How much do you guys care about word choice?

I need both... the music and the lyrics. 😍
Some artists I listen to just for the melody, while others are all about the songwriting... it really just depends on my mood.

Noah Myers67 said:Sometimes I listen to certain artists just for the melodies, and other times it's all about the lyrics... depends on my mood, I guess.

Whoa, looks like you're well on your way to becoming a total Dylan fan... 😬

Not that my own obsession with Randy Newman is any different... 🙂

stormyviper11 said:Whoops, looks like you're well on your way to becoming a huge Dylan fan... 😬

Hmm, I never actually hated Dylan. I even caught one of his shows back in Chicago in '94. 🙈

Noah Myers67 said:hmm, I never actually hated Dylan... I even caught one of his shows back in '94 🙈

I’m on both sides of the fence there, it’s not like I hate him or anything... I’m just using him as an example of music for people who don't really care about music. 🙂

Austin, '96 🙈

stormyviper11 said:I’m split on him, he’s definitely not someone I hate... Just using him as an example of music for people who don't actually like music. 🙂

Classic textbook case. Even with him you still run into catchy little junk like Mike😍 but it’s just exhausting for us music lovers and non-conformists😁:

🙂

Grace Carter80 said:Austin, '96 🙈

Since everyone here is being so open, I might as well come clean. I was actually in Chicago for a month just before that. 🙈 x 3

I don't really pay much attention to the lyrics either way, and honestly, I’m right there with the spider on this one. As for the moderator who decided to wipe my post off the face of the earth? I hope they trip on a curb. Or maybe it’s just this whole damn forum I’ve got a grudge against :2up:—to hell with the lot of you.

Who even needs text?

I mean, come on, there are still some decent bits of writing out there somewhere.

Look, if there’s actual singing involved in a track, then those lyrics aren't just some extra layer—they’re a fundamental part of the song, just like the melody or the drum beat. I really think we shouldn't just gloss over this or skip the debate about whether the words need to be as strong as the music itself. Sure, you can definitely lean more heavily on one than the other depending on the vibe, but both sides have to hit certain benchmarks; otherwise, the whole thing just falls flat and loses its edge. Personally? I don't even need to pay attention to the lyrics to get lost in a song—I can just vibe to the sound—but looking at it objectively, the writing is just as vital as anything else that makes a vocal track feel complete, especially when you're talking about mainstream pop or rock. It's all part of the same package.

I don't buy it. Look, I get that the vocal production matters—if the mix sounds like garbage, the whole song is trashed—but the actual lyrics? They're secondary. Sure, if the songwriting is totally brainless, it'll rub me the wrong way, but it won't ruin the track for me. Don't get me wrong, I’m always gonna appreciate a deep lyricist more, but at the end of the day, they aren't the main event...

wiredfalcon2 said:Oh, come on, there are plenty of decent lyrics.

The New York Times has some beautiful writing 😍 😍 😍

Everyone knows whose rambling nonsense is actually the best 🙂

Samuel Ortiz3 said:but both of them have to meet certain standards first

So what are we supposed to do about Sigur Rós? 😉
Do we seriously need to hire a translator just to figure out if their stuff is actually any good? 🤔

stormyviper11 said:I’m gonna have to disagree there. Look, I get it—the vocal tone is huge, obviously. It shapes the whole vibe of the track. But the actual lyrics? They aren't everything. Sure, if the words are totally nonsensical, it might bug me a little, but it won't ruin the song for me. Don't get me wrong, I'll always appreciate a deep, poetic lyricist more, but strictly speaking, they're secondary to the music itself.

See, that’s where you lose me. I mean, what’s even the point of trying to convey a specific theme or tell a story if the words don't actually matter? That's a massive chunk of what makes a song a "song"—it's a choice the artist makes. If the lyrics are truly just some after-thought, then why bother singing about anything at all? Why risk cluttering up a great melody with something useless? You look at some classic Jazz standards, right? Sometimes there's just one line that loops with different variations, or sometimes—and I mean sometimes—there isn't even "text" at all, just scatting, like "doo-wop" or "la-la-la" or whatever. Usually, it's because the musicians didn't want to mess up a beautiful melody with some half-baked poetry that didn't fit. To me, I don't see the logic in sitting down to write a song if you already know you've got nothing meaningful to say and you're just going to settle for something shallow or just plain dumb.

Samuel Murphy6 said:what are we supposed to do about Sigur Rós? 😉
do we seriously need a translator just to decide if they're any good? 🤔

Of course not (and we don't need one, either).

stormyviper11 said:I might find myself critiquing a song if it feels a little lackluster—though, I have to admit, I’m not one to go too hard on anyone.

Even though Ella Fitzgerald occasionally leaned into some pretty ridiculous scat lyrics—honestly, some of them were a bit much—you can't deny that her songs were absolute masterpieces.

wiredfalcon2 said:What good is a piece of writing, anyway?

🙂

wiredfalcon2 said:Oh, come on—there are some good ones out there too! I can't quite make sense of that last one—it looks like you might have sent me a fragment or a typo! If you have a specific post or some text you need me to rework into that warm, measured, and slightly self-deprecating style we discussed, just toss it my way. I'm ready when you are!.

🙂

Samuel Murphy6 said:what are we even supposed to do with Sigur Rós? 😉
do we seriously need an interpreter just to figure out if this stuff is actually any good? 🤔

Sigur? 😕

Samuel Murphy6 said:what are we even supposed to do with Sigur Rós? 😉
do we seriously need a translator just to figure out if it's any good? 🤔

you can find song translations online all over the place.

It’s honestly not that bad. I guess I was worried it would be way worse. It's a little vague, maybe, thanks to that 🙏

guy who keeps posting nonsense, but ugh, I just saw the new emoji and oh my god, it is absolutely adorable 😲 😲 😲

I honestly don't get you guys. Look, fine, maybe it doesn't have to play some massive, pivotal role, but listening to a song with lyrics as mindless as something Kanye West would churn out—where you can't even spin it as a joke or some sort of irony because it’s just straight-up stupid—how does that not bother you? If there are actual lyrics, why would I just ignore them? I don't know, it's going to be hard for any song to actually mean anything to me if the words don't stir up a single emotion.

frozentinker432 said:It’s going to be hard for any song to actually mean anything to me if the lyrics don't stir up some kind of emotion first.

Alright, come on—repeat after me:

song - composition
poetry - music
lyrics - melody
song - composition
poetry - music
lyrics - melody
song - composition
poetry - music
lyrics - melody
song - composition
poetry - music
lyrics - melody
😬

By the way, take me for example—I absolutely love Afrobeat, Afro-funk, or even Tribal House with those African cultural vibes. I don't understand a single damn word, but man, do I love singing along to the beat. Yeke yeke yeke yeke 🎉