Are Lyrics Important?

[newdawnfades]

You have to take swearing in context of the artist as well. If swearing is a part of the way you talk and how you were raised then I don't think we can judge it as this calculated word like it might be when presented with other artists.

I like NWA, they swear alot. But it fits smoothly in with the music that I don't stop myself every half a second and say,"that's a cuss word!" It doesn't matter.

I am not sure if anyone here has ever seen the HBO series Deadwood. It's set during the Wild West days, and there's alot of cussing. When I watched the first few episodes I couldn't help but notice the seemingly excessive amount of f-words. But it fit right in with the dialogue, the personalities of the characters, and how you'd expect a rugged, gun town to be. There were no politically correct liberals running around the saloons in the 1880's turning up their noses.

 

[energydude]

not to me, as long as the music rawks, i'm down with it man

 

[Martin Q. Blank]

Yes, lyrics are important in two different ways.

First, classic rock lyricists of the highest order -- Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon, et al

Thank you for mentioning Paul Simon! In my opinion he's one of the most underrated lyricists in pop music history. A lot of his lyrics are so good that they read well even without the music. Pure poetry.

 

[Martin Q. Blank]

I tend to agree with one of my best friends' takes on lyrics, although I think I value them a bit more than he does. He once said that the lyrics at least have to be acceptable or work well with the music. A bad lyric can ruin a great song.

I used to put lyrics above nearly every other aspect in music, but I've shifted quite a bit with age. (I think my appreciation for the Beach Boys may have played a part in my shift.) I like a good balance.

And lyrics can serve many different functions as well. It really depends on the objective of the artist in question. I can find a Ramones lyric as poignant as a Dylan one, or a B-52's lyric as interesting as one by Elvis Costello. The lyrics just have to work well for the particular song...and of course one's idea of what works well will vary depending on who you ask, I suppose.

Having said that, I tend to hate lyrics that are not thought provoking or at the very least amusing. I especially hate ones that are too obvious or cloying (which is probably why I hate so much of the music that's in Billboard these days).

 

[Music Wench]

Having said that, I tend to hate lyrics that are not thought provoking or at the very least amusing. I especially hate ones that are too obvious or cloying (which is probably why I hate so much of the music that's in Billboard these days).

Same here. That's why I don't care for most country music I think. LOL

 

[kath]

lyrics are hugely important to me. in fact, they are soooo important, that it would take me chapter upon chapter, volume upon volume, to do them justice, complete with footnotes, illustrations, illuminations, aerial photography (mornin, arlo), and scratch-n sniff pop-ups.

huge, i say.

 

[RoxorFuxor]

It depends, lyrics can be kind of silly and still get away with it. I mean, I don't think Hall and Oates had one song I liked lyrically, but Hall has a great voice. I find lyrics more important though (as long as they flow with the instruments). I mean, my favorite artist is Bob Dylan.

 

[newdawnfades]

He once said that the lyrics at least have to be acceptable or work well with the music. A bad lyric can ruin a great song.

That's pretty much it in a nutshell. How much I like or dislike a lyric is dependent on how it's sung by the vocalist and how it fits within the song.

I find myself telling a friend about a great lyric I heard, but when I tell them the lyric it doesn't sound all that outstanding coming out of the mouth. Lyrics just take a life of their own within a song.

 

[Mr. Shadow]

Sometimes the words matter, other times the vocals are another instrument.
Songs that combine the two are often magical.

 

[Slip'nn2Darkness]

Songs that combine the two are often magical.

This comment right here is straight up how it all works..