How important are lyrics to you?

[Robert****]

How do you feel about the importance of good lyrics in a song, compared to the music itself? I have most of my guitar playing life paid most attention to melodies, chords, groove, harmony, "catchiness", etc - I mean the "musical ingredients".

Lately, I have started to pay more attention to lyrics, and of course it matters what kind of music we are talking about. John Hiatt writes really good lyrics I think, and like his music a lot too - kinda goes together.

For comparison, I also like, for example, James Brown's "I feel good", although the lyrics aren't really much to write home about, but the song is still great.

Your thoughts?

[t_ross33]

From a performance standpoint, the groove, hook and catchiness of the tune is what counts for me. Case in point: check out the tune Shaketramp by Vancouver pop-punk band, Marianas Trench. Great tune, very catchy. Still trying to figure out what it's about (if you haven't heard this before, wait until you get to the pre-chorus).

As a listener, lyrics have always been important to me. I'm a big fan of the singer-songwriter genre. Townes Van Zant, Guy Clark, Steve Earle, Rodney Crowell, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard to name a few in the country vein. Then of course there's Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and a host of others in the folk/rock area that write powerful, meaningful songs. I would be remiss (given my Avatar) not to mention the lyrical and poetic craftsmanship of Neil Peart!

There was a time when I absolutely abhored any song without thoughful, meaningful and well-crafted lyrics, thinking anything less was "commercial" and to be regarded with utter distain. Such a snob

Now I'm more apt to enjoy a song for it's own sake. It either moves me musically, lyrically or both. Or it doesn't, in which case it probably sucks anyway

Trev

[sunvalleylaw]

From a performance standpoint, the groove, hook and catchiness of the tune is what counts for me. Case in point: check out the tune

As a listener, lyrics have always been important to me. I'm a big fan of the singer-songwriter genre. Townes Van Zant, Guy Clark, Steve Earle, Rodney Crowell, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard to name a few in the country vein. Then of course there's Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and a host of others in the folk/rock area that write powerful, meaningful songs. I would be remiss (given my Avatar) not to mention the lyrical and poetic craftsmanship of Neil Peart!

There was a time when I absolutely abhored any song without thoughful, meaningful and well-crafted lyrics, thinking anything less was "commercial" and to be regarded with utter distain. Such a snob

Now I'm more apt to enjoy a song for it's own sake. It either moves me musically, lyrically or both. Or it doesn't, in which case it probably sucks anyway

Trev

For most of my adult years I have been a listener, and to me lyrics have been very important. In fact, it can be frustrating to me to like a tune but not like its lyrics. Nonsense lyrics (like early REM tunes according to Stipe at one time) don't matter if I really like the song. Also, good lyrics help me like performers who are not the best guitarists, such as early Springsteen (though he had a great backing band) etc. Good, well crafted sarcasm, such as Warren Zevon, is always appreciated. So yes, lyrics have been bery, bery good to me, and are important in my mind.

[250Keith]

I like both, like robert I love John Haitt, robert cray, Kansas, there songs have both great melodys and lyrics.
If I'm out partying, a lot of times the lyrics get lost in the mix and it's all about the tune, and I just keep on dancing

[DaveO]

A well crafted lyric can save an average singing voice. I've noticed that great music and chord progressions are usually only noticed by other musicians. Great lyrics are noticed by more listeners. I love a great instrumental song with lots of heart. I also love a smart line inserted into an average song. If it makes you dance or sing along---It's a good song.
Dave

[helliott***]

For me it's a bit of both priorities. I love Springsteen, John Hiatt, John Prine, Dylan etc., so lyrics certainly matter. But I also love the more jam-driven sensibility of guys like the Allmans, Gov't Mule, Phish etc.
One pet peeve of mine is bad lyrics in an otherwise hooky song. Think much of Bon Jovi's stuff.
I've tried writing lyrics with no success at all, and the written word is what I do for a living. It's a very tough discipline, I think, or it seems to come easily to those with a certain gift.

[Spudman***]

For me, the message the singer is trying to get across is the greatest part of the song.

What I find most intriguing is trying to figure out exactly what they mean and where they are coming from when they wrote the song. Clever writers use some double entendre the really excites me as I try to figure out if they are sincere or mean something else.

A lot of what I listen to is progressive and progressive rock that deals with some deep subjects. Clever lyrics coupled with passionate technical music does it for me.

[tot_Ou_tard]

I like em both ways.

No need for lyrics, but I do love words. From the mindless to the profound. It's even more fun if you can't quite make out which is which.

