The Porkchop Express said:

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Having the screenie Alexa show song lyrics has let know I've been singing about 350 songs wrong for several decades.

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True story.

The Tracy Lawrence song "I See It Now" has lyrics that go:

"Holding him you've never looked more beautiful

Letting go has been so hard on me."

But Alexa shows it as:

"Holding him you've never looked more beautiful

Letting go has been so **** ** me."

To protect the kids, I guess. Cracks me up every time.

I'd say 2/3rds of my attention goes to the music (not the lyrics). And of the remaining third that is listening to the lyrics most of that is listening to the voice and tone used to deliver the words, etc and not the actual words or meaning.

I think that comes from being in band when I was younger and playing drums. Everybody knows the drummer is the heart of the band, not the singer. Lyrics are what you get when you apply drugs to good music.

javajaws said:

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I'd say 2/3rds of my attention goes to the music (not the lyrics). And of the remaining third that is listening to the lyrics most of that is listening to the voice and tone used to deliver the words, etc and not the actual words or meaning.

I think that comes from being in band when I was younger and playing drums. Everybody knows the drummer is the heart of the band, not the singer. Lyrics are what you get when you apply drugs to good music.

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Amen, brother. Hearts have beats, and drums provide those beats.

MSFC Aggie said:

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I hardly ever listen to the lyrics. To me, it's just an extensive of the music. They could be oohing and aahing for all I care. But I admit I'm a guitar player.....so I'm always listening trying to figure out the chord progression, etc.

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No song displays this better than "The Ooh Ooh Song" by Pat Benatar.

I'd say the older I get the more I care about lyrics...you know...because older people are all sophisticated and stuff.

But it really just depends on how bad the lyrics may be. I typically am put off by explicit stuff, so no matter how catchy the song is, I'll move on.

A) Music with lyrics that actually enhances the listening experience (Smashing Pumpkins, The Smiths, smarter rap)

B) Music with lyrics that are too vague/hard to hear/boring to factor in (Most acts, Radiohead, Mac DeMarco, Led Zeppelin)

C) Music with such bad lyrics it detracts from the listening experience (Chili Peppers, some Beatles songs, a lot of newer country, a lot of pop and pop punk)

Cliff.Booth said:

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A) Music with lyrics that actually enhances the listening experience (Smashing Pumpkins, The Smiths, smarter rap)

B) Music with lyrics that are too vague/hard to hear/boring to factor in (Most acts, Radiohead, Mac DeMarco, Led Zeppelin)

C) Music with such bad lyrics it detracts from the listening experience (Chili Peppers, some Beatles songs, a lot of newer country, a lot of pop and pop punk)

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This is a thread about music.

Wolfpac 08 said:

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I'm a big lyrics guy - not that a won't like a good song with bad lyrics…but good lyrics really put a song over the top for me.

That said, the song that always comes to mind when this conversation comes up is Blues Traveler - Hook:

Quote:

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It doesn't matter what I say
So long as I sing with inflection
That makes you feel I'll convey
Some inner truth or vast reflection
But I've said nothing so far
And I can keep it up for as long as it takes
And it don't matter who you are
If I'm doing my job, it's your resolve that breaks

Because the hook brings you back

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Using clever lyrics to tell you that it does t matter how clever the lyrics are

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[Chorus]
I glued my balls to my butthole again
Oh my god, what did I do?
I can't take a dump
'Cause now my balls are blockin' up my butthole

[Verse 1]
Fool me once, shame on you
Fool me twice, shame on glue
Good god, I pulled too hard
Now my scrotum's stretched out like a f****** yard
Oh god

[Chorus]
I glued my balls to my butthole, baby
Oh my god, what did I do?
I can't take a dump
'Cause now my balls are blockin' up my butthole

[Verse 2]
My lady doesn't want a life
Of watchin' her man use a butter knife
Face down, ass up, to try and saw off his sack
Oh, baby, f**** please, just take me back

[Chorus]
I glued my balls to my butthole, baby
Oh my god, what did I do?
I can't take a dump
'Cause now my balls are blockin' up my butthole

Andrew Dufresne said:

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Call me unsophisticated, but if a song sounds good I pretty much do not care about the specific wording being used.

