Songs with lyrics: Music or words first?

[Bushfire]

Simple enough right? Doesn't matter about type, just curious is all.

[g00eY]

i think words come first. either way it seems hard. i've never done either from scratch so, meh. it just seems that the words should come from within, then you write them down or record them or whatnot. and if a melody/tune didn't come out with it in the first place maybe come up with that, then music to accompany it. i think for experienced players it should be easy enough to come up with chords and notes to match the pitches you sing. the fancy stuff (like fills and riffs) comes last. i dunno, i'm just guessing all this .

[Bushfire]

I kinda do both, but I chose words (yeah, I voted on my own poll) At any one time I'll have about 5 songs (subjects) I want written. When I find a chord progression, I'll ask myself "what song is it trying to sing" then if it matches a song (subject) in my head I'll write a few lines without the chords, see if they fit, rinse and repeat.

[Petary791]

"The music should always come first, y'know if, uh, if the words were so important, y'know, and the music wasn't, then people would be doing sold-out spoken-word tours, y'know, and music would be secondary, but their not. People are going because the music is what carries all the emotion. The words just kinda, define a little bit where the emotion is going. And in some cases when you get a record deal with subject matter like we deal with people go straight to the lyrics and ignore the music."
-Maynard James Keenan, a modern philosopher.

[sethlow3]

MELODY which is can be music/words....

[Jazzin']

After learning music, I don't even pay attention to the lyrics anymore. I just appreciate the music.

[Kronos]

If you mean writing, for me and the rest of the guys in the band, the music comes first. Then, the singer gets his inspiration from wherever, then fits the phoenetics and makes a rhythm that fits the song.

[Vox Populi]

I can't listen to music that has crappy lyrics. Just can't do it.

[CBAnaesthesia]

I ALMOST always have most of the music first. . . then I'll hit a rut usually, get the lyrics out, and finish it adding the solos and fills and whatnot. Once in a while I'll write out all the lyrics at once and have a vocal melody, and write the backing music then, and more often than that i'll have a song written and then squeak out the lyrics. . . but i picked music.

[CBAnaesthesia]

Originally Posted by Vox Populi

I can't listen to music that has crappy lyrics. Just can't do it.

I can if I can't understand them but no, crappy meaning they don't fit the melody? that's true. except maybe some RUSH. and a titch of Fates Warning, but they always make it fit.

[Peter Squire]

There should be another choice - depends.

Sometimes, when I write, the music comes first and other times its the lyrics.

[Vox Populi]

Originally Posted by CBAnaesthesia

I can if I can't understand them but no, crappy meaning they don't fit the melody? that's true. except maybe some RUSH. and a titch of Fates Warning, but they always make it fit.

Nah, I mean more of like what the lyrics are saying, not as a musical function.

[MikeyFingers]

Usually, I don't plan it out like that. If I happen to get some good lyrics in my head (which has never happened), I'd write them down and add music later. If a tastey bass lick pops into my head, I just work on that.

[Bushfire]

I agree with Vox. I'm a lyrics whore (can I say that?) and the importance of music/words emotionally is 50/50 for me, but lyrics have to be meaningful.

I'd rather a crappy musical backing and heartfelt meaningful lyrics than great music and any old lyrics strung together.

But then again that's why I started an acoustic duo, kinda an outlet for my songs (which sometimes seem like poetry more than songs, but I can always get music to fit with them)

[Kronos]

Originally Posted by Vox Populi

Nah, I mean more of like what the lyrics are saying, not as a musical function.

You must not be a big Yes fan, I guess...