Spill over from the Em Thread I want to see it for music in general Lyrics and Content are big to me. [Like 50%] Music is secondary [like 40%] The way the two mesh [10%] I listen to all kinds of music. . .esp if the Lyrics are good. Rocket River from ONE by metalica to ONE by U2 to KRS ONE
The music is a lot more important to me than lyrical content. Using the right words to fit the music is very important, but their meaning won't make or break a song for me unless the lyrics are embarassingly bad. Using your scale, I would generally say. 55% Music 10% Lyrical Content 35% The way the two mesh Basically, if you took one of my favorite songs and changed the lyrics so the meaning of the song is the complete opposite of what it was originally, chances are it would still be one of my favorite songs.
I would say: 5% Lyrics 55% Music 40% The way it comes together (the mesh) To me, nothing is better than to hear great musicianship. Also, it is very enjoyable to listen to a CD and hear something new every time you play it.
for me to like any song, the music has to be catchy. If the lyrics are awesome but the music sucks, I might as well take up poetry reading, you know what I mean? As far as what types of music I like, I like something that will really fill up my speakers and blast me a good one when I've got my Monsoon stereo system blaring.
hhhmmmmm . . .. this is interesting. Lyrics are no where NEAR as relevent as i would have thought. I've heard songs that were good. . but one lyric stands out as bad and it f*cks up the whole song for me like a nasty scar on the song Rocket River
Lyrical aspect and their meaning is important to me 45% The music determines the mood which is a factor 25% Successfully meshing the two together takes skill 30%
Really interesting question. I would say that a good hook and a good groove always kill me but that's an oversimplification. These are the things that I gravitate towards in music and an example of each: Hook/Melody - Just about any Beatles song would fit this category, but I'll use Yesterday. Very few songs have ever had this good a hook. Groove - It doesn't have to be funky but it has to be appropriate. For me, it is hard to beat a great samba or salsa groove. Instrumentation - This doesn't mean a great guitar player or an amazing jazz musician, but it does mean that the instruments are well-placed in the song. String arrangements in pop songs, when done well, can fit this category as easily as a Brandford Marsalis soprano sax solo. Lyrics - I like lyrics that are clever. I don't care what they are about as long as they have some substance behind them. Great singer/songwriters like Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan very rarely miss. Also, cryptic lyrics can be cool too, but I can't stand cheesy lyrics. Chord Structure - I'm a sucker for certain chord structures. Structures that alter a single key from major to minor (for example, going from A Minor to A Major) always get me. I also gravitate towards certain key signatures - C# Minor, A Major, F# minor and E minor are examples. Craftmanship of Song - This is the difference between a writer (i.e. journalist, author) and an editor. A good song can become great or awful based on how it is crafted. George Martin was the greatest editor, craftsman and producer of pop music ever. Musician Interaction - There is not much that is cooler to a musician than the experience of performing with other musicians. Any great interaction between musicians is really cool. I don't think I've ever heard a Black Crowes song that didn't feel like the musicians were absolutely having a blast with each other. Maybe they were fighting like cats and dogs when the song ended, but, while they were playing, they felt perfect. Any combination of these things is terrific. It doesn't have to have a moster solo, a perfect hook, etc to be great. But, the more of these things that are combined, the better the chance I will like it.
Lyrics are a big part of what makes me like a song. On the other hand, listening to Miles Davis, John Coltrane or Charlie Parker has the same effect. Their instruments "speak" volumes to me.
Music...100%, especially chord changes. If I wanted profound thoughts I'll read a book. To me, the thing that distinguished shiite bands from the good ones are chord changes i.e. the more unexpected the change in music the better. Para examplar...Nickelcrap are guilty of writing boring, generic songs. Verse, chorus, verse, chorus, build-up, WHAM! Wow, I didn't expect that. On the other hand listen to Paranoid Android or Exit Music for a Film by Radiohead, and most of the Beatles stuff too. Quite nice. edit: Jeff, I totally know what you're talking about, especially the whole thing about the major chord to minor change (F# to F#m's the best.)
Unless the lyrics just scream to me in some way...like with some relevance to me personally or a situation I'm going through...it's the music. I like creative blends/fusions of music. My father is a singer and can't stand instrumental music, for the most part....it's really funny!
No Question with me, 85% Music/hooks/chord changes etc... 10% Interaction between music and lyrics 5% Lyrics I'm a huge fan of musicians..extended jam sessions and instrumentals end up being some of my favorite recordings Some ppl focus on the words first, but alot of the time I could care less about what they are sayin. If the music doesn't do it for me, I never get the chance to find out what the words are. I guess thats why I love old jazz jams and progressive metal epics. Tho I have to admit the lyrics in some progressive stuff is just the frosting on the cake. Dream Theater/Fates Warning/Rush/Pink Floyd/etc.. can win me over with the lyrics even if the music were not top notch(which it is).. just my .02
Do you guys even listen to the lyrics? Man . . .overwhelmingly the music is more important than the lyrics Makes me wonder .. . if lyrics are important AT ALL. Rocket River
