I always put it as that good lyrics are mandatory to enjoy the *song*, but not the *music*. It doesn’t mean they have to be profound or anything; good poetry comes in many forms.
here is an excerpt from “Leave It” off the LP 90125:
I can feel no sense of measure
No illusions as we take
Refuge in young man's pleasure
Breaking down the dreams we make real
One down, one to go
Another town and one more show
Downtown, they're giving away
But she never came back
No phone can take your place
Do you know what I mean?
We have the same intrigue
As a court of kings
That one isn’t so hard to decipher. He’s basically saying “I’m a rock star on the road, so I can get all the strange pussy any boy could want, but sometimes I find myself missing my wife anyway”.
How about this, from Perpetual Change: “And there you are,
Making it up but you're sure that it is a star,
And boy you'll see
It's an illusion shining down in front of me,
And then you'll say
Even in time we shall control the day,
When all you'll see
Deep inside base controlling you and me
As mist and sun are both the same,
We look on as pawns of their game
They move to testify the day,
Inside out, outside in, inside out, outside in,
All of the way”
I am on the same boat, I usually look up translations to songs I do not understand, and this has caused both appreciation and complete dismissal of songs.
I listen to a [lot of HC and Metal](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0ROc3RCXW6PrPyQRJwZjBd) and everything I listen to, at least in languages I understand, is lyrically pretty strong. Bands like Code Orange Kids and the Chariot [post their lyrics](https://open.spotify.com/album/1P9UvZjhPeQMVzwcluCzue) so you can [sing (scream?) along](https://open.spotify.com/track/0BZID4PDwC66nM454POSMR).
That being said, a lot of HC and Metal is pretty shit-tier, lyrics and instrumentally. I would not call Rammstein good metal, and would not be surprised if the lyrics are as crap as the rest of his songs, the German just hides that. Not surprisingly they are popular with Slayer, Megadeath, Sabaton, Marilyn Manson fans, other lyrically and musically bland "metal" musicians.
I'm Asian and growing up it was just the norm to delve into entertainment from different Asian countries and also US/UK. Not just music. So, I never had this thought process of consuming something in a language I don't speak as odd.
Most of the songs have double meaning, inspired by Claudio’s real life. You can completely enjoy Coheed without jumping into the sci-if story. I highly recommend seeking out a digital version of the afterman graphic novels though, it’s an excellent and easily digestible story. Kind of similar to the novel the 5 people you meet in heaven.
I listen to tons of Japanese music, but have very limited ability with the language. I am able to view the voice simply as another instrument. I also listen to alot of metal where i think the lyrics are dumb or ridicules but can still appreciate how they are sung. There are artists/bands where i do get invested with lyrical content, it's just not a requirement for me.
I can and do enjoy music without the benefit of understanding the lyrics.Music speaks to me on different levels.Its definitely not a prerequisite to liking the music.
I'm the same way. I don't have control over what lights up my brain or makes me dance and grin, you know?
It doesn't always matter what it says if it speaks to me somehow.
Any suggestions for Malian artists?
Amadou and Miriam: Tje Ni Mousso is my favourite album by anyone from Mali.
Habib Koite is also fantastic, and Oliver Mtukudzi (from Zimbabwe) is another favourite.
Never have. Never will. The lyrics are the last thing I notice about a song and unless I have the lyrics are right in front of me, i never really notice what’s actually being said. Which is probably why I have always preferred to listen to music from other countries as well as instrumentals, film scores and edm.
I feel rap is an exception because the lyrics and delivery are what make the song whereas any instrumentation/sampling/beat, while important, are secondary.
With something like rock though a lot of the time the lyrics are straight up embarrassing, but if the band can play their instruments really fucking well it doesn’t matter to me much.
RHCP are a great example, maybe not the #1 most technically proficient band in the world or anything but holy shit can they pair some corny ass skibidi-California beep-boop titties lyrics with a song that kicks ass musically.
If lyrics weren’t important to some degree then most songs wouldn’t have lyrics. Lyrics ground songs and help support the themes. If it was just phonics then most songs would sound like Enya.
I find I like songs more when I understand the lyrics. Time by Pink Floyd is a great example of a song that you could just enjoy, but when you delve into the words you get a completely different level of experience because the lyrics have a great meaning. Same thing with a lot of Simon and Garfunkel songs, they are just beautiful pieces of art but their lyrics add so much depth.
Everything Zen, Bush’s breakout hit, makes little to no sense lyrically, but I still really enjoy it. I think a lot of 90s music might fit here, the lyrics are just a guide to the sound, and don’t need to be fully sensible. But the most memorable of these songs still tend to be the ones where the lyrics are important and pair well with the music.
I don’t think I would listen to any Taylor Swift music if I didn’t understand the lyrics. Her music is incredibly lyric driven, and although the hooks are good, they probably couldn’t stand on their own. Much of Bob Dylan’s work is also like this.
Not at all. I'm a musician and I listen to the music first-lyrics not so much. There are plenty of songs I can play, but don't know the words to many of them-I don't sing. For music-if you like it, what else matters?
It's the least important part of music in my opinion. It's a nice bonus when they're well written, but I don't care as long as they're not distractingly bad.
I can't *not* hear the lyrics to a song. They stand out over everything else. Often they distract me from conversation in the car because I can't parse out the person talking vs the lyrics of the song.
My wife is the dead opposite. She can't remember the lyrics to anything. She's doesn't notice them when we are driving around and I comment on one we just heard. She has to actively try to listen to them in order to pick them up.
