Do you listen to lyrics in music?

[ebola?]

I would like this made into a poll. The options could possibly be as follow:

1. Always or nearly always.
2. Sometimes, if the lyrics are particularly poignant or the message particularly captivating.
3. Sometimes, if the vocals that carry them are particularly urgent or well-delivered.
4. Never or almost never.

I, for one, almost never do: receiving the lyrical message feels to me like it just isn't part of listening to music--it's kind of like reading a poem while having music in the background. And it's the "in the background" part that poses the fundamental problem--insofar as I pay attention to the lyrics, I find myself unable to as well appreciate the totality of the musical 'signal'. And I only extremely rarely find any enjoyment in poetry: it usually just seems pale and hollow, irresonant with my 'gut' in any way. There are, however, some songs that I know the words to, on account of having breached 200 repeat listens.

ebola

 

[MrGrunge]

Absolutely I pay attention to the lyrics. Honestly, I find few things as frustrating as having a song stuck in my head and not knowing the lyrics.

It depends on the genre, though. Like if I'm listening to pop or folk or rap or whatever, the lyrics are intelligible and relevant - if I'm listening to metal, I don't give a shit what the lyrics are.

 

[Jerry Atrick]

Put me down for always. Then again, I write, play, and sing folk music on acoustic guitar so I am biased.

For me, listening to folk or singer/songwriter music without listening to the lyrics is like ordering steak without the beef.

I'm curious, ebola. What genres are you listening to where you don't find the lyrics relevant?

 

[ebola?]

Well, my typical musical diet is largely composed of 'post-metal', technical death metal or hardcore, 'math metal', 'post-rock', industrial, 'idm', break core, and really a lot of other off-kilter electronic things. However, when I break out a bit and listen to some prog rock or something (eg, Pink Floyd, Tool, or Porcupine Tree), I still won't care about the lyrics.

ebola

 

[MrGrunge]

^ I'd say that all of those genres place more emphasis on musicianship/arrangement than vocals/lyrics, so I can see why you feel lyrics are irrelevant.

 

[Bob Loblaw]

Sometimes

It would take a paragraph to explain further, and I am lazy. Though it depends mostly on why I am listening to the music.

 

[ebola?]

I'd say that all of those genres place more emphasis on musicianship/arrangement than vocals/lyrics, so I can see why you feel lyrics are irrelevant.

Well, it's not like I began listening to those genres (solely, mainly, or at all). . .

ebola

 

[MrGrunge]

^ Ok, but the point is lyrics are important sometimes, and sometimes not, depending on the type of music. I certainly don't listen to death metal for the lyrics

 

[Jerry Atrick]

However, when I break out a bit and listen to some prog rock or something (eg, Pink Floyd, Tool, or Porcupine Tree), I still won't care about the lyrics.

I see what you are saying. When you listen to prog rock, do you have it in the background while you do other things or do you sit and listen to it while doing nothing else?

With certain genres I find that I have to concentrate harder to make out the lyrics. It also depends on the mix. Some albums are produced such that the sound engineer buries the vocals among all the other instruments.

 

[Giddalaus]

I play music almost non-stop, even when I'm out on an errand or at work or whatever, but I dont really listen to it a lot of the time. It's just something to shunt off unwanted thoughts mostly. Here's how it works, you're standing in line at some store, a 105 year old woman is counting out the exact change for her purchase with excruciating slowness, you think "hurry up bitch!"then you feel ashamed coz she's 105 and probably arthritic too, so now all of a sudden you're desperate for anything else to think of. And that's when you realize some dude/lady (possibly a dude who looks like a lady) is already singing sweet nothings into your ear. All of a sudden then it's possible to put on a fairly genuine smile and give the old bag a polite nod, you know, to make up for that frown you were probably directing her way earlier

Edit: Forgot to mention how I relate to the lyrics when I do sit down with the purpose of listening to music. Then I always try to make them out, but I find it really hard with much of the music I listen to tbh, Leonard Cohen is my favorite lyricist, and with him I can always make out every word. Usually it's something mellow like that, something with an actual message preferably, when I decide to really listen, Jack Johnson and Israel Kamaka'wiwo'ole are also pretty deep. Morcheeba and primus are both more humorous than deep, but that's cool too. And Nirvana has the "it" factor, they also always make me listen to the lyrics, I guess I could go on and on naming bands, but I'll stop there for now.

 

[ebola?]

I see what you are saying. When you listen to prog rock, do you have it in the background while you do other things or do you sit and listen to it while doing nothing else?

I'm usually doing something else (as is the case with most of my listening; I probably listen to an average of 3-4 hours of music a day). But when I do listen staring into space, I still don't really attend to the lyrics.

ebola

 

[skyline55]

In my opinion the song means nothing. With out hearing what your really "hearing". I enjoy A day to remember and Bring me the horizon. I personally need to read the lyrics first but after "hearing" what they have to say. I absolutely agree lyrics are vital to what your choice of genre is wether it's screamo or country. It all matters.

