What do lyrics mean to you?

Moejo

Senior Member
Where do they sit in the importance factor of a well written song? For me personally, they sit dead last in importance. I dont pay much attention to the "meaning" or "story" a lyricist is trying to tell, but they seem to get a good majority of credit when it comes to the rights. The lyrics definitely dont make me bob my head, or "shake a tail feather" so to speak. I never find myself saying "what a story". Its always "what a sweet riff" "this melody is great" "bass player and drummer are groovin" "man that vocalist can sing", "harmonies are great".
 
As a hip hop fan, the lyrics are paramount. There have been many stories told that no one bothered to hear. Lessons, trials and tribulations, world views, and minority struggles.
There are many songs in other genres where the lyrics are telling important stories. There are also plenty that are completely devoid of anything even resembling a meaning.
 
It depends on who you ask.

Most of my songs are stories of my own or of other people in my life, so I feel a deep connection to my song lyrics.

Lyrics in songs that I am trying to learn take on a totally different and utilitarian approach. I use lyrics as cues, places for accents and special effects. There are even lyrics that will call for me to stylistically tie the lyrics to an emotion the singer/songwriter are trying to convey.
 
I like lyrics. I like to learn them and sing along. I find them to be just as important an element to music as instruments.

Lyrics make music obtainable for everyone. Not everyone can play an instrument. Everyone can find words they understand and sing along (provided no medical handicaps).
 
Where do they sit in the importance factor of a well written song? For me personally, they sit dead last in importance. I dont pay much attention to the "meaning" or "story" a lyricist is trying to tell, but they seem to get a good majority of credit when it comes to the rights. The lyrics definitely dont make me bob my head, or "shake a tail feather" so to speak. I never find myself saying "what a story". Its always "what a sweet riff" "this melody is great" "bass player and drummer are groovin" "man that vocalist can sing", "harmonies are great".
Unless the album is about the story like Operation Mindcrime from Queensryche or any King Diamond album... They also have some of the greatest guitar riffs ever played and great drumming too.
 
Lyrics are part of the subject/theme the song and band is going for. Quite essential in my opinion.
I just read an article about the band The Darkness and how their number one hit song (I believe in a thing called love) was written with the intent to be the stupidest song they could ever come up with, and a very cheesy parody like video to accompany it. The band never expected it to be such a hit... Obviously the lyrics were purposefully dumbed down. Their reasoning was that love was a taboo subject for a lot of rock bands but they realized that the songs that specifically used the word love were some of the most successful for those bands...
 
How important are lyrics?
We're using words to talk about how unimportant words are?
Am I getting that right?
In music, yes. Unimportant? No, from a listener point of view, the story isnt the first thing that I say, wow, these lyrics are top knotch :)
 
I've never listened to lyrics-singing is just adding music. I don't care what they say as how they sing it. Like a great song with poor singer still sucks no matter how powerful the lyrics or great the musicians. Now I may pick up some repetitive phrase but I don't listen to music for words. But it's the music (the energy or feel) that moves me not the words.
 
I try hard to learn the lyrics to songs that I love.

If I like the overall tune etc, then I'll dig in and learn the words.

It kinda helps you immerse yourself in what the story is about.

It took me ages to learn the lyrics to Wuthering Heights by Kate Bush....jeez🙄

And Moonlight Shadow by Mike Oldfield.
 
To me, the lyrics are #1

In my mind, the lyric sets the feel of the song. I don't want to hear a sad song played happy. I don't want to hear happy songs played sad.

I look at the overall feel of the song first, through the lyrics. Then I make a judgement call on how to play it. I want my playing to match the feel of the song, whatever that feel is.

"The Thrill is Gone" to me is a great example of a song, where if the drummer doesn't pay attention to the lyrics, the results are laughable. It's not a song to blow chops on. It's way more than that. It's an introspective realization that a relationship has run it's course. It's a sad song. Drummers IMO should be very sensitive to what's being said in the lyrics
 
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I never find myself saying "what a story". Its always "what a sweet riff" "this melody is great" "bass player and drummer are groovin" "man that vocalist can sing", "harmonies are great".
I'm the opposite here. Rush lyrics sometimes hit home more than I ever thought they would. The harmonies of Mr. Big in many of their songs are just gold!
Yes...the music needs to drive the message. But without the message, the song is an instrumental.
 