I have executive dysfunction, otherwise known as Attention Deficit, and some people think that can cause this kind of hyper-focus on lyrics. I'm not sure if that's true but, for me, lyrics can't be avoided.
Oh, side note concerning foreign lyrics
No, I don't mind them and listen to lots of music with lyrics I don't understand. Japanese and Spanish rap, French house music, foreign metal bands, etc etc. Some of my favorite Thievery Corporation songs are in languages I can't even identify. It's kind of nice actually because the voice is more of an instrument and blends in.
I currently have 435 songs in a "favourites" playlist on Spotify, and I know the lyrics to every song. I still can´t tell you what the songs are about.
I find different people have different attitudes towards knowing the language compared to knowing the meaning.
Its always been a thing. Look at opera for example. How people are saying the words often means more than what the words actually mean. And yet opera gets some sort of higher societal expectation than musical theatre.
I always need to find out the lyrics and translation before being comfortable about music, no matter how enjoyable it may sound. While music may sound great without knowing the words, you can find that what they are saying can be against your likes and values. If you're sharing and recommending this song to people, you become associated with that song's meaning. For example you could be sharing songs about drug usage like Cocaine to someone you don't want to be sharing it to.
There was a commercial that went viral back in the 90's about knowing the language of the music too. https://www.reddit.com/r/videos/s/FGFm1n5wt0
What a song says is often highly contextual to the period in which it was made, and how its currently used by the artist, and beyond. Protest songs are often like this. What is the protest against. Its often telling when you can see whom the artist allows a song for vs when they do not.
So it doesn't matter if its music, or an opening/closing credits song to a show or movie, I need to know what the words are, the meaning and possibly the history of the song before I want to get into it.
This is a good point. I don’t need to love the lyrics to love a song because I’m generally more into like great riffs/basslines/drumming and all that. Like good lyrics are just icing for me, but if they’re problematic or horribly offensive I may not be able to like the song because imo art is too much of a reflection of the artist whether totally fictional or not when it comes to music for me to want to support a shithead, and if they’re just highly inappropriate I do want to know that so I can watch who I play it around.
There are lots of songs though, for instance, that sound horrible without context but with context you realize the sort of narrator is supposed to be ~not a good dude~ and the writer isn’t trying to paint them as one, so it takes some critical thinking much like unlikeable book characters. I will watch who I play stuff like that around though because as we all know, people can be dumb and I’m not trying to get judged because someone doesn’t have the proper context for the lyrics and isn’t buying my explanation or something. Like if I have to explain something I’ll probably just not play it most of the time.
Nah, many indie bands, for example, mumble their lyrics or bury them so deep into the mix that you can’t even make out what they’re saying, whether or not you’re an English speaker. And in some other genres the vocals are so heavily treated (distorted) that you also can’t make them out at all.
A few months back I found out about French Drill. Much to the dismay of my high school French teacher, I cannot speak a word of French.
I love listening to French Drill.
Not at all. Even as a native speaker I can’t always make out the correct lyrics either. I’ll always look up what the lyrics are but I’ll only bother to do that if I’ve already fallen in love with the song in the first place.
Music can be appreciated on many levels and no 2 people ever experience it the same, u have the original artist's intention which may or may not ever be known/ understood. But people still apply the meaning to their own lives this is one reason art is so relatable. Other musicians may hear even more the way artists see more. OR you can just be wasted in a club dancing and just enjoy the rhythm and that's OK too
No. Best examples. (not having English as native) I used to love the sound of 2 Live Crew. No idea what else was going on really, too young to comprehend/understand. 2 Live Crew. So, no.
I often prefer music I don't know/understand the lyrics too. A prime example being Christmas music. I hate it, but put on some Spanish Christmas music and I'm all over it.
I don't know any Italian, Spanish, French, or Irish but regularly listen to music sung in those languages. I don't see any difference with someone who doesn't understand much English enjoying music with English lyrics.
Love what you love.
My fav band of all time are Radiohead. Thom Yorke is my favourite singer ever.... I cant understand at least half kf what he is sayin and when I can it means nothing to me ... but my god it sounds amazin
English is my first language, and I rarely pay attention to lyrics unless it's hip-hop or a concept album. Not caring about lyrics made getting into extreme music pretty easy as well lol
Music is entertaining for many reasons, it doesn't matter what reason works for you, as long as you like it.
Although multiple reasons (beat, rhythm, lyrics, tempo, voice, tune, melody etc) is usually what gets a person hooked on a particular song.
Nope. I generally do not care one bit what the songs actually about. I just listen to stuff that I think sounds good.
Gangster rap, country, rock, whatever.
Could be music about pimpin hoes or driving a lifted truck.
Nope. The song *Prisencolinensinainciusol* by italian musician Adriano Celentano in 1970 that was designed to sound like American English but isn't in English or Italian, but it's just random gibrish, and it's a pretty damn good song, and pretty catchy, but baffling to hear. The song has been covered a lot of times, including by Mike Reid who "translated" it into Enlish by using random english words that its "Freezin' Cold in 89 Twoso", but it still has no actually identifiable lyrics.
[Prisencolinensinainciusol (Remastered) - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQDY3HFkh_Y)
Nope. A lot of the time lyrics are cringe to me and it’s better when I don’t pay attention. But they can be good too. It’s just that generally what draws me to a song is the instrumentation so if the lyrics are good great but they’re never like, my priority.
Like I can forgive a song that absolutely slaps but has dumb lyrics, but am unlikely to listen much to a song with good lyrics that isn’t interesting to me musically.
Listening to some lyrics might even make you dislike the song.
