Do you listen to the Lyrics or the Music.?

[EssentialTension]

It's weird to me that someone would not listen to both music and lyrics.

[Dood]

I'm pleased with the responses! Indeed, I too have a partner who is totally amazed that I have no idea what some of my favourite songs are about - or even what most of the lyrics actually are!

When I am asked why I started playing bass, I tell people that one of the reasons is that I discovered that I hummed bass lines when ever I was singing along to a song. I must have been a weird little boy to listen to ha ha ha!

[Luulox]

Music for me

[Twincam]

Yes I always listen to the lyrics and think deeply on the meanings.

Some give there meaning up easily.
Some take a while to figure out.
Others are not meant to be figured out.
I'm still talking about lyrics, and not women btw haha.

Music to me is like a little book with pretty tunes behind the words, giving the story texture and emotion.

Edited January 17, 2016 by Twincam

[BassTractor]

[quote name='Twincam' timestamp='1453034896' post='2955725']
Some give there meaning up easily.
Some take a while to figure out.
Others are not meant to be figured out.
I'm still talking about lyrics,
and not women btw haha.

Music to me is like a little book
with pretty tunes behind the words,
giving the story
texture and emotion.
[/quote]


Wow!
I don't have a single clue about lyrics, and am only able to listen to the music - even when I try to write down the lyrics - but these lyrics must be some of the best poetry ever!

[kusee pee]

Always the music for me. I love the fact that great music can give real emotion to otherwise quite bland or meaningless lyrics. I think Simon Le Bon (an oblique lyricist for sure) said something like "good music can make lyrics that mean nothing sound like they mean everything".

[colgraff]

The lyrics. In almost all cases, the lyrics make the song for me. This is partly why I love Billy Bragg and Eric Bogle and partly why I don't like the Chili Peppers more recent stuff as the lyrics have become almost entirely nonsensical. I always sing along with the songs I am playing. Fortunately most of the singing along is done off mic.

[Japhet]

Depends a lot on the genre of music. Lyrics in rock and funk can be complete rubbish if the power or groove are strong. Likewise,a lot of ballads can have average music but the lyrics can make the song special. Great music is a combination of both.

[spectoremg]

Music - bass first, unless it's Steve Hackett - in which case the guitar will distract me (for a bit).

[mep]

Music for me too. Hardly know the lyrics but the melody is important.

[william64]

I am always trapped by the music. So I feel ashamed when other people, unlike me, know the lyrics when there is an opportunity to sing (both in English and Czech)

[DaveFry]

Short conversation here at 6:42 on this very subject between a songwriting bassist and a chanting Buddhist ex-member of a Miles Davis band :

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_EKIq_2iUQ[/media]

[BottomE]

A great piece of music with lyrics using an appealing melody that say something to me is about as good as it gets. Its not a deal breaker though. Can't even begin to imagine what Donald Fagen is singing about most of the time but the overall package sounds great.

[Cameronj279]

Music is what I listen to 99% of the time. If I'm completely honest, I'm extremely picky about vocals on songs which results me often listening to music trying to mentally block out the singer. I also listen to quite a lot of music that isn't sung in English meaning I can't really do anything about the lyrics other than google them.

If it's a band where I like the vocals I'll usually listen to the lyrics and the music as a whole.

[Oopsdabassist]

[quote name='dood' timestamp='1453034389' post='2955711']
When I am asked why I started playing bass, I tell people that one of the reasons is that I discovered that I hummed bass lines when ever I was singing along to a song. I must have been a weird little boy to listen to ha ha ha!
[/quote]

I kinda just decided, in my 40's, 'I'm gonna learn to play music' took be about 30 seconds to realise, I did exactly that, hum basslines,..since I was about 11. Starting to play was a long time comin'!!
As an alternative take on lyrics, I've always loved Yes, the lyrics never made that much sense, but the [i]flow [/i]of the words, and how they fell with the music, made them just as important as the music, even though I had no clue what it was all about!

To an impressionable 12 year old, that made yes all the more mysterious!!!

[neepheid]

Seems on balance here that I'm wasting my time writing lyrics that are carefully crafted with the occasional poetic device to mean something (or sometimes more than one thing...)

[Woodinblack]

Both, but how much attention each one gets depends on the song. Bad lyrics can wreck a song or just irritate.

[AustinArto]

I'm a bit of a word nerd so if the lyrics are bad I can't listen to it. There's a local guy who's a great performer with a great voice but if you hear what he's actually singing it's really weak!

Tune still has to give me the head nods though.

[tauzero]

Primarily the music, although sometimes the singist has poor diction and consequently the words are indecipherable, and I find that annoying. I need to be able to make out the lyrics, though I may not actually listen to what they're saying. I write lyrics myself and I want the lyrics to be heard properly in my songs (in case anyone actually bothers with them), and it seems to me that anyone who writes lyrics would also feel that way.

[blue]

No, never have. It's something I want to change

Blue

[Behlmene]

I listen to both. The lyrics are one of the main parts of the music. They tell the tale.

[FinnDave]

[quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1453065356' post='2956141']
Seems on balance here that I'm wasting my time writing lyrics that are carefully crafted with the occasional poetic device to mean something (or sometimes more than one thing...)
[/quote]

Only if you perform to an audience of nothing but bass players.

[CamdenRob]

Definitely the music for me, zero interest in lyrics... I listen to the sound of the singers voice, but couldn't really care less what they are singing about.

[neepheid]

[quote name='FinnDave' timestamp='1453105513' post='2956288']
Only if you perform to an audience of nothing but bass players.
[/quote]

Damn all of them! Oh, wait a minute...

[vsmith1]

Music also for me, I've listened and love a lot of instrumental stuff. I also love a great, interesting sound - hence my special liking for electronic stuff like Tangerine Dream, Kraftwerk, etc.