I've noticed from talking to music-type people, that we tend to fall into two categories – people are “grabbed” by a song either because of the music or because of the lyrics. Being a lyrics person myself, I
was quite surprised when I began to realize that not everyone noticed lyrics or was as affected by them as I am. Not that music people don’t notice lyrics at all, but it grows, and is secondary to the melody/beat. But the lyrics consume me to the point where I begin to analyze songs like I do poetry, and I’ll often jot down a favorite song lyric and put it up someplace where I’ll see it often.
I can’t, repeat,
cannot like a song if the lyrics are inane, no matter how good the beat is or how many hooks the song has. My senses—or maybe it’s my intellect?—recoils. Clearly I am not in the majority, because the popular radio stations are blaring crap that appeals to the masses based on how good it is to dance to (or beat your girlfriend to?) Years ago, I had an argument with a friend who was quite enamored of the most ridiculous song because it had a good beat, and I said, “How can you stand to listen to that crap, have you
heard the lyrics?!” And she confessed that, no, she really hadn’t paid attention to the lyrics before.
That’s an extreme case, clearly. I’d like to think that more often people with any sense (or actual taste) will come to notice the lyrics, and perhaps not like a song
as much if the lyrics are just hideous.
But all this leads me to my newly formed contention, or theory, if you will –
A song can be a good song with a good melody/beat and bad lyrics, but only songs that have good lyrics can be
great songs.
Think of it this way – people need something meaningful to latch onto, and they find it in lyrics. They have everything. Heartbreak, revenge, revolution, politics. A song that doesn’t affect you in some way is not going to become a song you consider great.
And the thing about song lyrics is, they don’t even have to be the most profound, innovative, or poetic. Sometimes it’s simplicity that hooks you even more. Take this example – and it’s only because I just heard the song and it struck me – from “Warning Sign” by Coldplay, (and no, I'm not saying
this is a great song) who are admittedly no poet laureates: “You came back to haunt me and I realized that you were an island and I passed you by, that you were an island to discover.” Hasn’t everyone been in a situation where you feel you’ve done that to someone and regret it, or feel it’s been done to you and hate it? It’s simple, understated devastation.
If a song doesn’t make you feel, it fails, and therefore it cannot be great.
I will admit that I do have a gut reaction to certain musical pieces, whether a guitar riff, an intro, what have you, running the gamut of many emotions. The intro to “Going Missing” chokes me up every time, just by the tone of the guitar. But it isn’t till the lyrics start that I could
actually cry. Or [insert appropriate reaction here].
Maybe this goes back to the eternal conflict of musician vs. lyricist. Very few artists are remembered simply because of their musical prowess (and maybe even fewer deservedly so). But the songwriters, the troubadours, they’re legendary.
Conversely, a song with amazing lyrics and bad music will fall short as well. But I can't think of one great song that doesn't have good lyrics.
Or maybe it’s just me being biased. Feel free to tell me so. I’d like to know what everyone else thinks. :)
