Obsolete Do you pay attention to lyrics?

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I personally don't, I tend to take in words as if the voice is another instrument, instead of actually deciphering them. I mean I can tell the difference between a love song and a breakup one, but I'm not gonna sit down and figure out the best verse.

So, anyone else feel like that?
 
I'm the total opposite - I like to know what the musician in question was actually singing about when I enjoy a song.

In fact, it's something of a pet peeve of mine when people use lyrics out of context in a manner which signifies that they blatantly weren't listening to the rest of the song.
 
I don't really like to pay attention to the lyrics. In fact, I prefer if I don't understand the lyrics much because then I'll be able to listen to the atmosphere, the voice of the singer, and how the instruments go together. Lyrics distract me from fully enjoying the song most of the times because when I understand what they're saying, I concentrate on the contents rather than relaxing.
 
I like to enjoy a song at the fullest so I pay (maybe too much) attention to the lyrics, the meaning behind the lyrics are something I like to wonder about as well. So to me, lyrics are as important as the istruments and the voice of the singer.
 
White Crow said:
I like to enjoy a song at the fullest so I pay (maybe too much) attention to the lyrics, the meaning behind the lyrics are something I like to wonder about as well. So to me, lyrics are as important as the istruments and the voice of the singer.
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Same, the lyrics are where all the meaning is.
 
Maybe it's partly due to the fact that much of my studies has involved considering the implications of word choices, but I do care a fair bit about the lyrics if they appeal to me/seem particularly astute and I believe that song writing is an under-appreciated art in itself. Of course, there are songs I listen to purely for the sound and general feel, but I notice this happening more with songs in other languages. Since things can get lost/changed in translations, I don't tend to read into lyrics too much then because they might not have the exact same connotations when translated to another language with its own contexts. Overall, though, I do think that not thinking about the meaning of the lyrics is missing a whole other dimension of what the song conveys, particularly if they're not very obvious off the bat or contain a lot of imagery and symbolism. I appreciate those types of songs a hell of a lot more when I really sit and think about what the lyrics mean, and trying to understand the lyrics can allow you to relate to and appreciate songs more deeply. It can also tell you much more about the person who wrote it and show you the wider impact the song might have in terms of what it promotes, discourages or points out about society or the experience or topic at hand.
 
I do, I mean I like to know what the song is about and where the music artist draws their influence from. Not to say this is what makes or breaks a song for me, but it is an important component for me. Kind of like icing on a cake, lyrics in some cases just top off a song and make them perfect. Though in some cases I really can't stand the vulgarity in some songs, so that may deter me from it altogether like Rihanna's Birthday Cake.
 
I love thinking about the lyrics in songs. When they are good it makes the song all the better. Most pop songs are about dating someone or breaking up with someone so it's not important to me in those instances, I usually like pop music based on the melody and beat.

When you get someone really intelligent like Regina Spektor or They Might Be Giants, it's really worth listening to the lyrics because often they clever and relate to a story. TMBG are probably the most clever band I know of when it comes to writing songs, on paper the lyrics seem stupid and make no sense but if you look at each line a little bit deeper, you usually find it's a clever reference, or a metaphor. I love that kind of thing in songs. Without listening to the lyrics you aren't really getting everything out of the song. Loads of songs produce emotions based on them. Chart music is pretty basic, I don't think there's much to get out of the average lyrics from a Katy Perry song for example, but for a band like The Beatles, THMB and artists like Kate Bush and Regina Spektor, not listening to the lyrics is a total waste of their work for me.

I love visiting song meanings, it's fun to see different people's interpretation of different songs and what they've taken them to mean. When I'm listening to music on WMP I have a lyric plugin that displays the lyrics on screen. I like reading them as I'm listening, even though I usually know the words anyway.
 
The reason poetry was invented was so that stories were easier to remember. The reason music exists is so that those stories are even easier to remember through the universal concepts of melody and rhythm. I'm not really one to analyze a song line-by-line, but I do like to know that the words I'm listening to aren't complete drivel. When I decipher the lyrics of a song and find them stupid, irresponsible, careless, shameless, hateful, or any number of other things, it can sour an otherwise enjoyable song to me.

This isn't entirely related, but on a similar note that I feel gives a better idea of my stance on this, I'll mention Norwegian black metal posterboy Burzum. I've given his music a listen, and I didn't really dislike it. I'm not the biggest black metal aficionado or anything, but I can see why people might enjoy Burzum's music; it's noisy, dark, loud, violent, all those things. However, for those who aren't familiar with the history of black metal, Burzum's real name is Varg Vikernes, and in the early 1990s he orchestrated the burnings of several beautiful old wooden churches across Norway. Not only that, but he stabbed and killed one of the men he worked with, Øystein Aarseth (who went by "Euronymous"). Now, all of the dumbasses who participated in these hyper-masculine one-up games, including Aarseth, are/were idiots, but I refuse to give my money to an unapologetic murderer and all-around human piece of shit, which Burzum is. I don't care if he releases the best song I've ever heard in my life, the fact remains that Burzum is an immature, whiny, elitist motherfucker, and I refuse to support that.
 
garrison-san said:
I'm the total opposite - I like to know what the musician in question was actually singing about when I enjoy a song.

In fact, it's something of a pet peeve of mine when people use lyrics out of context in a manner which signifies that they blatantly weren't listening to the rest of the song.
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When I get I knew album (CD), I read the lyrics while listening to first few times.
 