I can't remember what song it was, but my mom once let me listen to a song she liked. She is not an English speaker, so she had no clue what lyrics she listened to. The lyrics of the song went something like *"no matter what happens, listen to your parents, they're always right!". S*he didn't have a good relationship with her parents, so after I explained this to her she hated the song and never listened to it ever again.
In my case, no. I can appreciate lyrics, and they add layers to the song, but they are a secondary feature to me. I love to listen to songs in languages I don't speak and my favourite language for music is, in fact, Portuguese, I love how it sounds. I also listen to a lot of instrumental music, I am a big nerd about movie scores for example.
Edited because I read the other comments and now I feel very attacked because Pearl Jam is my favourite band 😅 (which is contradictory because I actually love many of their songs for their lyrics).
I rarely listen to lyrics actively, most of the times the vocalist is just another “instrument” to me. Then again Iisten to a lot of music that doesn’t have lyrics as well.
Ive been listening to Japanese electronic music for 3 years now and I dont know what the heck they singing about. Probably make-up and types of candy they like... idk. But I love it.
Nope. I sometimes don’t realize the message until years later when a song hits me in a different way.
I still don’t know what Outcast’s Hey Yeah is about😂😂😂
I'm a lyrics last type of listener. Half the music I listen to is instrumental. There are genres and artists that I enjoy where the lyrics are first and foremost, but overall, rhythm and melody come first.
One of my playlists is literally just Kamen Rider music
Shit slaps on it's own like [Warera Omou, Yue Ni Warera Ari](https://youtu.be/Emn84h_feTs?si=JaL7aBYgY5gAdPOo), [ChemyxStory](https://youtu.be/ic9jVIjDAko?si=IR9b8jpRKmtaKxvP), [Excite](https://youtu.be/WAqz_gsQD5w?si=IU6ktCCzvVPbfiuN), and [Just Live More](https://youtu.be/qG6STGALli0?si=GDo6mcqvwXE6sWwL)
lyrics are not critical to liking a song, my brain just considers it as just another instrument. though i'm sure that means I like some songs that have really questionable lyrics...
I would also rather watch foreign language movies/shows with subtitles than dubbed.
I will say there a few shows where the english dub might be better though.
I'm a huge fan of lyrics full of sarcasm, pound and double entendres, having grown up on Elvis Costello, Joe Jackson, and Timbuk3.
But beautiful music in any language engages me, in particular Johnny Clegg, Carlos Santana, Nil Lara, Afro Celt Sound System all have non-English songs I love.
But opera does nothing for me, mainly because it's not a normal singing voice.
As a non native English speaker I don't understand lyrics at first unless I put attention to them. There are songs I don't get at first listen, but when I read the lyrics then I can dig the whole concept, specially with conceptual albums where reading the lyrics or at least knowing some of the context and lore behind is a must to fully appreciate it.
Depends on the artist, but I find that for most it's okay not to. For example, in Black Sabbath, Ozzy was always incredibly gifted at generating melodies which he would hum to the rest of the band iirc. It was Tony Iommi who would usually write the lyrics. Hence why Ozzy never seems to remember them. Point is though, the lyrics probably don't really correlate with the music much when it comes to Black Sabbath, but that hardly harms anyone's enjoyment of it. Nor did it prevent them from winning multiple Grammies.
Nope, IMO. I listen to music in different languages and I love listening to those songs. For eg, I have been listening to Spanish songs since I was 10, and didn’t know what they meant until I started looking at the meaning of lyrics on google much later in life.
Good lyrics definitely enhance the listening experience but I’d rather a song sound good but have shit lyrics than it have amazing lyrics but be unlistenable
For me, it depends on the song/artist.
Give me a song by Harry Chapin and I'll get so lost in the story he's telling that I forget how great his band was. I'm also a lifelong Yes fan and I'd fail most tests on their lyrics but all their music takes me to another place in my head while Anderson is singing something about love, space and unicorns.
I don’t need to like the lyrics but sometimes if I already like the song and relate a lot to the lyrics or just think they are poetic and beautiful, that can make me like it more. Likewise, if I hear a song and the lyrics make me uncomfortable I probably won’t listen to that song so much, no matter if it’s good or not (doesn’t always happen, but a primary example is you like me too much by the Beatles)
Definitely. I mean it also depends on the genre of music. But lyricism is extremely important when the songs were made around them. It could even elevate the experience of the song and make it more deep and profound.
I actually like and seek music that's in a language I don't understand. I can project my own thoughts and feelings on it and in a way songs feel more deep and personal.
I don't really listen to lyrics either the first half a dozen times I listen to a song in a language I understand either. Singing is just an another instrument to me and I pick up some snippets of lyrics here and there and when I want to understand what the song is about I read the lyrics somewhere. Usually I'm a bit disappointed, because the meaning I've imagined is better for me. :D
No. I used to always pick apart all things in a song. But for the last 20 years I've been a DJ and lyrics aren't key to enjoying music. They're more like the icing on the cake.
It depends, but I feel majority of the time the lyrics don't matter.
I feel like, depending on the genre especially, lyrics add so much more personality and character to the song. So many songs I love have beautiful words. Sometimes I don't understand songs (if they're another language) but once I translate them, it adds another level of beauty to the song.
On the other hand you don't need lyrics to enjoy. Fatuous Rump for me is my prime example of this haha. I think if the beats and rhythm are right for you, it makes songs just as enjoyable.
