Lyrics or Music?

I don’t think I can single out one as being more important than the other. That’s a tough question.  :think:

With music now adays I’d say the music—you can’t understand half of what comes out of the mouths of singers, so if the music is lame, there is absolutely nothing to keep me listening.

When u mean music u mean the beats/sound? If so i go w/that.

for techno music. For songs lyrics.

That is such a hard question to answer, because you listen to different types of music for different reasons.. like, no one says they listen to pop R & B or rap (well, rap can be an exception sometimes) for the lyrics, but 98.9999% of the time, the main reason for liking music styles like alternative or rock is the lyrics. Jazz and classical are of course music oriented and rarely have lyrics (unless in classical, it’s a choral song, or there’s some sort of poetic lyrics in jazz.) So I’d say the beat/melody most of the time, since it’s more important for more styles of music, but that definitely does not mean the lyrics are unimportant. Bands like Modest Mouse, Postal Service, and Radiohead would be nowhere without their lyrics.

Honestly, it’s about the music. If I wanted songs for the lyrics, I would read poetry or something. Lyrics are just words. Now, if it were for the actual singing, then, well, isn’t the voice basically the musical instrument of our body (apart from farts? Tee hee, jk)?

I’ve heard some wonderful songs with the strangest lyrics. Try some of Steve Vai’s stuff. He has some awesome guitar tabs and such, but some of his songs in terms of lyrics are like, HUH!!!!!! Hehe—but then, maybe he does that on purpose. Who knows? He still has some awesome music. =)

Lyrics aren’t music. They’re words. MUSIC is music. It’s all about the music, man. =)

I’m quite surprised to see music leading in this poll. I so expected it to be the other way.

Yeah, I agree. Music is what makes the song. With lyrics, you are basically setting poetry into the fabric of music. That is what a song is, music with sung words.

But I can listen to a good song (meaning good music) with bad lyrics, as opposed to the opposite, a bad song with good lyrics.

While we always strive to have the best of both worlds, lyrics are really throwaway in comparison to the underlying music. That basic function has to be solid, otherwise what’s the point?

I manage a band and from watching the recording/writing process, its impossible to choose.  Music and lyrics go together too well to say one is more important than the other.  Without one, you don’t get the other (unless you are going for spoken word or instrumental music)

for me its the lyrics…since i listen to mostly hip-hop if the lyrics arent good then i dont listen to them…thats probably why i end up listening to more underground hip-hop than mainstream cause most underground rappers have better lyrics…

What a profound thought!

I say music.  A good solid piece of music will keep me entertained for a long time…regardless of the words.  If the lyrics are wonderful, but the music doesn’t set the mood, or basically sounds out of place or bad, I won’t listen to the song.  At all.

a good mix of both would be GREAT.

I lean slightly toward the “better lyrics” camp, but a mix of both is definitely preferable.

Actually, the music and lyrics don’t matter. What matters is how hot the girls are in the music video. 👏

lol @ antman 😛

Without good music, you’ve got nothing. You can release music without any lyrics, but what comes first? The release that’s all instrumental or the one with lyrics?

It’s a no-brainer, good music is essential, while without good lyrics/vocals, you aren’t going to see your “art” isn’t going to realize it’s potential.

i would have to say lyrics, but the lyrics wont’ sound good without the music in the background ;D

I often post lyrics to my blog. I’ll be listening to a song, and it will express how I’m feeling at the moment, so i’ll post the lyrics. I’ll usually post the important part of the song, the lyrics that were most like what I’m thinking, and then lj-cut the rest for those people who don’t feel like seeing the whole lyrics. If they want to read them, they are easily accessable.

I think the beat is what rocks it for me.

Maybe the music alone can invoke an emotion or memory the way a lyric can?  I voted music.  :love:  I can’t hear half of lyrics anyway. 

Sometimes someone will tell you: “Did you know that song is about smoking pot?!”  And you’re like :o

One of my favorite rappers Sage Francis is a real lyrical genius so it would be stupid to go against lyrics but the beat sets the tone and feeling that artist gets and in turn effects what he writes.

hmm, thats a tough one, its definetly the music, if i didn’t like ths sound of it i wouldn’t listen to the song. BUt i also don’t like songs that i can’t understand, example: JPop, Latino Music.

And some song tunes are just amazing, but then again, some lyrics are very inspiring as well, its very difficult to put one over the other, but i would have to say the music…

I have always been a bigger fan of lyrics in a song. I use to have a huge thing for poetry, and then I moved into music as a sort of therapy, and I have always grown more attached to the song for the lyrics. I like the beat to some songs, but I wont listen to them as long as I would the songs that I like the lyrics to.

without good music the lyrics might not have the same effect.

It’s hard to say.  I voted for lyrics, but then I thought of the beautiful classical pieces I’ve listened to that I’ve fallen in love with.  But then I think of those powerful songs that really give kickass messages.  I dunno… ultimately I think I have more interest in a song that well written(in terms of lyrics).  For example, I’ll take John Lennon over Mariah Carey.  Even though I’d listen to both of them for completely different reasons,  Lennon had a lot to say and wrote some beautiful songs.  My favorite artists (Tori Amos, Oasis, The Verve, Rufus Wainwright, The Beatles) I’ve fallen in love with because their lyrics and music both kick my ass, but their lyrics are what always stood out. 

Then again, I’m a daughter of a poet and a playwright… so maybe I’m just naturally biased.  😛