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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