Distroyed]

I refuse to listen to music with lyrics. Vocals as human instrument, ok. But when lyrics come into play, it takes away from the focus of the otherworldliness of the music and anthropomorphizes the exerience. No thanks.

I didnt vote since the closest selection for my response is "always", but not in the sense the option was intended.

 

[gshan]

I used to pay zero attention to lyrics. If the song had a catchy beat, chorus, etc. I listened to it. Paying attention to the lyrics is overthinking for me

-And then there are lots of songs where the lyrics don't always seem coherent and make no sense at all when you read them to yourself.