Songs and albums you like hearing but not listening to because of the subject matter

[Barking Spiders]

There are quite a few albums and individual songs I like for the vocal melodies, the singers' voices and the instrumentation but avoid actively listening to and taking in the lyrics because either they're nonsense, cringe-making or just depressing. Yesterday I was listening to The Hurting by Tears for Fears. Most of the songs are great except the theme of the album is primal scream therapy which to me is a load of pretentious, introspective psychobabble. No doubt a middle aged Roland Orzabal would agree. Such is teenage-20 something angst. Similarly I like a fair bit of Grunge but don't care for lyrics about self-hate and all that. It might ring true with angsty teens but now I'm a middle age grumpy cynic I prefer to blot them out. Anyone else feel similarly about some of your tastes?

[Fishfacefour]

I've never been one for taking in lyrics. I usually hear them as a sonic element as part of the whole. 

There's always the odd turn of phrase that jumps out from a song but I normally have to put in quite a bit of effort to learn lyrics and then some more effort to understand what the hell they're on about.

 

[Barking Spiders]

2 minutes ago, Fishfacefour said:

I've never been one for taking in lyrics. I usually hear them as a sonic element as part of the whole. 

 

Yep that's a good snappier way to put it. 

[Hobbayne]

There was an old song by The Bodysnatchers I think, called The Boiler. It dealt with date rape and was quite harrowing. I think was banned by a lot of radio stations in the early 80's and I haven't heard it since.

[Doctor J]

I generally tune lyrics out but, when I don't, self-obsessed me-me-poor-little-me, especially delivered from a middle-aged person of wealth, don't put me in a happy place.

[Fishfacefour]

The other way to think about it is that they're playing a part or telling a story. No-one believes that nick cave or Tom Waits is the murderer when they sing their murder ballad.

 

[Barking Spiders]

2 hours ago, Fishfacefour said:

The other way to think about it is that they're playing a part or telling a story. No-one believes that nick cave or Tom Waits is the murderer when they sing their murder ballad.

 

Nowt wrong with those. What gets my goat are self-pitying lyrics of the 'i hate myself', 'my life sucks', 'you fcked up my life' sort. And also the sticking to the man /social critiquing variety unless the writers do actually put into practice what they preach.

[Lozz196]

For much of the music I listen to I can’t make out all of the lyrics so seldom try to understand what the song is about.
 

It’s also really easy to get songs completely wrong it seems, having read a few classic examples of this. 

[Dan Dare]

As an old git, I love rhythm and blues, blues and soul. I find the misogyny/attitudes in some lyrics questionable. I'm not a woke warrior or anything like that, but as a father with a daughter, I'm not happy to sing certain stuff. Shame, as I've had to steer clear of some otherwise decent numbers as a result.

[acidbass]

'So What'

[mcnach]

21 hours ago, Fishfacefour said:

I've never been one for taking in lyrics. I usually hear them as a sonic element as part of the whole. 

There's always the odd turn of phrase that jumps out from a song but I normally have to put in quite a bit of effort to learn lyrics and then some more effort to understand what the hell they're on about.

 

 

Same here, but in my case that had a lot to do with growing up liking music largely sung in English, which I barely understood until I was in my late teens and didn't get much better until I was around 20. So the vocals are firstly just another part of the music, and lyrics really just a separate layer that I often ignore. 

 

But for the same reason, there were bands/songs I stopped listening to once I could understand the lyrics. Mostly 80s 'rawk'... A lot of cringeworthy lyrics in that scene. There was another band I really liked but turned out to be a "Christian Rock" band. I have nothing against people with religious beliefs, but it is not something I like listening to :shrug:

 

 

[vantagepointrocks]

Family Tree by Megadeth I think is a great piece of music, with a really cool bassline. But the subject matter of abuse in the lyrics I find quite uncomfortable to listen to, so I do usually hit the skip button when that track gets to the chorus.

[borntohang]

On 06/12/2022 at 10:38, Hobbayne said:

There was an old song by The Bodysnatchers I think, called The Boiler. It dealt with date rape and was quite harrowing. I think was banned by a lot of radio stations in the early 80's and I haven't heard it since.

Incredible tune that - Rhoda Dakar with Specials AKA backing. Many years back as a teenager I picked up a cheap Two Tone compilation cassette on the market and that was plumped bang in the middle of all the 'standard' upbeat hits. Chilling!

[Bassfinger]

I actually like System of a Down.  The song structure, musicianship, the melodies and vocal harmonies, Serj Tankians stupendous voice.

 

But by god do they whinge. War, oppression, invaders eating victims children, all the usual political commentary.  Theyre quite right and entitled to have an opinion, but some of their songs leave me in the same listening mode as Barking Spiders describes.