[SuperSwede]

It depends on the artist.. I really like David Bowie´s lyrics, I dont think that it gets much better than this:




(Ashes to Ashes)

The shrieking of nothing is killing
Just pictures of jap girls in synthesis and i
Aint got no money and I aint got no hair
But Im hoping to kick but the planet its glowing

Ashes to ashes, funk to funky
We know major toms a junkie
Strung out in heavens high
Hitting an all-time low

This one is brilliant as well:

(The Joe Perry Project: Rockin´ Train)

We got a smokin locomotive, honey
Rollin on that party track
Heart attack-party-track
Heart attack-party-track

I love strange lyrics

[jpfeifer]

For whatever reason, my brain is not wired to respond to lyrics as much as the music. I tend to get hooked on a song by the groove, chords, sounds of the instruments, etc. The lyrics are lower on the priority to me.

But my wife and my daughter clue into the lyrics right away. Sometimes I'll be enjoying a song and my wife says, "do you have any idea what this song is about, turn that off before the kids hear it!" Yikes, I should have listened to the lyrics instead of that cool bass line :-)

But if I concentrate on the lyrics I can appreciate them, it's just not an automatic thing for me. I really like certain song writers for their lyrics Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Lennon & McCartney. I really liked the way John Lennon would use lyrics to create imagery, (Elenor Rigby, Strawberry Fields, Across the Universe) he was a genius.

-- Jim

[guitartist]

Generally, I'm like jpfeifer, I can hear a song a zillion times and have no idea what the lyrics are about.

Occassionally though there'll be a cd where I actually listen to and enjoy the lyrics (although its rare). Really been getting into the lyrics on Hank Williams III "Straight to Hell" lately...

On the flipside, trite lyrics can ruin a song for me particularly when they're pushed to the front of the mix and you can't help but notice them. I love Joe Bonamassa's playing, but there's an acoustic ballad on one of his cds which he wrote with some lyrics which are just horrible IMO...ruins the whole song for me (...but then again on his fan message boards, a lot of people love it...so go figure).

And Superswede, I agree with you about Bowie, he's brilliant!

[R_of_G]

How important are lyrics to me? Aside from Miles, my favorite musician ever is Tom Waits. Tom is, in my opinion, the single greatest American songwriter ever. His lyrics range from the bittersweet to the absurd, but all are integral to the story in each particular song. Anybody want a lesson in what I'm talking about just pick up his 1985 masterpiece "Rain Dogs" and get to know those songs. Your music-listening will be forever changed.

Some other lyricists whose words are vital to my love of their songs... Dylan, Robert Hunter, Thom Yorke, Roger Waters, John Lennon, George Harrison, Jimi Hendrix, Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie, Lou Reed, and Dee Dee Ramone [only Dee Dee could've come up with "chewin' out a rhythm on my bubblegum."

[guitartist]

+ one on the Tom Waits. Yes, he is a great lyricist...I don't listen to him a lot, but when I do, I make a point to listen to his lyrics (I've got Swordfishtrombone and Rain Dogs on vinyl, need to get them on cd!)

[sunvalleylaw]

Good lists guys! I like Bowie, Waits, Lennon also. Dee Dee Ramone, that's great! As I was driving today, I also thought of old Elvis Costello (pre 83) and old Joe Jackson. I love some of that stuff too. But what about Kajagoogoo?

Getting back to the point, I really do get off on lyrics. Not always required, and I do like instrumental stuff also, but my brain does like a good lyric.

[pie_man_25]

From a performance standpoint, the groove, hook and catchiness of the tune is what counts for me. Case in point: check out the tune Shaketramp by Vancouver pop-punk band, Marianas Trench. Great tune, very catchy. Still trying to figure out what it's about (if you haven't heard this before, wait until you get to the pre-chorus).

I absolutely hate that song, I just can't stand the whole pop/punk scene wtf anyways, excuse me if I'm trolling, but I think that punk should have stayed in the underground scene so that so many people wouldn't think they're punk and different and dress and act exactly like they're friends. I know I'm a snob but the lyrics also piss me off, example: I was on muchmusic once and they were playing random videos, and they got to this one (after icky thum/white stripes, a good song I might add) with this guy wearing levi's jeans and playing a gibson custom LP junior saying he was "anti-establishment" and I couldn't help but yell at the TV like an old man and screaming "WTF do you think that gibson came from, and your jeans, and all those fans who buy your albums from your goddamn record label!!!!"

pardon me if I was trolling, I was just rather-rudely stating my opinion, and of course, you are alowed to have yours, but my point is: lyrics are important to me.