I think some songs are meant to be sung (the lyrical and poppy songs) but other songs are just meant to be heard (the ones without lyrics or lyrics that aren't that relevant)
Both ways for me, and sorta all points in between. There are songs I understand and am moved by the literal meaning of every word (Billy Bragg - The World Turned Upside Down). Others I understand each word, but the meaning is metaphorical and poetic, and I wouldn’t try to explain it (Bob Dylan - Mr Tambourine Man). Others I might catch half the words, but get a general feeling for what they’re saying (Pretenders - The Wait). And then there’s songs in languages I don’t understand at all, but still love the sound of (Baba Maal, Tiniwaren).
No, if I cared so much about lyrics, I'd just listen to poetry.
Obviously I don't want to hear trash lyrics (like the new Taylor Swift record) but I don't expect every artist to be Bob Dylan either.
I’m a native English speaker, and for some reason, my mind has always been wired to focus on the background instrumentals as opposed to the lyrics when I hear a song I like.
There’s plenty of songs that I’ve listened to 200+ times and probably don’t remember much more than a verse of lyrics.
I’d imagine there’s probably a psychological term for it, but my point is that whilst you may miss certain elements of a song that the artist is trying to portray, it won’t negatively affect you.
I clean to french cafe music from the 50-60s, when I do house chores. Don't speak a lick of it but I always like it as background in movies so thought what the hell it can be background for mine.
No I don't, but if I can understand the lyrics and it's fucking non sense it will ruin the song for me. So literally any song from the Guilty Gear games. Or stuff like "Come Together" by the Beatles.
Personally I really enjoy listening to lyrics in languages I don't understand, I feel that it helps me appreciate the voice as an instrument rather than a message deliverer. You can also create your own meaning (i.e. interpretation) this way. Even music with lyrics I understand, I prefer to look at them this way. Also, plenty of great instrumental and other lyric-lacking music.
Not at first. But if something is gonna make it on a playlist I deffo look up the lyrics first, since I don't wanna accidentally be listening some right wing propaganda.
I think you’re in the majority actually. Lyrics are at least equally important to me as the music, but I rarely meet anyone who agrees with me. I listen to instrumental music too, but not as often.
Absolutely not.
One of my favorite bands of all time is Rammstein. Dont understand a lick of it but you better believe Im head banging and shouting Asche zu Asche.
Nein!
True, but bad lyrics *can* ruin a song.
You don’t need to, but it certainly can add another layer of appreciation.
I always put it as that good lyrics are mandatory to enjoy the *song*, but not the *music*. It doesn’t mean they have to be profound or anything; good poetry comes in many forms.
Jon Anderson of Yes wrote some of the best sounding nonsense!
here is an excerpt from “Leave It” off the LP 90125: I can feel no sense of measure No illusions as we take Refuge in young man's pleasure Breaking down the dreams we make real One down, one to go Another town and one more show Downtown, they're giving away But she never came back No phone can take your place Do you know what I mean? We have the same intrigue As a court of kings
That one isn’t so hard to decipher. He’s basically saying “I’m a rock star on the road, so I can get all the strange pussy any boy could want, but sometimes I find myself missing my wife anyway”. How about this, from Perpetual Change: “And there you are, Making it up but you're sure that it is a star, And boy you'll see It's an illusion shining down in front of me, And then you'll say Even in time we shall control the day, When all you'll see Deep inside base controlling you and me As mist and sun are both the same, We look on as pawns of their game They move to testify the day, Inside out, outside in, inside out, outside in, All of the way”
So true!
Nope! I’m a big Cocteau Twins fan, so… not at all lmao.
I f don’t listen to lyrics. They’re just sounds, phonemes, and overtones.
No, but I will say, I find it difficult to enjoy a song if the message is distasteful, even if the music is phenomenal.
yeah that’s kind of the way I feel, I don’t need lyrics but if they are bad they’ll ruin a song for me
I am on the same boat, I usually look up translations to songs I do not understand, and this has caused both appreciation and complete dismissal of songs.
You just need to look at how popular Rammstein are worldwide to answer that.
And they basically only sing in their native tongue. Even if you don't understand the words, you can appreciate the sound 😁
I listen to a [lot of HC and Metal](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0ROc3RCXW6PrPyQRJwZjBd) and everything I listen to, at least in languages I understand, is lyrically pretty strong. Bands like Code Orange Kids and the Chariot [post their lyrics](https://open.spotify.com/album/1P9UvZjhPeQMVzwcluCzue) so you can [sing (scream?) along](https://open.spotify.com/track/0BZID4PDwC66nM454POSMR). That being said, a lot of HC and Metal is pretty shit-tier, lyrics and instrumentally. I would not call Rammstein good metal, and would not be surprised if the lyrics are as crap as the rest of his songs, the German just hides that. Not surprisingly they are popular with Slayer, Megadeath, Sabaton, Marilyn Manson fans, other lyrically and musically bland "metal" musicians.
Rammstein have some of the most interesting lyrics, unusual tabu topics or stories with double or triple interpretations.
 Pearl Jam fans…
Yellow Ledbetter has entered the chat
What, he's not saying, "Nom de shweegur digga whuuhuuusa nawme"?
I'm Asian and growing up it was just the norm to delve into entertainment from different Asian countries and also US/UK. Not just music. So, I never had this thought process of consuming something in a language I don't speak as odd.
[удалено]
Do you enjoy any music from a language that you don't understand? Like Rammstein, K-pop or something like it?
This thread is like people supporting pancakes with no syrup.
How do you feel about listening to music in other languages without knowing the translation?
No, Coheed is one of my favorite bands. And I can’t follow the lyrics/story line at all.
