Is it the music or the words?

[Melvin]

Here's the thing...

Last night my Wife and I were sitting around listening to music. She got all excited about some tune, the conversation went like this:

HER: Ohhh I love this song.
ME: Really? what's it about?
HER: I don't know, I never listen to the words. I just like the tune.
ME: WHAT? How can you say you like a song if you never listen to the words?
HER: It's got a good beat.
ME: But... but... what if this song was about something awful?

I know for a fact that she does listen to the words, but it made for an interesting discussion.

Other times I get conversations like this:

THEM: This band is terrible.
ME: Why do you say that?
THEM: Listen to the song, it's so aggressive and obviously evil.
ME: WHAT? Do you even know what their singing about?
THEM: No, but the music is so violent.
ME: Whatever... Try listening to the words, you might have a different outlook.



This is why the lyrics mean more to me than the tune. (In most cases)

[VonMessa]

Here's the thing...

Last night my Wife and I were sitting around listening to music. She got all excited about some tune, the conversation went like this:

HER: Ohhh I love this song.
ME: Really? what's it about?
HER: I don't know, I never listen to the words. I just like the tune.
ME: WHAT? How can you say you like a song if you never listen to the words?
HER: It's got a good beat.
ME: But... but... what if this song was about something awful?

I know for a fact that she does listen to the words, but it made for an interesting discussion.

Other times I get conversations like this:

THEM: This band is terrible.
ME: Why do you say that?
THEM: Listen to the song, it's so aggressive and obviously evil.
ME: WHAT? Do you even know what their singing about?
THEM: No, but the music is so violent.
ME: Whatever... Try listening to the words, you might have a different outlook.



This is why the lyrics mean more to me than the tune. (In most cases)

Plenty of songs that are full of meaning and tell a story, you just gotta speak the language.
(and count to 5, sometimes    )

123-45
123-45 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1S_vA0ougg

[branch37]

I see where you are coming from, but without music it would be just that, poetry or in some cases just words.  You used Metallica's "Creeping Death" as example earlier.  This is a perfect example of a biblical story told from another point of view.  It is told from the point of view of death as if it were a person.  He is the plague sent to kill the first born son of the non believers. It also has good music.  Now Pink Floyd uses music to tell the story just as much as the lyrics.  "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" is a good example of this.  The long instrumental sections bring out the emotion in the song, as well as the lyrics.  So what I'm saying is, you cannot pick just music or lyrics, they go together and compliment each other to make a song.   

[ink]

Stairway to Heaven, Thank You, Babe I'm Gonna Leave You, Ten Years Gone, Black Dog, All of My Love

Lyrics AND music.

<3 Led Zep

QFFT

my favorite if its possible to list a top Zepp song would be "I'm gonna crawl"

[Shuffler]

Rising Sun, American Pie, The House That Built Me, I been Watching You, In Color, ........ tons more.

Music and Lyrics.

[kilo2]

QFFT

my favorite if its possible to list a top Zepp song would be "I'm gonna crawl"

Since I've been loving you is my favorite Led Zeppelin song or When the Levee Breaks.

[Spikes]

I love country music for the lyrics. There are many artists who tell their own stories, and some who have fun writing their songs...and with that it makes for some fun lyrics to sing along to that are catchy.

I like rock for both music and lyrics. When I make Aces High videos, I pick songs that have to do with what I'm trying to get across. I try to line up clips with either lyrics, or beats, or both. It takes a very keen ear to realize some of the things I have done in films.

[ink]

Since I've been loving you is my favorite Led Zeppelin song or When the Levee Breaks.

"Since Ive been loving you" is truly a great song, also "when the levee Breaks" both awesome songs, timeless...

they do not have one bad song....every bad out there has a bad song that just don't do it...lots of bands only have a few good songs.....but Zeppelin....not a one

they are in my mind the greatest of all time.

for many years I would listen to nothing but Zeppelin, the first music other then Zepp I started listening to was Metallica back when I was about 20....love there early stuff, but man did they choke on the black Album and every one after that...

now I do get into a lot more different music...even like eminem

but my favorites besides Zepp would be

Flotsam and Jetsam
Megadeth
The Animals
Ten years after
Black Sabbath
Iron Maiden
Judas Priest 

Blood red skies by Judas priest describes me perfectly

As the sun goes down, I move around
Keeping to the shadows
Life, hangs by a thread
And I've heard it said, that I'll not see tomorrow

If that's my destiny, it'll have to be
So I'll face the future
Running out of time
I'm on the line
But I'll go down fighting

Felt the hand of justice
Telling wrong from right
Threw me out upon the street in the middle of the night

Cybernetic heartbeat
Digital precise
Pneumatic fingers nearly had me in their vice

Not begging you
I'm telling you

You won't break me
You won't make me
You won't take me,
Under blood red skies

You won't break me
You won't take me
I'll fight you under
blood red skies

Through a shattered city, watched by laser eyes
Overhead the night squad glides
The decaying paradise

Automatic sniper
With computer sights
Scans the bleak horizon for its victim of the night

They're closing in
They'll never win

You won't break me
You won't take me
You won't make me,
Under blood red skies

You won't break me
You won't take me
I'll fight you under
blood red skies

As the end is drawing near
Standing proud, I won't give in to fear
As I die a legend will be born
I will stand, I will fight
You'll never take me alive
I'll stand my ground
I won't go down

You won't break me
You won't make me
You won't take me,
Under blood red skies

You won't break me
You won't take me
just I'll face you under
blood red skies

You'll never take me alive
I'm telling you
Hands of justice
I will stand, I will fight
Never surrender
As the sun goes down
I won't give in to fear