do you listen to the words?

[Steel Icarus]

Helluva bump.

I HAVE to know what the lyrics to songs I like are. I used to get new records back in the day and pray they had the words printed out on the inner sleeve.

 

[The39thStep]

Both my present partner and my wife before that always think/ thought the words were more important . Had numerous and repetitive discussions about this . For me it's mainly the music and the voice being part of the music . Having said that there are some songs ,like Half Man Half Biscuit in which the lyrics make the music better. I'd say 75% music 25% lyrics .

 

[Orang Utan]

No, because english when it's sung (especially in a british accent) is pretty much indecipherable... I never make out what the lyrics are, and on the occasions when I do, I mostly mishear things ('scuse me while i kiss this guy', etc.)

This. I have to really concentrate to parse many sung lyrics and that pushes all the rest of the music to the back, thus ruining my enjoyment of it as a whole

 

[starfish]

Not really. A lot of the time they just get in the way.

 

[starfish]

Because a lot of the time the words dont mean shit. Sometimes they do & thats groovy.

 

[Orang Utan]

let me hear you say yeah

 

[starfish]

No.

 

[Orang Utan]

No

 

[Orang Utan]

no no no no

 

[starfish]

Aye yeeeaaahhhh.

 

[Orang Utan]

no no
no no no no
there's no limit

 

[starfish]

Yeeeaaahgpapuayeaaah

 

[starfish]

Oooohh ooihh oohh oh yeaahhh

 

[mojo pixy]

I listen to words. Really good words can make me enjoy a song more even than no words, though no words is fine. But bad words can ruin a whole song for me.

What makes words good or bad depends on a lot of different things, it's hard to summarize. It's also contextual. The words of one song might ruin another song with the wrong tone or a rhythm or subject matter that just doesn't fit the music.

I think what I personally like is, stories, emotional expressions, political statements, and if possible just good poetry. Again though, what's "good poetry", it's subjective as all hell.

 

[Orang Utan]

does anyone else just not take them in - the voices kinda burbles along in an ensemble with the other instruments

 

[nogojones]

I clearly never hear the words. I think I know my favourite songs, then go to sing them like John Redwood doing the Welsh national anthem

 

[starfish]

does anyone else just not take them in - the voices kinda burbles along in an ensemble with the other instruments

Im so glad its not just me.

 

[Fez909]

If you'd asked me 6 months ago, I'd have 100% agreed with the OP.

But since then, I've experienced an end of a relationship that hit me harder than I thought possible, and suddenly, I've not only heard every lyric; it felt like they were speaking about me.

It's a nightmare when you're feeling down and you love music, so you fire up your favourite tunes and realise that they're all about love, and loss, and heartbreak and all the good stuff to really tighten up the chest area.

I was well in the mood for some uplifting disco and all I got was crushing depression reflected back at me, through my favourite genre of my favourite artform.

Fuck lyrics| They're either irrelevant and another 'instrument' or they're vocal depression-inducers.

 

[moody]

 

[diond]

No, because english when it's sung (especially in a british accent) is pretty much indecipherable... I never make out what the lyrics are, and on the occasions when I do, I mostly mishear things ('scuse me while i kiss this guy', etc.)

I think some people are better than others at this. I am appalling at working out what people are singing about, but my daughter only has to hear a song a couple of times, and she can pick the majority (and remember) the lyrics of most songs. She also has an amazing ear for reciting complicated melody after just a few listens, too.

 

[Cheesypoof]

i don't, really - the human voice is pretty much just another instrument to me. am i missing out?

I wholeheartedly agree. Its great if there happen to be good words, but the melody and voice are all i'm really interested in.