Lyrics: How Important Are They To You?

[Lumenskir]

I'm going to admit this upfront: I'm pretty much functionally retarded when it comes to listening to music in any sort of 'understanding' way. Once I start listening to a song or a CD I find I'm able to devote maybe 40% of my attention to the music before the rest of my mind drifts off or I start working on other things. Even when I'm actually trying to concentrate, I've found I can either absorb the music while the lyrics stream past me or I can pick out disparate phrases but never really congeal them afterwards into a coherent narrative/whole. Many times I'll play a CD I've had for years and pick up on a line or meaning that's eluded me the entire time I've owned it.

All that said, I've taken to treating the actual words and singing of a song as sort of a backing instrument. I only really pay attention to the words when the singer is just completely grating. As such, I tend to enjoy things acts My Bloody Valentine (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxOuncMDL1s) who purposefully bury the vocals under so many layers that the actual words are meaningless for enjoyment, or foreign acts like Sigur Ros (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Iqq1AWMTQI) where I don't have to worry that I'm missing some clever wordplay.

Of course, I'll usually feel a little guilty sometimes that I'm completely missing the point, especially when the lyrics are dissonantly connected to the thrust/rhythm of the rest of the song. I'll own up to being one of the many that first mistook Born in the U.S.A. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPudiBR15mk) as merely a happy go patriot tune, but my dad sorted me out on that front, and yet I still read about how some of the words from my favorite bands/songs are deeply moving and I feel like I'm not enjoying them to the full extent I could be.

[Warumono]

Lyrics for me are the best part of the song, the instruments and such are important too and the composition, but if the lyrics are stupid I cannot take them seriously.

Plus I love digging through songs and trying to find out what the singer was trying to really say.
Lyrics = Love

[Rant_S_S]

Listening to music is a process for me. The first few times I listen to a song I try to pick up it's rhythm and melody. The instrumental aspect is always easiest to enjoy first. Then after I have that down I'll look up the lyrics and read them while listening to the song. Eventually it all ends up being one picture.

[POS Industries]

Lyrics are least important, as far as I'm concerned. That isn't to say they are unimportant, but to me they are merely some sounds for the vocals to make as just singing random noise doesn't sound as good.

[Mondt]

Lyrics are tied for number one along with emotional vocals, no matter the style, and instrument blending. I have plenty of bands on my iPod I keep only for the sound, but I appreciate bands with good writing tons more. For example, back when I was in my melodic death phase thing, I got some Project Hate MXCXCIX (I think that's right? Or is it MCMXCIX?) which is a violently anti-christian band, but they sound cool.

Same goes for like Flyleaf. Religious, but I don't care, I like the sound.

However, bands with good sound and writing I like are lightyears beyond those.

Yes, lightyears. No, it doesn't make sense.

[Mike McC]

Lyrics are least important, as far as I'm concerned. That isn't to say they are unimportant, but to me they are merely some sounds for the vocals to make as just singing random noise doesn't sound as good.I dunno, Yasushi Ishii had some good songs with nonsense sound lyrics on the Hellsing OST (most notably "World Withouth Logos"), and several Soul Coughing songs the vocals were there for texture, the lyrics had very little actual cohesion or logic behind them. But for most people, yeah, random sounds probably won't do as well.

[POS Industries]

Well, it depends on what sort of sounds the singer is able to make to add that texture. For most people, words in their primary language would be the easiest thing to use, so they do. The phrases don't even have to make any sense as long as an appropriate frame is presented for the vocal melody and harmonics to fit into.

[Blues]

The voice is just another instrument to me. Some of my favorite songs have lyrics that are incomprehensible or in languages I don't understand. It's interesting to listen or read what they're saying sometimes, but often times I wish the vocals were less strong so I could focus on the rest of the song.

[Mike McC]

I think that Scat Singing is probably the best example of vocals with nonsense words and syllables.

[Fifthfiend]

I've always had a soft spot for anything sung in a foreign language as it relieves me having to care whatever whiny woe-is-me jeremaid shit the singer in all likelihood is singing and then I can just listen to the pretty noises.

