Music Wouldn't be the Same
Without the Lyrics of Songs
How Important are Words to
Music?
You probably already know that lyrics
make up a huge part of a song, excluding instrumentals. They
are the script of the song, they are the words that get
stuck in your head, and they constitute the message that the
song conveys.
The quality of a song lyric can vary.
Some words are the product of musicians spending hours
putting the right combinations of poetry together, and
others sound as if they popped out of a random word
generator. The worst is when someone tries to be deep but
the style comes out corny or trying too hard to make a
rhyme. At least nonsensical lyrics don’t claim to be
anything they’re not.
It’s debatable how important the
lyrics of songs really are. It seems like songs get popular
more because of their catchy tunes than what they’re
trying (or not trying) to say.
Sometimes you’ll find yourself
singing a song to yourself and then suddenly realize that
you were singing words about death and murder put to a happy
tune, or rapping misogynistically. Then you’ll stop
yourself, and then find yourself singing it again later when
it comes back into your head. Or with other songs
you’ll realize that the words you’re singing
don’t make any sense at all, you’ll chuckle, and
then continue with your singing. Maybe you are just
improving your voice?
But sometimes there really are
honestly meaningful song lyrics out there. What is it that
makes them so meaningful? What does it take for them to mean
something to other people?
Maybe they’re lyrics that say
things that are familiar, but say them in a new way. Good
scripts can make people easily identify with what
they’re saying. They say it in a way that resonates
with you. Maybe they are similar to poetry. Poetic
expressions can emote feelings universally without being too
explicit. It’s too cheap and easy to outright say,
“I feel sad.” A more subtle way to express this is
to talk about things that resemble this, like tears or
something metaphorical like an overcast sky.
Then at other times you’re just
in the mood for a tune that's light and catchy, and then
it’s enough that the words go along with the music
regardless of what those words mean, or whether they even
make sense.
Music isn’t just an expression,
it’s also an escape. Music is fun, it brings people
together and it appeals to the physical senses. And if it
can say something meaningful at the same time, then it is a
plus.
So remember, you don't have to be
singing in a talent search contest or be serious about
learning the lyrics of songs to enjoy the rhythm or the
music. You can just use the tune for a short escape from
reality. Be sure to come back though!
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