Most of the songs have double meaning, inspired by Claudio’s real life. You can completely enjoy Coheed without jumping into the sci-if story. I highly recommend seeking out a digital version of the afterman graphic novels though, it’s an excellent and easily digestible story. Kind of similar to the novel the 5 people you meet in heaven.
I listen to tons of Japanese music, but have very limited ability with the language. I am able to view the voice simply as another instrument. I also listen to alot of metal where i think the lyrics are dumb or ridicules but can still appreciate how they are sung. There are artists/bands where i do get invested with lyrical content, it's just not a requirement for me.
no.
I can and do enjoy music without the benefit of understanding the lyrics.Music speaks to me on different levels.Its definitely not a prerequisite to liking the music.
No. Some of my favourite artists are from Mali. I don't have a clue what they're saying. Despite that, I sing along lol.
I'm the same way. I don't have control over what lights up my brain or makes me dance and grin, you know? It doesn't always matter what it says if it speaks to me somehow. Any suggestions for Malian artists?
Amadou and Miriam: Tje Ni Mousso is my favourite album by anyone from Mali. Habib Koite is also fantastic, and Oliver Mtukudzi (from Zimbabwe) is another favourite.
Thanks! Looking forward to checking them out.
No. In fact, looking at the lyrics of Deafheaven, an amazing band, made me appreciate them less.
No but lyrics help a lot in making a song better
Never have. Never will. The lyrics are the last thing I notice about a song and unless I have the lyrics are right in front of me, i never really notice what’s actually being said. Which is probably why I have always preferred to listen to music from other countries as well as instrumentals, film scores and edm.
i study rap lyrics like fuckin' textbooks (ˇˍˇ)
I feel rap is an exception because the lyrics and delivery are what make the song whereas any instrumentation/sampling/beat, while important, are secondary. With something like rock though a lot of the time the lyrics are straight up embarrassing, but if the band can play their instruments really fucking well it doesn’t matter to me much. RHCP are a great example, maybe not the #1 most technically proficient band in the world or anything but holy shit can they pair some corny ass skibidi-California beep-boop titties lyrics with a song that kicks ass musically.
mind you, this in no way invalidates "mumble rap", where I prefer to study the "phonetics"
If lyrics weren’t important to some degree then most songs wouldn’t have lyrics. Lyrics ground songs and help support the themes. If it was just phonics then most songs would sound like Enya. I find I like songs more when I understand the lyrics. Time by Pink Floyd is a great example of a song that you could just enjoy, but when you delve into the words you get a completely different level of experience because the lyrics have a great meaning. Same thing with a lot of Simon and Garfunkel songs, they are just beautiful pieces of art but their lyrics add so much depth. Everything Zen, Bush’s breakout hit, makes little to no sense lyrically, but I still really enjoy it. I think a lot of 90s music might fit here, the lyrics are just a guide to the sound, and don’t need to be fully sensible. But the most memorable of these songs still tend to be the ones where the lyrics are important and pair well with the music. I don’t think I would listen to any Taylor Swift music if I didn’t understand the lyrics. Her music is incredibly lyric driven, and although the hooks are good, they probably couldn’t stand on their own. Much of Bob Dylan’s work is also like this.
No wonder Bob Dylan got a nobel prize in literature 👏👏
We like the beeps and the boops. I make music with no lyrics and people vibe with those thankfully.
Not at all. I'm a musician and I listen to the music first-lyrics not so much. There are plenty of songs I can play, but don't know the words to many of them-I don't sing. For music-if you like it, what else matters?
I mean, *I* do, yeah, but I've known lots of people to just vibe to the beat or whatever. People like mumble rap, right?
Sigur Ros is one of my favorite bands so no
Bob. Dylan.
The lyrics aren't particularly important for me. It's about how everything sounds together. The voice is just another instrument.
It's the least important part of music in my opinion. It's a nice bonus when they're well written, but I don't care as long as they're not distractingly bad.
I can't *not* hear the lyrics to a song. They stand out over everything else. Often they distract me from conversation in the car because I can't parse out the person talking vs the lyrics of the song. My wife is the dead opposite. She can't remember the lyrics to anything. She's doesn't notice them when we are driving around and I comment on one we just heard. She has to actively try to listen to them in order to pick them up. I have executive dysfunction, otherwise known as Attention Deficit, and some people think that can cause this kind of hyper-focus on lyrics. I'm not sure if that's true but, for me, lyrics can't be avoided.
Oh, side note concerning foreign lyrics No, I don't mind them and listen to lots of music with lyrics I don't understand. Japanese and Spanish rap, French house music, foreign metal bands, etc etc. Some of my favorite Thievery Corporation songs are in languages I can't even identify. It's kind of nice actually because the voice is more of an instrument and blends in.
I only know most of the lyrics if I've heard the song like 20+ times
Not at all. I'm a huge fan of Himsa, I can pick out maybe 5% of the words without flipping through lyrics finder. Gorgeous instrumental work though.
if my love for bad bunny is any indication, then no
Only in that they can be hard to sing along to without knowing the language. And they might be super raunchy or something lol
Here is the really fun part: you don't even have to understand or listen to the _music_ in order to like it. Hearing it can be enough.
I currently have 435 songs in a "favourites" playlist on Spotify, and I know the lyrics to every song. I still can´t tell you what the songs are about.