I just read an article about the band The Darkness and how their number one hit song (I believe in a thing called love) was written with the intent to be the stupidest song they could ever come up with, and a very cheesy parody like video to accompany it. The band never expected it to be such a hit... Obviously the lyrics were purposefully dumbed down. Their reasoning was that love was a taboo subject for a lot of rock bands but they realized that the songs that specifically used the word love were some of the most successful for those bands...

I've seen the youtube channel by one of the band members. Makes sense.
 
Where do they sit in the importance factor of a well written song? For me personally, they sit dead last in importance. I dont pay much attention to the "meaning" or "story" a lyricist is trying to tell, but they seem to get a good majority of credit when it comes to the rights. The lyrics definitely dont make me bob my head, or "shake a tail feather" so to speak. I never find myself saying "what a story". Its always "what a sweet riff" "this melody is great" "bass player and drummer are groovin" "man that vocalist can sing", "harmonies are great".

Meme Reaction GIF by Robert E Blackmon
 
To me, the lyrics are #1

In my mind, the lyric sets the feel of the song. I don't want to hear a sad song played happy. I don't want to hear happy songs played sad.

I look at the overall feel of the song first, through the lyrics. Then I and make a judgement call on how to play it. I want my playing to match the feel of the song, whatever that feel is.

"The Thrill is Gone" to me is a great example of a song, where if the drummer doesn't pay attention to the lyrics, the results are laughable. It's not a song to blow chops on. It's way more than that. It's an introspective realization that a relationship has run it's course. It's a sad song. Drummers IMO should be very sensitive to what's being said in the lyrics
Sometimes songs take on a whole different level when a different singer is used, for example Millie Cirrus singing Metallica's Nothing Else Matters.
I don't care much for Millie but a lot of people seem to like her since she is now # 1 worldwide with a Bruno Mars song.... or Chino Moreno (Deftones) singing Sade's No Ordinary Love, just makes that song better IMO or Metallica's cover of Turn The Page (it is a slow song but they added a harder feel to it and it sounds again IMO better than the original. on most of those examples the drums remain very true to the original but other elements are changed. I do agree that the drummer needs to be very aware of the mood of the song to serve the song better.
 
In music, yes. Unimportant? No, from a listener point of view, the story isnt the first thing that I say, wow, these lyrics are top knotch :)
From a "listener point of view", the lyrics are the first thing that make me say, "Wow, great song!" If the music is great, but I don't appreciate the lyrics, then it's "Wow, great riff!" or "Excellent guitar break!" or "Great groove!" In order for a SONG to be great, the lyrics are the thing.

I don't know what top knotch means. Someone above mentioned The Darkness, the lyrics are brilliant in that song. Stupid, silly? Yes, but sometimes that's what makes a song great. "Be bop a lula...", "Louie, louie..."
 
I feel like it's our (musicians) job to learn music. This includes words. To me, not caring about the words is like not caring about notes.

I've never heard a singer say that drums dont matter as long as they are played right.

If words didnt matter, @bermuda would not have such a lucrative career.
 
To me, the quality of the lyrics are usually a barometer of the quality of the song.

As a general rule, assuming a strong music writer, good lyrics will lead to good music, but, although there are plenty of exceptions, it's far less often that bad lyrics will lead to good music.

The test is whether the lyrics can stand on their own without the melody to accompany it.

Pink Floyd pre- and post- Roger Waters has always been an example of that.

So, yeah, lyrics are really important in music for this and other reasons mentioned above.

To me, the lyrics are #1
I agree, but...

I don't want to hear a sad song played happy. I don't want to hear happy songs played sad.
... with that rationale, we wouldn't have the Beatles' Maxwell's Silver Hammer (sad lyrics/happy song) or David Bowie's Heroes (happy lyrics/sad song).
 
I like what I like.

Heros to me is a contender for worst song ever. Blech. MSH...that's OK. I like music matching the lyrics. When it's mismatched, something doesn't sit right with me. Cognitive dissonance.
 
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