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Which is more important to you: the music or the lyrics?
Both are equally important to making a song. In order for a piece of music to even be considered a song, it has to have both of these components. Which of the two is more important though? Being that I am a music major, I think the music is more important. My mom, however, tends to favor the lyrics since she is a writer.
This is just a simple observation I made a few years ago and continue to find fascinating. Our personalities are crafted in the earlier years of our lives and so is our taste in music. I may only be 20 years old, but I can see the connection between my personality and the music I choose to listen to.
I enjoy all forms of music. Rock is my baby, but I enjoy rap, techno, classical, jazz and tons of other genres. Being that I'm a musician though, I have always been drawn to songs that have excellent musical qualities. Whether it means I can dance to it or smile to it or even cry to it, it doesn't matter. I'm just used to focusing on the music. The chord structures, the melody, the instruments used etc.
It often takes me a few hearings to learn the lyrics while the music comes the first time. Even after I learn them however, I don't necessarily pay attention to them. I have been known to go years without noticing the meaning behind a song's words (TLC's "Waterfall" is a good example). When I was younger, my mom would always shelter me from certain songs and it upset me at the time. I knew that she was worried about the message I was probably going to pick up, but I just wanted to listen to the music.
I would listen to everything from Richard Marx and Bryan Adams, to The Police and En Vogue back in the day. I was 9! I didn't care that they were singing about love, sex and prostitution! I just wanted to listen and sing along!
My mom is actually the reason I noticed this trait in myself. I used to ask for CDs for my birthday and I'd never get them simply because of the parental advisory sticker on the cover. One time, she really spoiled me and she bought me the "clean" version of Usher's first album. Ha. Like that's any better! It's the same content without the swear words. That is beside the point though.
I have been rubbing off on her over the last few years. I have introduced her to a few new radio stations and now she can't get enough "my music." But this has taken some time. It took some force to get her to even partially appreciate some of the amazing musicians in this world.
What's the first thing you think of when I say "My Chemical Romance?" Kudos to you if you thought of the author Irvine Welsh. That is, after all, where the popular rock band got their name. Okay, for the rest of us. You thought of an "emo" band with black clothes, eyeliner, and bloody wrists didn't you? It's okay... That's what happens when you become famous. You are assigned titles and are placed into stereotypes.
Well, dark and gloomy though their lyrics may be, their music is amazing. You can hear the influences they have. You can hear the different styles of music that they grew up with. You can hear the emotions they are going through. It's not just sadness either. You can also dance to their music. It's remarkable to me that some people won't give this band a chance simply because of the stereotypes their lyrics place them in.
Take the song "Teenagers" for example. Don't know it? Go to http://www.mychemicalromance.com/ to listen to it. Now that you know what song I'm referring to, tell me what musical style you think it fits under. Heavy metal? Classic rock maybe? How about blues? It's all there. But because people don't like the subjects Gerard sings about, they won't be able to hear this amazing and unique sound.
I have to agree that the lyrics are important as well, but it intrigues me to see which is preferred among my friends. If it weren't for my mom's reaction to one of my favorite songs by My Chem, I wouldn't have actually taken the time to let the lyrics sink in. I knew them and could sing the entire song from memory, but I had never thought about them until that moment. It was her very first impression of the song and instead of dancing like I thought she might, she began to cry.
I'm dwelling on the musical aspect a bit. I tend to do that. As far as the lyrics are concerned, I have a number of sounds that I like the meaning behind. My temporary favorite is "All Over You" by The Spill Canvas (which you can listen to at http://www.myspace.com/tsc ).
However, if it weren't for the music, I wouldn't be able tolerate some of the newer rap songs. I don't like lyrics that promote drugs and alcohol. I also tend to shy away from songs that discriminate against women. I'm trying not to rely on stereotypes but the first example I can think of where I like the song and not the lyrics is a song called "Crank That" by Soulja Boy. It's quite the popular tune among my generation. I like the song...But ONLY because of the music. I just would like to make that clear. I hate the lyrics. I'm sorry to anyone that finds it amusing, but the idea of being "superman-ed" makes me sick to my stomach. If you don't know what that means, then be happy in your ignorance, because I don't feel it is worth knowing. However, should you be curious, Urban Dictionary has several descriptions at your disposal.
But isn't that strange? Think about it a little bit. I just told you how much I hate the lyrics but I still like the song. Funny how this works, isn't it? Give it a try sometime. Turn the radio on to a random radio station that you don't usually listen to and tell me your first impression of the song playing. It's okay to say that you only paid attention to one of the two parts. The majority of us do it.
