Do you care about song lyrics?

[Swerve]

I've noticed among my non-musician friends that love music, lyrics are really important and meaningful to them.

Whereas with my musician buddies lyrics don't seem to matter as much.

I'm kind of in between. I only care about lyrics if they're either exceptionally good or exceptionally bad.

What matters most to me is the "vibe" of a song.

If I like the singers voice what they're saying is of little importance.

 

[lowplaces]

I'm very much a lyrics fan.

 

[Rip Van Dan]

They are really important when I'm singing them. Otherwise, perhaps not as much.
It also depends on the song itself. If it's a story-telling song with start, middle, and end, then usually the lyrics are very important. In any case I'd say they are an essential part of the song.

 

[Sam Evans]

For a long time, I'd have said not so much. I prefered a lot of instrumental music, and when listening to music with lyrics, I tended to think of the vocals as just another instrument, and the words just other sounds, regardless of their meaning. However, the more I've become interested in classic blues, the more weight I give lyrics, especially as I read more blues history and biography. It would be very naive of me to listen to music such as that without recognizing the central role that lyrics play.

 

[BargeOn]

Since I was a kid listening to Mickey Mouse records I've waited for the singer to shut up so I could hear the Real Music in the middle part. But as a jazz lover and would-be player I need the lyrics, or the singer, to get the flavor, the interpretation, of the song.

 

[hrodbert696]

I voted "Carrots" because there's no one answer. There are some songs where the lyrics are deeply meaningful. There are some songs I can't stand because I can't stand the lyrics. There are lots where I have little idea what the singer is actually saying and I don't care because I like the song. I'm really into Yes, especially the classic 70s era, and Jon Anderson's lyrics rarely make any sense. I don't mind, and I know a lot of them by heart; to me they're the lyrical equivalent of abstract art, conveying tone and emotion and a certain phonetic shape without necessarily "meaning" anything.

In my bar band, we play Whitesnake's "In the Still of the Night." I always have a wry feeling about it. It's kind of bombastic and complicated, like wannabe prog. But the lyrics are very ordinary stuff about feeling horny. And I mean, not even clever or playful about it. Yawn! The singer loves it.

 

[badinage]

I'm probably pretty far in the extreme of "barely care". To me the lyrics are primarily just another part of the rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic tapestry of the song. Beyond that, yes I can enjoy and appreciate a catchy lyric hook, a clever double or triple entendre, but I don't think many songs have a "deep meaning" to me. There are songs I've sung in bands many times and if someone pressed me, I guess I could "analyze the message", but I honestly seldom care. It's just a tune.

 

[Thumper]

I still like songs from over 60 years ago and have no clue what the lyrics are.

 

[FunkHead]

A good friend taught me to learn the lyrics as I am learning the bass line to each song. It absolutely makes it easier to work out the bass line for me.
I wish I had learned that many years ago.

 

[Michedelic]

I do; if someone is bothering to write a vocal tune, they should make an effort to make them as expressive as the music(instrumentals usually have a lesser appeal). But that’s too much to hope for.
A relatable lyric can be an inspiration, maybe even get you through tough times.

 

[GretschWretch]

As a player, I am very aware of lyrics and try to tailor my part to the emotions/situation being conveyed by the lyrics. Most of this is in note selection.

 

[lordradish]

I live almost completely in the instrumental realm now. I generally only pay attention to the lyrics as another instrument. Yes, I certainly appreciate good songwriting, but it simply doesn't really resonate me like the actual sonics do.

 

[lordradish]

I'm probably pretty far in the extreme of "barely care". To me the lyrics are primarily just another part of the rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic tapestry of the song. Beyond that, yes I can enjoy and appreciate a catchy lyric hook, a clever double or triple entendre, but I don't think many songs have a "deep meaning" to me. There are songs I've sung in bands many times and if someone pressed me, I guess I could "analyze the message", but I honestly seldom care. It's just a tune.

That's not extreme, at all.

 

[ajkula66]

I care deeply most of the time but...some well-played/interesting music with lousy lyrics does get a pass on occasion...

 

[Low Main]

Growing up with the great lyricists Keith Reid, Robert Hunter, Pete Brown, et al., their work was and is very important to me.

But I'm also a fan of Jon Anderson's approach, where sound and feel are more important than meaning and context.

 

[Evan J]

Depends on the genre for me. Some song writers take an “impressionistic” approach. They create a general mood and vibe, but not a clear picture. It’s very different than just phoning in the lyrics. Sometimes Bono or Thom Yorke will take this approach.

So guess I do care about lyrics… but it’s cool me if they are accomplishing something purely musical or emotional

 

[coyote1]

Zappa considered them “mouth noises” that were necessary to have a ‘song’ vs having ‘music’. And he proceeded to make many of his words comical and/or absurd, in order to better facilitate his own non-mainstream musical ideas.

Personally I can be moved by a good set of lyrics, even as I agree with Zappa’s overall concept on the topic.

 

[monsterthompson]

There was a little girl,
Who had a little curl,
Right in the middle of her forehead.
When she was good,
She was very good indeed,
But when she was bad she was horrid.

 

[Danny O Danny]

I'm a word guy. I love good (or clever) lyrics. But there are also plenty of songs I like that have mediocre or even terrible lyrics. So I guess that means lyrics are somewhat important to me.

 

[Pings Bass]

I can't even hear song lyrics unless I make a focused effort. I can hear the voice, the melody, the rhythm, but not the words without close listening.

So I don't care about lyrics unless they're offensive.