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whats better? the music or the lyrics of a song??


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Old 15-02-2007, 15:07
oldfrooty
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its the lyrics for me!
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Old 15-02-2007, 16:01
Pirouette.
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Music. If a song has great lyrics, but I don't like the music I can appreciate it as a piece of poetry rather than as a song. If it's the other way round I can ignore the terrible lyrics (within reason!) and still enjoy it as a song- Indeed, I've been known to drunkenly and soberly sing along to songs with crap lyrics before now

Both being equally good is, of course, preferable
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Old 15-02-2007, 16:02
sixtieschick
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gotta be the music because that's what usually captures the imagination...if the lyrics are good that's an added bonus
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Old 15-02-2007, 16:05
pink sparkle
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Well, that's a tough one but i personally would say the music because without the music it would just be like a story, although with some songs the lyrics and meaning is why they become so popular, so it's difficult to decide really!
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Old 15-02-2007, 16:28
Gill P
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Both! Without great lyrics the music would be an instrumental and without great music the lyrics would be a poem!
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Old 15-02-2007, 16:30
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Originally Posted by Gilberto
Both! Without great lyrics the music would be an instrumental and without great music the lyrics would be a poem!

Yep, agree with you there.
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Old 15-02-2007, 16:33
Sloopy
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They're both important; it's the rhythm that draws you in to a good tune, but if there are naff lyrics that sound as if they've been written by a five-year old then it can be rather off-putting!
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Old 15-02-2007, 16:41
williams96
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I'd say the music, as I like instrumental versions of some songs.
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Old 15-02-2007, 17:28
Havelock Vetinari
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Both have as much revelance as each other, with out good music the lyrics sometimes don't seem to carry as much weight behind them.
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Old 15-02-2007, 17:36
Eraserhead
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Originally Posted by Gilberto
...and without great music the lyrics would be a poem!
Or a rap song.

For hip-hop the lyrics are obviously more important, since there isn't usually any music to speak of, mostly just a beat and some sampled snippet of a tune.

For me, it's definitely a mix of both for most of the time. I listen to alot of deeply personal stuff like Joy Division or the Smiths and the lyrics are definitely very important but without a tune they wouldn't be half as good.

Mind you, I'm just as happy listening to the Cocteau Twins or My Bloody Valentine, where the lyrics are non-sensical or impenetrable.

And I'm happy listening to instrumental music like Mogwai, Godspeed You Black Emperor or M83.

But on the whole, a good song is a blend of great lyrics and great music. One of the reasons I detest dance music is because the lyrics are bland, meaningless rubbish most of the time and, as the great Morrissey once said, it says nothing to me about my life.
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Old 15-02-2007, 17:38
Psychosis
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Bit of both. I can LOVE a song that has great music and so-so lyrics, and I can LOVE a song that has so-so music but great lyrics - because to me, a song is an expression of a feeling, a thought, a situation or a personality, and it can be expressed through instrumental beats, rhythm or the spoken word, all of those things speak to me in different ways. However, if anyone of them (music, rhythm, lyrics) are less than so-so - i.e. are BAD and distract me from the song, then I hate it.
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Old 15-02-2007, 22:35
daisycol
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Can you have one without the other? I don't think so, you surely need both.
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Old 15-02-2007, 22:50
elena
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I think you need both. With exceptions.

a) if you're going out to a club for a dance or whatever, you're not really bothered what the artist is singing, you're just going with the beat and the melody

b) depending on the mood you're in, especially if thoughtful, lyrics can mean more than music. I like listening to Leonard Cohen at times, and really enjoy his work, but it's easy to say I listen to him for his poetic lyrics and delivery, not the melody supporting them.

At most times, however, music and lyrics have to support each other. I abhor songs with meaningless lyrics (save exceptions ie the clubbing example) though.
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Old 16-02-2007, 00:08
magicmover
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The music I think, I do look out for good lyrics but it's the beat, the melody and the tempo of the song that makes me think and feel about it.
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Old 16-02-2007, 00:54
BeatleGod
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Music is the key. A song needs a good melody, something catchy, and perhaps a nice middle 8, and a guitar/instrument solo....

....if all the above is ticked, then you can sing about animals breaking wind and the song would still be great. Great lyrics CAN add more value to a tune though.
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Old 16-02-2007, 00:58
BeatleGod
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Originally Posted by elena

At most times, however, music and lyrics have to support each other. I abhor songs with meaningless lyrics (save exceptions ie the clubbing example) though.
What in your mind is meaningless though? I find the same old cliches of "man loses woman....wants her back....gets her back" lyrics to be very over done though.

