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How many people really listen or care about lyrics?


PaulWarning

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I listen to lyrics, but only because they are signposts. Part of the format of the song. Apart from that, I listen to the band more and the drummer the most.

I don't care what music politicians listen to. I have no interest in knowing what their favourite colour is or their favourite food.

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Loving "Birdhouse In Your Soul" - They Might Be Giants, there's more where that came from (Why Does the Sun Shine?)

"Foxtrot" (Genesis) harbours some winners in terms of lyrics. "Get 'em out by Friday" and "Supper's Ready"

The repeated rhyming of "heart" in the Marillion track actually scans properly because of Fish's pacing and delivery against the music. It's "Kayleigh", by the way..

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18 hours ago, fleabag said:

Of course people  listen and care about lyrics

 
" I like small speakers, I like tall speakers
If they've music, they're wired for sound "

 Good ole Cliff   :)
 

Dont be knockin' Cliff! 

His epic late 70s/early 80s trilogy of Devil Woman, Carrie and Wired for Sound is right up there with Copacabana in my house. 

Only Sir Clifford of Richardsville can make being given a shove from stage left whilst teetering on rollerskates look cool. 

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On 13/11/2019 at 12:26, PaulWarning said:

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.

 

I never paid much attention to most lyrics until I was in my 20s. That's for songs in my native language! In English... it took a while longer. Even to this day I generally treat vocals as another instrument. From time to time, I stop to see what they say... ;)

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On 13/11/2019 at 16:34, stuckinthepod said:

What are good lyrics? Everyone will have a different view. Witty, rhyming, poetic, evocative, tied in well with melody??

I love poetic lyrics.... I also love Black Sabbath who managed to rhyme "masses" with ... "masses"

In fairness to Sabbath, they were using the word for two completely different meanings: first to mean a lot of people, and second to mean a religious ceremony.

In their drug addled state they probably thought that was quite clever...

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22 hours ago, davepb24 said:

Quite fortuitously caught Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds on TV last night...if ever any artist was all about lyrics it must be him given the minimalism of a lot of the music, especially on stage...and boy has he written some beauty over the years

I was only saying to another band member recently how Nick Cave makes me feel like an infant in terms of lyric writing. He’s on another level entirely. 

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55 minutes ago, 4000 said:

I was only saying to another band member recently how Nick Cave makes me feel like an infant in terms of lyric writing. He’s on another level entirely. 

Must admit to not yet having heard Ghosteen but it's next on my list...the guy is as you say on a different plane to mere mortals- having been fortunate enough to catch him and the Seeds live twice he knows how to bring his words to life on stage in a way not everyone can

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  • 2 weeks later...

I think it's a small minority of listeners that really listen to lyrics - I don't think anyone really needs to - there are other reasons to like a song (I still think Da Da Da by Trio is great!).

I've been writing lyrics for my songs since 2005 and poetry - the documenting real life type - since the death of a close friend and work colleague in1999 (reading contemporary poetry for a lot longer) and I've written 3 one act plays so words matter a lot to me  - I will always listen to the lyrics - even for songs I don't like - I find them interesting - I think people can miss out on something if they don't take the lyrics in but there are still plenty of good songs even if the lyrics are mediocre at best - I do wince at bad lyrics, clichés and lack of imagination.

Writing lyrics is a real challenge but a satisfying thing to do - much like solving crosswords (which I also like doing) - I listen because I get ideas about what other people write about and how they go about it and it's inspiration for me to keep writing.

I also read a lot so I'm just someone who is probably more interested in words than a lot of people - even read a dictionary when I was about 14 - and found a spelling mistake in it.

IMG_20191201_000515369~2-01.jpeg

Edited by lemonstar
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