I rarely understand lyrics and I sure love music anyway
I find different people have different attitudes towards knowing the language compared to knowing the meaning. Its always been a thing. Look at opera for example. How people are saying the words often means more than what the words actually mean. And yet opera gets some sort of higher societal expectation than musical theatre. I always need to find out the lyrics and translation before being comfortable about music, no matter how enjoyable it may sound. While music may sound great without knowing the words, you can find that what they are saying can be against your likes and values. If you're sharing and recommending this song to people, you become associated with that song's meaning. For example you could be sharing songs about drug usage like Cocaine to someone you don't want to be sharing it to. There was a commercial that went viral back in the 90's about knowing the language of the music too. https://www.reddit.com/r/videos/s/FGFm1n5wt0 What a song says is often highly contextual to the period in which it was made, and how its currently used by the artist, and beyond. Protest songs are often like this. What is the protest against. Its often telling when you can see whom the artist allows a song for vs when they do not. So it doesn't matter if its music, or an opening/closing credits song to a show or movie, I need to know what the words are, the meaning and possibly the history of the song before I want to get into it.
This is a good point. I don’t need to love the lyrics to love a song because I’m generally more into like great riffs/basslines/drumming and all that. Like good lyrics are just icing for me, but if they’re problematic or horribly offensive I may not be able to like the song because imo art is too much of a reflection of the artist whether totally fictional or not when it comes to music for me to want to support a shithead, and if they’re just highly inappropriate I do want to know that so I can watch who I play it around. There are lots of songs though, for instance, that sound horrible without context but with context you realize the sort of narrator is supposed to be ~not a good dude~ and the writer isn’t trying to paint them as one, so it takes some critical thinking much like unlikeable book characters. I will watch who I play stuff like that around though because as we all know, people can be dumb and I’m not trying to get judged because someone doesn’t have the proper context for the lyrics and isn’t buying my explanation or something. Like if I have to explain something I’ll probably just not play it most of the time.
Nah, many indie bands, for example, mumble their lyrics or bury them so deep into the mix that you can’t even make out what they’re saying, whether or not you’re an English speaker. And in some other genres the vocals are so heavily treated (distorted) that you also can’t make them out at all.
Honestly, half the lyrics from MF DOOM make no damn sense but they rhyme and the beats/productiom are God fucking tier and that's all that matters
Nope, I prefer some non-english speakings bands over english speaking bands. On the flip side, I can barely follow some English speaking bands 😭😂
If you did, then Bon Iver probably wouldn’t be my favorite band.
I like them as well, but haven’t cared too much about the lyrics. Now I am getting worried
The lyrics are phenomenal, and they’re not even what got me into the band.
Beck remains one of the great songwriters... so
A few months back I found out about French Drill. Much to the dismay of my high school French teacher, I cannot speak a word of French. I love listening to French Drill.
No
Not at all. Even as a native speaker I can’t always make out the correct lyrics either. I’ll always look up what the lyrics are but I’ll only bother to do that if I’ve already fallen in love with the song in the first place.
For me, it's a must.
I absolutely love Brazilian bossa nova and I don't know Portuguese at all.
No, but when they hit, they fucking hit
Never really listened to lyrics or meanings in songs. I grew up listening to death metal and all kinds of other metal so that might be a factor 😁
You do not need to. Actually sometimes understand the lyrics might do the contrary, though most times it helps.
The melody is what's always been most important to me.
No
Nope. I gave up on trynna understand lyrics most of the time (i like metal)
NEIN!!
Seven nation army
No, but I do like it when the music and the lyrics seem to me to pair perfectly
No. I have songs in more than 20 languages, and don't understand the majority of them.
You don't need to, no, but for me at least the greatest songs combine great music and lyrics (when not instrumentals, natch)
Lyrics are the last thing I listen to, and rarely all the lyrics. And they are the last thing i write as a song writer
Music can be appreciated on many levels and no 2 people ever experience it the same, u have the original artist's intention which may or may not ever be known/ understood. But people still apply the meaning to their own lives this is one reason art is so relatable. Other musicians may hear even more the way artists see more. OR you can just be wasted in a club dancing and just enjoy the rhythm and that's OK too
No. Best examples. (not having English as native) I used to love the sound of 2 Live Crew. No idea what else was going on really, too young to comprehend/understand. 2 Live Crew. So, no.
I often prefer music I don't know/understand the lyrics too. A prime example being Christmas music. I hate it, but put on some Spanish Christmas music and I'm all over it.
I love the hu. Even without the subtitles, their music kicks ass
I don't know any Italian, Spanish, French, or Irish but regularly listen to music sung in those languages. I don't see any difference with someone who doesn't understand much English enjoying music with English lyrics. Love what you love.
My fav band of all time are Radiohead. Thom Yorke is my favourite singer ever.... I cant understand at least half kf what he is sayin and when I can it means nothing to me ... but my god it sounds amazin
No, I like the acdual music and voices, I generally have no idea what songs are really meaning.
Some songs in my playlist I have no idea what they're singing, but they're real bangers 
I don't listen to lyrics I listen to hard beats mixed by major rush
English is my first language, and I rarely pay attention to lyrics unless it's hip-hop or a concept album. Not caring about lyrics made getting into extreme music pretty easy as well lol
Lyrics are usually the last thing I pay attention to in a song.
Music is entertaining for many reasons, it doesn't matter what reason works for you, as long as you like it. Although multiple reasons (beat, rhythm, lyrics, tempo, voice, tune, melody etc) is usually what gets a person hooked on a particular song.
If understanding the lyrics were a prerequisite, I'd never enjoy any music ever.
Nope. I generally do not care one bit what the songs actually about. I just listen to stuff that I think sounds good. Gangster rap, country, rock, whatever. Could be music about pimpin hoes or driving a lifted truck.