I'd rather hear Syd Barretts bizarro lyrics any day to predictable Blunt/Morrison/Westlife trash!
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Old 16-02-2007, 01:39
elena
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Originally Posted by BeatleGod
What in your mind is meaningless though? I find the same old cliches of "man loses woman....wants her back....gets her back" lyrics to be very over done though.

I'd rather hear Syd Barretts bizarro lyrics any day to predictable Blunt/Morrison/Westlife trash!
Good point, I agree. Maybe 'meaningless' was the wrong word to use...

... A better set of words to sum up what I meant would have been bland, generic, etc... like your Blunt/Morrison/Westlife example...
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Old 16-02-2007, 01:44
BeatleGod
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Originally Posted by elena
Good point, I agree. Maybe 'meaningless' was the wrong word to use...

... A better set of words to sum up what I meant would have been bland, generic, etc... like your Blunt/Morrison/Westlife example...
"I Am The Walrus" has rather obscure lyrics, but is a cracking song overall! I doubt Blunt/Morrison/Westlife would have the capacity to sing in any other lyrical mode but dreary.

Cue the Blunt fanatics mentioning about Blunt's war lyrics..... :yawn:
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Old 16-02-2007, 01:51
_babydoll_
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The music! I have to admit there are songs I love that have cliched, cringeworthy, offensive lyrics but I might still like the song because of it's melody or a good beat to dance to. It's always a plus if the song has good lyrics though and I do take note about what the lyrics say I jus usually don't care as long as the melody and composition is good. I'm really intuirgued about the whole process though do people write lyrics first or the melody?? Also many popstarsclaim to write the lyrics but surely they just co-write and someone else does the melody which to me is the whole basis for the song. Although some songs the lyrics make it stand out.
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Old 16-02-2007, 09:19
Jan001
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I feel that lyrics are very important, but the accompanying musical arrangement plays an equally important role in conveying the message to the listener.

Not an easy question to answer.
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Old 16-02-2007, 23:23
THEXTREMIST
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For a song that has instrumental backing, it's essential that it is good and conveys the mood of the song. However, I usually take that for granted and the lyrics is what I immediately focus on, and how the singer sings them. But in how the singer sings them, that would therefore be the music...the music generates the mood and tells the story, the lyrics are like subtitles for foreign films, helps you understand it more if you don't already.
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Old 17-02-2007, 01:53
trinsk
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Music pulls me in initially, but it's the lyrics that keep me interested long enough to listen again (and again)
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Old 17-02-2007, 03:05
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I think it depends what kind of music you're listening to.
For example, I listen to Westlife and Take That because I love their voices, and the music, and the tunes, and the fact that I can sing along. The lyrics, however, are annoyingly unpredictable, which can get boring, so in this genre I think the music is most important.

My brother listens to rock music (Guns'n'Roses, Metallica, AC/DC and a load of other bands whose names I can't remember). The lyrics aren't important too much in this either (I don't think?) - he listens for the guitars.

But things like rap music, definitely the lyrics are most important. I listen to Eminem sometimes, and he has the most monotonous (sp?) rapping style possible, his voice never seems to change, but the lyrics really mean something, and a song is much more effective if the lyrics affect someone. E.g. 'Scars' by Papa Roach - I adore this song, because I love the lyrics - the style of music is never something I would normally choose to listen to. And also, 'Life's A Struggle' by Blazin' Squad. They can't sing at all, but the lyrics, especially the chorus, really affects me, so I love the whole song.

So yeah, I think the music and the lyrics are important.
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Old 17-02-2007, 03:13
luvsnail
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It's all about the music.

Don't get me wrong, I often find myself enchanted by the musicality of language, but I find the most beautiful and timeless is music is music without words. One of my favourite albums of all time is 'The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place' by Explosions in the Sky, and while there's not a single word on the whole album, every time I listen to it I'm musically guided through so many powerful emotions I feel like I've taken a journey that's far more profound than words could ever express.

Words can express only thoughts - for feelings, you need music. Words sometimes cheap music by imposing someone else's thoughts onto it. Pure music is far more personal.

Incidentally, the new Explosions in the Sky album, 'All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone' is out on Monday. I haven't heard it yet, but I have every confidence it will be amazing.

Last edited by luvsnail : 17-02-2007 at 03:14.
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Old 17-02-2007, 05:07
J6ngo1977
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It is the groove that gets me at first. Then I listen to words. Without music it would just be poetry
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