[bluestarultor]

I have a few different constraints on vocals. If it's in English, or French (but my French is getting rusty and I don't listen to French music, anyway) the lyrics are pretty important because I can understand them and prefer they make some amount of sense. "Where purple zero fire map" schizophrenic kind of crap annoys me if it's for an entire song like a word salad thrown on sheet music. Despite this, Daft Punk in all of its strangeness doesn't fit into that because they make it pretty clear in songs without any kind of cohesion that it's all about the music. Case in point, "Around the World." That's literally all that's said, but considering they used a a guitar to say it in the first place, it doesn't bother me because it's treated as any other instrument and stays consistent.

However, in foreign languages I'm less familiar with, namely Japanese, as long as it sounds good, all is well. And bonus points if I can make an effort to memorize it as a set of well-placed syllables, and bonus points again if I can get a translation. Of course, this has led to a few shockers, like the violent translation of "The Poisonous Rose" from Disgaea 2, which in my opinion is in stark contrast to the music itself and doesn't fit well for the younger audience the game might be played by.

[CelesJessa]

I've always had a soft spot for anything sung in a foreign language as it relieves me having to care whatever whiny woe-is-me jeremaid shit the singer in all likelihood is singing and then I can just listen to the pretty noises.

I agree.

I have to say the actual lyrics rate pretty low in importance, as I enjoy listening to foreign music(Actually my favorite song of all time is in french. ^^) that I have no idea what is sung, the feeling is just conveyed through the energy and the mood of the music and HOW they are singing.

Although, on the other hand, crappy lyrics can ruin a song, but that usually only stands for songs that just have lame background music too. Which is why I dislike a lot of radio. "IloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyou." Is not the strongest lyric writing I've ever heard in my life...

And one thing that I generally don't like is if the lyrics are basically just the same thing over and ooover again. Like, it can be done right, of course, Like Stronger, Better, Faster, but when I look up the lyrics and it says "Say what you need to say (x8)" then a stanza, and then "Say what you need to say (x8)" again... maaaybe they need to think of some new words. Or at least change how they sing it so it's not, like, the exact same thing over and over again.

[MasterOfMagic]

Well, I can't say I pay attention to what the lyrics mean overall, I just catch little phrases here or there. So, as long as those phrases aren't retarded, we're okay. I do like having the feeling that there's some meaning to them, even if I'm not understanding what it is. If it really bugs me, I can always Google it.

Foreign music can be good, but it just depends on the songs. Other languages...flow differently from English (that's the best way I can describe it), so sometimes it catches me in a bad way.

[Savage Thinking]

I only like the use of lyrics (When they actually are used) is when I think the artist actually put effort into it. As it has been said before, repetition only goes so far until it becomes redundant and just plain annoying. Having hidden meanings, play on words, or even the use of symbolism are a plus in my book.

I wish some bands would release some of their songs without the lyrics. I’ve heard songs where the voice is just terrible, but damn do they have a catchy tune..

[Yrcrazypa]

It depends, I like some songs that have no lyrics, but usually I like having lyrics in my songs. As some of you may know I listen to Queen almost religously, and I feel they have some of the best written songs with some of the best vocals ever. Yeah you have Bicycle Race which is fairly nonsensical, but then you have songs like Spread Your Wings which is just an amazing song.

The fact that Queen has 3 terrific singers helps a ton too.

[facelift]

Very little importance. I think way to much importance is placed on what the vocals are saying as opposed to how it sounds. I may be more inclined to listen to music this way because I play music myself, but I don't sing. I also enjoy plenty of instrumental songs, or songs with vocals but not necessarily any words.

The first couple times I listen to a CD I'm listening mostly to the music, and if I do listen to the vocals I'm listening to to rhythm, delivery, melody (if there is any), and generally just the sound of the voice as opposed to what's being said. Trying to pay attention to every single word that's being said on the first listen is pretty distracting for me. After I've absorbed how the songs sounds, then I'll sit down with the lyric sheet and read them or I'll listen and read along.

[Bobbey]

I mostly listen to instrumental music, but when comes the time to listen to some singers, it's always important for me to catch what the singer is talking about in her or his song. It can be weird sometimes to hear a Jazz instrumental song being performed by a singer because I Keep saying to myself: ''Wow, someone wrote words to that?''.

But say, I'm listening to the Beatles, then yes, lyrics become very important for me.