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If it's stupid, shallow, generic crap then yes, like bro country stuff, and a lot of pop.

Prosperdick said:

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Wolfpac 08 said:

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I'm a big lyrics guy - not that a won't like a good song with bad lyrics…but good lyrics really put a song over the top for me.

That said, the song that always comes to mind when this conversation comes up is Blues Traveler - Hook:

Quote:

---

It doesn't matter what I say
So long as I sing with inflection
That makes you feel I'll convey
Some inner truth or vast reflection
But I've said nothing so far
And I can keep it up for as long as it takes
And it don't matter who you are
If I'm doing my job, it's your resolve that breaks

Because the hook brings you back

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Using clever lyrics to tell you that it does t matter how clever the lyrics are

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That's amazing

Milwaukees Best Light said:

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[Chorus]
I glued my balls to my butthole again
Oh my god, what did I do?
I can't take a dump
'Cause now my balls are blockin' up my butthole

[Verse 1]
Fool me once, shame on you
Fool me twice, shame on glue
Good god, I pulled too hard
Now my scrotum's stretched out like a f****** yard
Oh god

[Chorus]
I glued my balls to my butthole, baby
Oh my god, what did I do?
I can't take a dump
'Cause now my balls are blockin' up my butthole

[Verse 2]
My lady doesn't want a life
Of watchin' her man use a butter knife
Face down, ass up, to try and saw off his sack
Oh, baby, f**** please, just take me back

[Chorus]
I glued my balls to my butthole, baby
Oh my god, what did I do?
I can't take a dump
'Cause now my balls are blockin' up my butthole

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good grief I saw this on facebook or something the other day.....couldn't believe it

MSFC Aggie said:

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I hardly ever listen to the lyrics. To me, it's just an extensive of the music. They could be oohing and aahing for all I care. But I admit I'm a guitar player.....so I'm always listening trying to figure out the chord progression, etc.

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you sound like a good proponent for being a fan of metal, if you're not already!

rgt99 said:

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Rush has great lyrics

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Mathguy64 said:

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rgt99 said:

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Rush has great lyrics

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To paraphrase the late Taylor Hawkins, "they let the ****ing drummer write the lyrics. Who lets the drummer write the ****ing lyrics?"

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dream theater lol.

Absolutely, if we are talking Therion here.

rgt99 said:

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Rush has great lyrics

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I guess so, I'm a huge Rush fan but , Honey Dew, I don't know, I'm just as happy with La Villa and YYZ as I am with anything else in their catalog.

Aust Ag said:

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rgt99 said:

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Rush has great lyrics

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I guess so, I'm a huge Rush fan but , Honey Dew, I don't know, I'm just as happy with La Villa and YYZ as I am with anything else in their catalog.

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Heretic

I think my preference changed as I got older. When I heard songs like Jump, Rock of Ages, Master of Puppets, or the entire Thriller album….. I was hooked on the sound and by the band/artist. They just had "It" for me.

As I get older, I want great sound with great or clever lyrics. I don't care what the genre is, I just enjoy watching a masterful musician doing his/her craft.

Seeing Eddie Van Halen live at Monsters of Rock was mind blowing. That's also where I discovered this opening act called Metallica

I can enjoy songs with bad lyrics but I've always felt a great appreciation for artists with clever or legitimately poetic lyrics. I find the older I get, the more I appreciate the artistry of musicians that can write brilliant lyrics.

Never have I had such an about face in my agreement with a single post.

I'll go ahead and do the requisite "Tool does both awesomely".

I've never paid much attention to lyrics. No idea of the messaging of most songs. Glad I'm not the only one.

Def Leppard is Exhibit A that you can write total nonsense lyrics and still produce a banger if the music is good.

I do enjoy good storytelling or poetry in a song, but it isn't necessary to enjoy it.