Sometimes I'll find lyrics I love or lyrics I hate, but I'm usually paying more attention to how the singer sounds than the lyrics (I'm kinda bad at deciphering lyrics if I can't see them written). Video game music is what got me really into music in the first place, so I might be biased towards sound over lyrics partly because of that. I do like it when the lyrics give imagery that complements the atmosphere of the song; metal songs about fighting or adventuring can get me really pumped up for instance.
 
I don't have to listen to the lyrics because I can't even understand the songs (Korean/Mandarin/Japanese). But I do like searching the English translations because sometimes the songs turn into inspiration for some short stories that I am planning to write.

Anyways, there is this quote saying: "Music has no language barrier."
 
It depends on the situation. I can usually listen to music for an extended period of time and not really listen to the lyrics of the songs I heard. And especially when I listen to an album for the first time, it takes a while for me to know the lyrics to the songs, if I even take the time to know them at all. I'm usually distracted by so many things around me that I rarely pay attention to lyrics in a normal situation.

But whenever I need a song to describe however I'm feeling at the moment? Or when I'm drunk? Guuuurl~

Many songs that I find memorable are memorable partially (or only) because of their lyrics, especially when I can relate to the lyrics in some way or when I want to relate to the lyrics. I highly doubt Swedish House Mafia's "Don't You Worry Child", for example, would be my favorite song if I had never listened to the lyrics. And while I've never experienced anything like what Beyoncé sings in "Countdown", I would love to have a relationship similar to the one she talks about, and so listening to that song helps me to imagine what that type of relationship would feel like. And I still remember when I absolutely hated Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana's "If We Were a Movie"... until I was in a position that the song described so well it was actually kinda scary.

So especially for someone like me who finds it very difficult to put into words how he feels or what he's going through or things like that, song lyrics are a nice way to find those words, or to at least now feel like I'm the only one going through things.

I also think I pay attention to lyrics at times because of the genre of music I tend to listen to. I personally think people in general underestimate the complexity of lyrics in pop songs. Sure "Turn Down for What" doesn't have the deepest lyrics out there, but it's amazing how many people tend to dismiss Lady Gaga's "Just Dance" or "Telephone" as simply songs about drinking and partying. Or when so many of my friends claimed the line "Before you came into my life I missed you so bad" in Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe" made no sense when it actually makes a ton of sense when you think about the context of the song (which is why I personally think that line shows awesome songwriting skills, but that's another story for another day). And especially when you know personal things about the artist, songs like Rihanna's "What Now" and Kesha's "All That Matters (The Beautiful Life)" have such a stronger message for me. So yeah, I'm not claiming every single song out there has meaning, but don't underestimate pop/Top 40 songs. :)
 
Of course. The lyrics always mean something. Whether or not the artist purposefully avoids putting messages in their songs they can still be interpreted to have some. Yeah, they are the ones who made the song. But a fan of the song has a right to put their view on it so long as there's no obvious contradiction.
 
I somewhat do it but it depends on what song it is or if the lyrics are catchy even if the song is cheesy in retrospective.

But it doesn't matter sometimes because I just hear the song and forget the entirely on what the heck did I heard, maybe it's the of the subliminal messages of the music videos on YouTube like they brainwash you to forget it in order to hear it again and have more views or buy the CD, which works on me unfortunately (and fortunately for the company behind the song).
 
I try not to, but sometimes it just happens.

I guess that is why my favorite music does not have lyrics in them or the singer is so loud, wasted, and/or has an accent that you can barely understand the lyrics. A lot of great songs with good music can be ruined by bad lyrics. I am not going to make a lot of friends saying this and I know nobody wants to hear unpopular opinions, but that song "Under My Thumb" from Rolling Stones is a great example of what I am talking about. I love the music in that song, but damn, do I hate the lyrics! I just cannot enjoy that song because I end up listening to the lyrics. It just comes off as mean-spirited and vengeful. It didn't feel playful or satirical to me at all.

Of course, there are some songs with great lyrics that can be heard as clear as a bell with great music. Coldplay produces a lot of those songs and they are one of my favorite bands. I just cannot stand songs with mean-spirited lyrics that are about revenge or getting back at someone. It's even worse when there is good music playing along with it. I guess for me it's music first, lyrics second. I want to listen to the music, but I don't want it to be marred by bad lyrics. If a song has good lyrics and good music, I am one happy camper.
 
No, music is about the melody to me. Lyrics are meaningless. 90% of the music I listen is instrumental for a reason.
 
Yes, yes I do. If a song is made by a SINGER then I will have to pay attention to the lyrics they created or was created for them.

SO if you have terrible lyrics, with a good beat. Bad song.
Good lyrics with a bad beat. Bad song.
Bad lyrics, bad beat =terrible song.

However, for other songs I just listen to the beats and transitions for non vocal songs.
 
Vocals are very important to me. However I can still listen to just a good beat. Here's how music goes for me:
good vocals + good beat = perfect!
good vocals + bad beat = pretty good
bad vocals + good beat = ok
bad vocals + bad beat = nope...
 
I listen to music as an escape from a lot of the issues I have so as a habit, I always pay close attention to the lyrics. At least 95% of the music I listen to at some point the lyrics explained how I felt. The other 5% is either no lyrics available or I just find it catchy. I find it hard to just listen and not take in the lyrics.
 
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