How many people really listen or care about lyrics?

[PaulWarning]

before we start please don't turn this thread into a Tory bashing thread, you'll only get it locked

Just watched a video of Boris Johnson saying the Clash were one of his favourite bands (along with the Rolling Stones) David Cameron is also on record 🙂 as saying Eton Rifles was one of his favourite songs.

I've had this discussion with our singer on several occasions, he really listens to lyrics and thinks they're really important, I say hardly anybody notices them apart from the chorus, I think Bojo and 'call me Dave' may just prove my point.

[Teebs]

I think that some people do try to work out what the lyrics mean, and others are just happy for the words to fit the tune.

BJ and Cameron probably just said that they liked these bands 'cos they thought it'd make them sound cool, rather missing the socialist message behind the words.

[BrunoBass]

As a songwriter and a listener the lyrics are massively important to me - they’re 50% of the package. 

I want a song to be equally strong on both counts.

That said, I’d rather listen to a song with a strong melody and weak lyrics than a great lyric with a poor tune. 

[burno70]

As I've got older I've found that I listen to instrumental music more and more as I can't abide poor lyrics.

[fretmeister]

Teenagers.

Every word really means something during teenage years!

[Lozz196]

I’m not that fussed about them, it’s the music and melody for me. That said I’ll not listen to anything that’s extreme politics, be it either side, at that point I don’t care how good the music or melody is, it’s rendered itself unlistenable for me.

[BreadBin]

Good lyrics are a joy 👍

[PaulWarning]

41 minutes ago, BrunoBass said:

As a songwriter and a listener the lyrics are massively important to me - they’re 50% of the package. 

I want a song to be equally strong on both counts.

That said, I’d rather listen to a song with a strong melody and weak lyrics than a great lyric with a poor tune. 

yep, I take a lot of care over lyrics, but I often wonder if I'm wasting my time when I look at the lyrics of songs, a lot are incomprehensible to me

Edited November 13, 2019 by PaulWarning

[Dubs]

47 minutes ago, BrunoBass said:

That said, I’d rather listen to a song with a strong melody and weak lyrics than a great lyric with a poor tune. 

I have this discussion with the singer in our band a lot, this is absolutely my take on it; good lyrics enhance a good tune but can't polish a turd.

I don't know if it's because I listen to a lot of instrumental music but a good melody is way more important to me than a good lyric.

[Monkey Steve]

Yeah, I'm with @Dubs  Good lyrics are an unexpected pleasure, a real bonus but most people don't listen and don't care, so the singer is mostly polishing his own knob when worrying about the exact word choice.  A chorus that people can sing along to does 99% of the job.

But when lyrics are excellent, it adds a bonus level of enjoyment.

However, bad lyrics often stick out a mile.  If the singer can achieve "ignoreable" that's OK with me

Back to the OP, I'm not sure I agree with the premise - I tend to agree that most people like songs because of the tune, not the words, but I'm perfectly able to like songs that I don't agree with from a political standpoint, or frankly haven't considered from more than what the words are.  That is when I can understand it - Eton Rifles isn't as obviously against public schoolboys as Cameron's critics seem to think, it's slightly oblique 

[Guest]

I listen.  The sexual innuendo of Jethro Tull, the navel gazing of Yes, the deep and dark lyrics of Josh Homme.  Conversely, a load of stuff is just disposable pap, a mere something to bounce along with the tune, but doesn't mean it's any less entertaining.

Edited November 13, 2019 by Bassfinger

[Newfoundfreedom]

For me as a music listener the lyrics are massively important. Probably the most important part of any song. If a song has no meaning, then I'm really not interested. As a "musician" the lyrics are equally important. I like to write songs so they all have meaning to me. When the band plays covers (usually ones I'm outvoted on) with dubious or meaningless lyrics as it makes me cringe. As a realist I would say that probably 95 percent of the actual audience don't give a stinky poo. Give them a good hook and a catchy chorus and that's pretty much all they need. 

The guitarist in my ex band was obsessed with getting people dancing. Any act playing half arsed catchy covers can get a bunch of drunks up dancing. One of my favourite gigs was when I saw a couple of the women in the audience crying (hopefully not at how bad we were). That's when you know they're really listening. 

[lowdown]

Punters listen to and know the lyrics, no problem. But, they just can't get their head around song titles... "Can you play, go on now go"...

"Do you know that one about the Cake in a park"...

The comical song request list is endless, and I bet this musicians community must have some corkers. 

 

Edited November 13, 2019 by lowdown

[leftybassman392]

Well, there's lyrics:

and there's lyrics:

 

[Cosmo Valdemar]

37 minutes ago, Bassfinger said:

 The sexual innuendo of Jethro Tull

Let me live in your country...

[Monkey Steve]

Ah, Jethro Tull...

I once explained to an American what a Wimpy Bar was, and it completely changed their understanding of Up To Me

[Baceface]

1 hour ago, Bassfinger said:

The sexual innuendo of Jethro Tull...

As a big Tull fan (love the Jeffrey H-H pics) I loved the contrast between the bawdy lyrics and the moments of great beauty.
At his best, Ian Anderson was up there with Ray Davies for me. Listening back to their proggy contemporaries, things often got very twee or far too clumsily earnest. Tull mixed in that occasionally coarse element to bring things back down to earth.

Edited November 13, 2019 by Baceface

[Dan Dare]

I try not to listen to lyrics much of the time. Most are truly awful 😁

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

Many people don't listen to lyrics - for when example brides request 'band of gold' to be played at their wedding reception

[DoubleOhStephan]

5 minutes ago, Jean-Luc Pickguard said:

Many people don't listen to lyrics - for when example brides request 'band of gold' to be played at their wedding reception

Haha classic. One of my favourite songs though. 

[TrevorR]

12 minutes ago, Jean-Luc Pickguard said:

Many people don't listen to lyrics - for when example brides request 'band of gold' to be played at their wedding reception

Or have “Easy” by The Commodores as their first dance...

[BassTractor]

Officially licensed lyrics-deaf, me.
Just telling in case @PaulWarning wants to tally all of this.

[KevB]

A great lyric can make a song, a lousy one can ruin it. I listen to way more songs than instrumentals so they obviously must have an influence on me.

Edited November 13, 2019 by KevB

[PaulWarning]

7 minutes ago, BassTractor said:

Officially licensed lyrics-deaf, me.
Just telling in case @PaulWarning wants to tally all of this.

🙂 maybe I should have attached a poll.

[ClassicVibes]

When lyrics take on a different meaning a few years after you heard the song. That stuff gets me every time.