 

[Jerry Atrick]

I'm usually doing something else (as is the case with most of my listening; I probably listen to an average of 3-4 hours of music a day). But when I do listen staring into space, I still don't really attend to the lyrics.

ebola

I will admit, when I'm doing something else I am less likely to pay attention to the lyrics regardless of genre. Even while staring into space, if I'm listening to Uriah Heep I will get lost in the musical arrangements and lose track of the lyrics. However if I put on Dylan or Cohen or Townes Van Zandt, the vocals are typically front and center. You can't help but hear the words with a lot of folk and folkish music. But then doing stuff like that may require one to experiment with different genres.

 

[Foreigner]

Until this year I was not able to understand words if they were sung, unless it was really clear. I have a lot of trouble with synthesized voices.

The melody and instrumentals have always mattered more to me, and still do. If the melody is magical, I can just ignore the words and go with that. If I listen to the words it drags me into some kind of semantic reality that I often don't care to visit while listening to music.

 

[Giddalaus]

Until this year I was not able to understand words if they were sung, unless it was really clear. I have a lot of trouble with synthesized voices.

I have the exact same thing! Still have to read the lyrics of most music I listen to to really make sense of the sounds they make with the lipmoving and the hipwrithing and whatnot

 

[adam west]

usually but i like rehearing the same track and being able to pick out some lines that i didnt notice at first (more so in the case of rap/hip hop) but other stuff too.

 

[ebola?]

In my opinion the song means nothing.

But for me, the point of music, what music means, is ideally something beyond the reach of language.

ebola

 

[rickolasnice]

Lyrics are the most important thing for me.. not necessarily what they say but how they are said / sung.

 

[psood0nym]

But for me, the point of music, what music means, is ideally something beyond the reach of language.

ebola

Insofar as you mean this statement to refer to the ability of non-lyrical music to directly evoke emotional and aesthetic feelings I understand what you mean, though in my view poetry is, partially, an attempt to use language to communicate the ineffable. Poetry, or lyricism, is, in a way, a midpoint between prose and instrumental music.

As others have commented, I too am not surprised you’re not concerned with lyrics if your tastes tend towards rhythm focused genres like metal. In metal, vocals are often delivered in largely indecipherable growls, grunts, and barks – the human voice is used more like a percussive instrument than it is in most other genres. It’s a bodily genre. However, consider the role of lyricism in more melodic genres like folk.

The meanings of words in genres like folk often enhance and guide instrumentals through the evocation of emotion and beautiful imagery. For instance, take the following lyrics by John Orth in “Smoke Like Ribbons.”

Smoke was pulled in ribbons from the windows of the car
I followed the flash of silver from your teeth
Above the tarmac, the lights were icy green
Buried in patterns in your chest, a quiet shimmering
Little dipper, tiara-shine
Song bird shivering, thin, thin dime

Consider the meaning of those words, the analogies between the images, and the mood they work together to communicate. Orth sings of tiny glints, shimmers, and cool light during a drive. Synesthetically, the flitting warbles of bird songs are an audiological analogy to such imagery, and, in concert with the lyrics, they recall memories such as dewy early mornings for the listener. Lyrics here are a synthetic force, fusing their meanings with Orth’s thin whispy voice (thin just like smoke being pulled out a window) and the wavering melody of a singing saw.

This synesthetic role of lyrics is reflected in the imagery and editing of good music videos. The observation that metal is a genre where the voice is used predominantly as a percussive instrument is reflected in the style of its music videos, which often feature strobes, explosive imagery, and tight snappy editing. Lyrics are sort of like videos: when done well they enhance and add greater dimension to instrumentals.

 

[Droppersneck]

I would like this made into a poll. The options could possibly be as follow

I, for one, almost never do: receiving the lyrical message feels to me like it just isn't part of listening to music--it's kind of like reading a poem while having music in the background. And it's the "in the background" part that poses the fundamental problem--insofar as I pay attention to the lyrics, I find myself unable to as well appreciate the totality of the musical 'signal'. And I only extremely rarely find any enjoyment in poetry: it usually just seems pale and hollow, irresonant with my 'gut' in any way. There are, however, some songs that I know the words to, on account of having breached 200 repeat listens.

ebola

I am 100% the same. My dilemma comes with the fact that I love writing music. Even with dylan lyrics come second to melody. When I write I write a riff or chord prog. and just kind of sing gibberish in order to create a cool melody. I have even resorted to looking on the BL lyrics threads for material lol Also my memory is shit. Say I can know all the changes and hit all the notes to sunny afternoon but for the life of me can never remember the second verse. I am tempted to try lumosity.com at this point. Benzos and booze may have screwed up my neurons, but your brain can always create new pathways though you cannot regenerate the neurons themselves.