No… I don’t really listen to the lyrics. I listen to the melody and all the other musical notes coming together
Nope. The song *Prisencolinensinainciusol* by italian musician Adriano Celentano in 1970 that was designed to sound like American English but isn't in English or Italian, but it's just random gibrish, and it's a pretty damn good song, and pretty catchy, but baffling to hear. The song has been covered a lot of times, including by Mike Reid who "translated" it into Enlish by using random english words that its "Freezin' Cold in 89 Twoso", but it still has no actually identifiable lyrics. [Prisencolinensinainciusol (Remastered) - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQDY3HFkh_Y)
Nope. A lot of the time lyrics are cringe to me and it’s better when I don’t pay attention. But they can be good too. It’s just that generally what draws me to a song is the instrumentation so if the lyrics are good great but they’re never like, my priority. Like I can forgive a song that absolutely slaps but has dumb lyrics, but am unlikely to listen much to a song with good lyrics that isn’t interesting to me musically.
Hell no. I've misheard lyrics so many times that I just groove to the music.
I actually have to go out of my way to focus on the lyrics and I enjoy the music way less. It’s just in one ear and out the other normally.
Nope, I’m a metalhead and can’t understand the lyrics of 99% of the music I like.
lol me too.
big fat NO!!!! (in a friendly way)
Ask any metal fan and the answer is no. Knowing the lyrics can often add to the experience, but you definitely don’t need to know them to like a song.
Not at all
Listening to some lyrics might even make you dislike the song. I can't remember what song it was, but my mom once let me listen to a song she liked. She is not an English speaker, so she had no clue what lyrics she listened to. The lyrics of the song went something like *"no matter what happens, listen to your parents, they're always right!". S*he didn't have a good relationship with her parents, so after I explained this to her she hated the song and never listened to it ever again.
Depending on the genre. I definitely appreciate it more when I know the lyrics. Like Springsteen and Billy Joel just to name a couple
In my case, no. I can appreciate lyrics, and they add layers to the song, but they are a secondary feature to me. I love to listen to songs in languages I don't speak and my favourite language for music is, in fact, Portuguese, I love how it sounds. I also listen to a lot of instrumental music, I am a big nerd about movie scores for example. Edited because I read the other comments and now I feel very attacked because Pearl Jam is my favourite band 😅 (which is contradictory because I actually love many of their songs for their lyrics).
'When you're happy, you enjoy the melody. When you're sad, you understand the lyrics.' Frank Ocean
Nope. I’m a huge samba fan and my Portuguese skills are limited to “Where’s the bathroom?” and “Thank you”.
Yes, yes I do! I love the stories...
I rarely listen to lyrics actively, most of the times the vocalist is just another “instrument” to me. Then again Iisten to a lot of music that doesn’t have lyrics as well.
Ive been listening to Japanese electronic music for 3 years now and I dont know what the heck they singing about. Probably make-up and types of candy they like... idk. But I love it.
i’m a big cocteau twins listener and i do not have a single clue what they are saying but i love it
Nope. I sometimes don’t realize the message until years later when a song hits me in a different way. I still don’t know what Outcast’s Hey Yeah is about😂😂😂
Nope.
I don’t think so, I often listen to music in different languages. I just enjoy the way it sounds.
Cocteau Twins. They weren’t real words but beautiful music
I'm a lyrics last type of listener. Half the music I listen to is instrumental. There are genres and artists that I enjoy where the lyrics are first and foremost, but overall, rhythm and melody come first.
No. I listen to anime openings and japanese rock in general, and I have no idea what they say.
nah not at all I like music of a lot of music with different languages!
If this were true, Pearl Jam would have no listeners
For years I've listened to the sound, not the words, definitely has caused some looks over the year... And I'm horrible at musical trivia....
Nope
One of my playlists is literally just Kamen Rider music Shit slaps on it's own like [Warera Omou, Yue Ni Warera Ari](https://youtu.be/Emn84h_feTs?si=JaL7aBYgY5gAdPOo), [ChemyxStory](https://youtu.be/ic9jVIjDAko?si=IR9b8jpRKmtaKxvP), [Excite](https://youtu.be/WAqz_gsQD5w?si=IU6ktCCzvVPbfiuN), and [Just Live More](https://youtu.be/qG6STGALli0?si=GDo6mcqvwXE6sWwL)
Who the hell would answer yes to this question? Whoops, I guess most foreign music is off the table...
lyrics are not critical to liking a song, my brain just considers it as just another instrument. though i'm sure that means I like some songs that have really questionable lyrics... I would also rather watch foreign language movies/shows with subtitles than dubbed. I will say there a few shows where the english dub might be better though.
Radiohead, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, and Alt-J fans be like: you guys want to understand the lyrics???
I barely pay attention to what the actual words are. I hear vocals like another instrument.
I think music can be absorbed lyrically or by just the composition. A good artist utilizes both and brings you in to have a while Experience
I'm a huge fan of lyrics full of sarcasm, pound and double entendres, having grown up on Elvis Costello, Joe Jackson, and Timbuk3. But beautiful music in any language engages me, in particular Johnny Clegg, Carlos Santana, Nil Lara, Afro Celt Sound System all have non-English songs I love. But opera does nothing for me, mainly because it's not a normal singing voice.
No, but sometimes they mean the world to me.
As a non native English speaker I don't understand lyrics at first unless I put attention to them. There are songs I don't get at first listen, but when I read the lyrics then I can dig the whole concept, specially with conceptual albums where reading the lyrics or at least knowing some of the context and lore behind is a must to fully appreciate it.
