And I'm not just talking about lyrics that deeply bothered you from a political or religious point of view. I'm asking if about albums that you could not enjoy because of the lyrics, no matter how good the music was...

Well, that has happened to me thousands of times. I can't stand tongue in check lyrics about love, religion, politics or just the typical "I'm the nothing man"-"The world doesn't make sense"-"I don't want this" bullshit, it gets on my nerves. Why? Because it doesn't make sense at all!. That's the wonderful paradox that first destroyed punk and then made indie look phony when it became mainstream in the 90's...

I guess I prefer lyrics that are sort of enigmatic or open to multiple interpretations, but on the other hand, I don't give a damn about "know-it-all" songwriters and their arrogant, self-indulgent lyrics (I won't give specific names but you all know who they are...)

And, why doesn't the industry give a damn about lyrics to begin with? I know popular music should not be as good as 19th-Century poetry , but c'mon!, there's not even a Grammy "Best Lyrics" or something...


I'd truly appreciate any opinion.

gotta say no 2 that one lol. Donald Fagen (Steely Dan) didn't always make sense....

Learn to work the saxophone And I'll play just what I feel
Drink Scotch Whiskey all night long then dive behind the wheel
They got a name for the winners in the world I-I want a name when I lose
They call Alabama the crimson tide....just call me Deacon Blues

....But I'll still love Steely Dan, Pink Floyd, Talking Heads, David Bowie, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Genesis, Traffic, The Police,The Eagles,Velvet Underground, The Doors etc, etc, beyond the day I die
[Edited 3/10/10 19:46pm]

diamondpearl1 said:[quote]gotta say no 2 that one lol. Donald Fagen (Steely Dan) didn't always make sense....

Learn to work the saxophone And I'll play just what I feel
Drink Scotch Whiskey all night long then dive behind the wheel
They got a name for the winners in the world I-I want a name when I lose
They call Alabama the crimson tide....just call me Deacon Blues[quote]

Actually he says,
"Drink Scotch whiskey all night long
(Aah)
And die behind the wheel"

JoeTyler said:

It's called 'Best Song' at the Grammy's. That's why there are separate 'Record of they Year,' and 'Song of the Year' categories.

diamondpearl1 said:

What about the Steely Dan 'Deacon Blues'lyrics doesn't make sense?

No!

I'm partial to music/production mostly, I could always put the lyrcis on mental block.

No. Because if it's an artist say, Prince, Kate, Bob, Tori, Buckley etc, i want to hear their art as it is...most artists make it subjective and mysterious like all good art is but, if they are being outright, i still want to hear it for the same reasons, whether i agree or not. It's THEIR work.

The only lyrics that turn me away are most mainstream pop (rap etc) but, that's because almost everything about the tracks are ear burning.

Also, an album posted above is one of the finest ive ever heard and i've heard its "controversial" in it's lyrics. That's art....subjective.

I'm gonna have to say know..after hearing Kate Bush say, "washing machine" over and over and over and still love the song, no.

SUPRMAN said:

Interesting, I didn't know that; but, why do they praise the lyrics of that song but not the entire album?

WetDream said:

Yeah, but how can you listen to a song when you don't believe in its lyrics? Rainbow Children or Around the world in a day are clear examples for me.

JoeTyler said:

I already answered that.

Harlepolis said:

Yep.

WetDream said:

The only thing I've understood is that you will accept any lyric as long as you are interested in that artist.


[Edited 3/11/10 9:37am]

JoeTyler said:

Well, yeah, obviously. Key word there...artist. I'm interested in that *artists work*.

If this was an ARTIST that i couldn't connect with at all times, then i'd not hear. But, it's still an ARTISTS work so i would not fault (unless extream circumstance).

I don't have to agree....great art is subjective. I may relate, i may not...maybe later i will relate....that's the mark of a successful ARTIST.

Usually, with people like Prince, there's a lot more than just art in the lyrics, at many times, its in the music too so, its rare im not going to connect in anyway to work like that of Prince.

No need to use an emoticon that eyerolls.

SUPRMAN said:

Like most of the songs on "Aja" I've always wondered where or who inspired that material, especially "Black Cow" "I've Got The News" "Josie" and "Peg"

WetDream said:

The eyeroll was used to express my disappointment over the "brevity" of your second answer. Sorry if it looked disrepectful.

No. Music to me is entirely about the musicality. [Of course, there's an obvious exception to this. I'm not going to support music with hate speech/extremism no matter how good it may sound.] I can enjoy an instrumental equally or more than a song with lyrics. I couldn't even tell you the lyrics to my favorite songs. Lyrics are simply a vehicle for the vocal melody for me. That's all. Sometimes I'll pay attention to or look up the lyrics to gain insight into an artist I'm personally interested in, but it has nothing to do with my enjoyment of a song. The most glaring example of this is The Rainbow Children album. As opposed as I was to some of the lyrics when I read them, it's still one of my favorite albums because of the music alone.

Conversely, I'll dismiss albums with supposedly brilliant lyrics because I don't care for the music.

The Best of Busta Ryhme.....

I was so clueless when I purchased this....I was all prepared to bump this on long rides to get me all hyped up and in a driving mood.....to my surprise all I heard was...
n*****
b**** some more
n***** a few more
bleepy da bleep bleep and N*****



My son was in the passenger seat dieing with laughter at my disgusted face! I had no clue, the reasoning easily was that I heard most of it on television or radio, never really paying attention to them dubbing out the sound. I love Busta's ryhme flow but when I heard the really REAL....OMFG. I had to turn that shit WAAAAAY down! I was so disappointed and mad and to this day when I shuffle past that cd I always smirk at it. What a shame...

DAV123 said:

Kara said:

That's exactly how it is with me. I'm such a dunce about lyrics that even when I know the words, I don't think much about what they mean. A friend had to tell me years later what "Little Red Corvette" was really about.

No, not really.

JoeTyler said:

Why do you have to 'believe' in the lyrics to like the song?
'I Am A Walrus,' anyone?
'Strawberry Letter 23?'
How many #1 singles have unbelievable lyric? Too many to count!
'Cream?'

JoeTyler said:

But I can't dictate to the artist what lyrics I wish to hear!
I can only accept or reject the artist's work in whole or in part.
That other's can see it as escapism, entertainment, thought provoking, enchanting, or what have you, is a positive. They are, in some way, engaging with the artist's work. Which is the ONLY point.

Nah.

Yes.