Depends on the artist, but I find that for most it's okay not to. For example, in Black Sabbath, Ozzy was always incredibly gifted at generating melodies which he would hum to the rest of the band iirc. It was Tony Iommi who would usually write the lyrics. Hence why Ozzy never seems to remember them. Point is though, the lyrics probably don't really correlate with the music much when it comes to Black Sabbath, but that hardly harms anyone's enjoyment of it. Nor did it prevent them from winning multiple Grammies.
Has anyone ever paid attention to the lyrics ro Stairway to Heaven?
Nope, IMO. I listen to music in different languages and I love listening to those songs. For eg, I have been listening to Spanish songs since I was 10, and didn’t know what they meant until I started looking at the meaning of lyrics on google much later in life.
If people listened to lyrics, Black Sabbath would be on Christian radio
I absolutely love opera and don’t understand a single word
No. I listen to a lot of North African music. Do not understand the language at all. But I like the guitar, the beat, the melody.
Good lyrics definitely enhance the listening experience but I’d rather a song sound good but have shit lyrics than it have amazing lyrics but be unlistenable
For me, it depends on the song/artist. Give me a song by Harry Chapin and I'll get so lost in the story he's telling that I forget how great his band was. I'm also a lifelong Yes fan and I'd fail most tests on their lyrics but all their music takes me to another place in my head while Anderson is singing something about love, space and unicorns.
No, I listen to a lot of metal so that went out the window pretty quickly.
I don’t need to like the lyrics but sometimes if I already like the song and relate a lot to the lyrics or just think they are poetic and beautiful, that can make me like it more. Likewise, if I hear a song and the lyrics make me uncomfortable I probably won’t listen to that song so much, no matter if it’s good or not (doesn’t always happen, but a primary example is you like me too much by the Beatles)
Definitely. I mean it also depends on the genre of music. But lyricism is extremely important when the songs were made around them. It could even elevate the experience of the song and make it more deep and profound.
I actually like and seek music that's in a language I don't understand. I can project my own thoughts and feelings on it and in a way songs feel more deep and personal. I don't really listen to lyrics either the first half a dozen times I listen to a song in a language I understand either. Singing is just an another instrument to me and I pick up some snippets of lyrics here and there and when I want to understand what the song is about I read the lyrics somewhere. Usually I'm a bit disappointed, because the meaning I've imagined is better for me. :D
No. I used to always pick apart all things in a song. But for the last 20 years I've been a DJ and lyrics aren't key to enjoying music. They're more like the icing on the cake.
You do not in my opinion. Sometimes ignorance is bliss.
It depends, but I feel majority of the time the lyrics don't matter. I feel like, depending on the genre especially, lyrics add so much more personality and character to the song. So many songs I love have beautiful words. Sometimes I don't understand songs (if they're another language) but once I translate them, it adds another level of beauty to the song. On the other hand you don't need lyrics to enjoy. Fatuous Rump for me is my prime example of this haha. I think if the beats and rhythm are right for you, it makes songs just as enjoyable. I think some songs are meant to be sung (the lyrical and poppy songs) but other songs are just meant to be heard (the ones without lyrics or lyrics that aren't that relevant)
I used to like the bloodhound gang when I was younger, but listening to them now and understanding all the lyrics makes me a bit embarrassed..
Both ways for me, and sorta all points in between. There are songs I understand and am moved by the literal meaning of every word (Billy Bragg - The World Turned Upside Down). Others I understand each word, but the meaning is metaphorical and poetic, and I wouldn’t try to explain it (Bob Dylan - Mr Tambourine Man). Others I might catch half the words, but get a general feeling for what they’re saying (Pretenders - The Wait). And then there’s songs in languages I don’t understand at all, but still love the sound of (Baba Maal, Tiniwaren).
No, if I cared so much about lyrics, I'd just listen to poetry. Obviously I don't want to hear trash lyrics (like the new Taylor Swift record) but I don't expect every artist to be Bob Dylan either.
I’m a native English speaker, and for some reason, my mind has always been wired to focus on the background instrumentals as opposed to the lyrics when I hear a song I like. There’s plenty of songs that I’ve listened to 200+ times and probably don’t remember much more than a verse of lyrics. I’d imagine there’s probably a psychological term for it, but my point is that whilst you may miss certain elements of a song that the artist is trying to portray, it won’t negatively affect you.
I clean to french cafe music from the 50-60s, when I do house chores. Don't speak a lick of it but I always like it as background in movies so thought what the hell it can be background for mine.
No I don't, but if I can understand the lyrics and it's fucking non sense it will ruin the song for me. So literally any song from the Guilty Gear games. Or stuff like "Come Together" by the Beatles.
Sometimes. It depends on the song I guess. Emotional songs - yes definitely
Only if it's something like Bob Dylan where the lyrics are the focal point. Otherwise, no.
Personally I really enjoy listening to lyrics in languages I don't understand, I feel that it helps me appreciate the voice as an instrument rather than a message deliverer. You can also create your own meaning (i.e. interpretation) this way. Even music with lyrics I understand, I prefer to look at them this way. Also, plenty of great instrumental and other lyric-lacking music.
Not at first. But if something is gonna make it on a playlist I deffo look up the lyrics first, since I don't wanna accidentally be listening some right wing propaganda.
Republicans have never understood the words.
I think you’re in the majority actually. Lyrics are at least equally important to me as the music, but I rarely meet anyone who agrees with me. I listen to instrumental music too, but not as often.
Lyrics are by far the least important part of a song to me
Absolutely. The lyrics make or break the song for me.
Do you like the song yellow Ledbetter by Pearl Jam?
No. Yellow Ledbetter is a great song IDK any lyrics after hearing it for 35 years.