# How much attention do you pay to music lyrics?



## SuburbanLurker (Sep 26, 2010)

I pay very little attention myself. I don't care very much about the lyrical content (as long as it's not ridiculously bad), and often don't make even a subconscious effort to understand what's being sung. In fact I sort of prefer listening to music with unintelligible vocals, or in a different language or whatever, because the vocals just become that much more intertwined with the other instruments to create a whole image.

While I may find some lyrics interesting in retrospect, they generally have no influence whatsoever on what music I listen to. I listen to music for the music. That said, it seems like I'm in the minority. Most people I talk to put great importance on lyrical content. I never really got that; why not just read poetry if that's the sort of thing you're into? But to each their own.

I've been wondering if this relates to type or certain processes, hence this poll.


----------



## Rocket Girl (Jul 1, 2011)

That's weird, I pay pretty close attention to the lyrics... and we're both the same personality type.


----------



## DemonMuse (Jun 29, 2011)

Music has meaning, imo. Both the lyrics _and_ the instruments. It is full of feelings and thoughts. I pay very close attention because if I didn't, I'd feel like a fucking idiot because I wasn't trying to _feel_, ya know?


----------



## SuburbanLurker (Sep 26, 2010)

DemonMuse said:


> Music has meaning, imo. Both the lyrics _and_ the instruments. It is full of feelings and thoughts. I pay very close attention because if I didn't, I'd feel like a fucking idiot because I wasn't trying to _feel_, ya know?


 Obviously they both have meaning. But what I'm saying is that I generally don't care about the meaning of the lyrics. I don't listen to music for that purpose. I listen to music because the the sound itself evokes emotions and feelings, and the vocals are just another means to that end. 

I also listen to a lot of instrumental music because I don't find vocals are always necessary to enjoy music. Sometimes they even ruin it, regardless of the lyrical content.


----------



## Tsuki (Jan 9, 2011)

I pay attention to the lyrics like the first few times I listen to the song, out of curiosity and kind of instinct. Songs with meaningful lyrics and/or lyrics I can relate to, I usually fall in love with immediately. But otherwise I don't really care what they're saying unless they're constantly cursing and talking about sex or something. Most of my music is foreign and instrumental. If it sounds good it sounds good; if it has good lyrics, awesome it's even better. Though I do like songs that have lyrics (even if it's only a line or two) that can really strike me, stir up some emotion.

...I'm not sure if I should vote as "Pay close attention" or "Pay little attention"


----------



## nádej (Feb 27, 2011)

I pay pretty close attention to lyrics, but I also pay pretty close attention to instrumentation. This may come from being an avid writer, but also a musician. 

There are songs that I adore simply because the instrumentation is just so beautiful and really hits my soul. There are other songs that I adore because the lyrics are just so beautiful and really hit my soul. Occasionally I find songs that I adore for both reasons, and those are the songs I listen to over and over and over and over.


----------



## InterAlios (Apr 28, 2011)

I pay close attention. I like my music to reflect my mood or remind me of something and lyrics are key to that.


----------



## 21954 (May 7, 2011)

I am completely in agreement with SuburbanLurker. 

I love words - a LOT - and maybe that's why they distract me from the music. My music player is loaded with nothing but foreign language songs. It's absolutely one of my chief joys, because for something like 25 years I had pretty much given up regular enjoyment of any music; even songs I liked would quickly wear out their welcome in my ears and become simply annoying. No idea why it's like that for me; when I was a teen music was thrilling and I had been missing out on that. So I don't care what the reason is, I'm just happy now I can enjoy music again.


----------



## Promethea (Aug 24, 2009)

I hang onto every word, typically.


----------



## SuburbanLurker (Sep 26, 2010)

I think it can already be established that type has nothing to do with it. I guess I'm just weird like that.



Paheli said:


> I love words - a LOT - and maybe that's why they distract me from the music.


I think that's exactly it. If I were to pay attention to lyric meaning I'd never be able to enjoy the actual music, with all the de-coding and interpreting I'd be constantly engaged in, given that most of the music I listen to contains abstract lyrics. I think my brain has been trained to not try to understand lyrics.

I mean, I can't sit around all day trying to figure out what the hell things like this mean:



> fold the river by the lips as a cruel and smothered wind fits the gash with ornaments dawn is nodding off again raised the braille to read it clear gathered by the cholera rinse the burns in cauldrons help the palm we see a lens my hands secrete a monument my hands secrete a monument


I'd never get to enjoying the music. How do you people do it?


----------



## SereneMind (Apr 11, 2011)

I dont pay attention to the lyrics at all... I pay much more attention to the instruments... i enjoy orchestrations and choruses because of that. I like the feeling that the melody of the song gives me.. it makes me space-out, it reflects my mood and brings back memories... and if i listen to music with lyrics.. the lyrics are always in foreign languages mainly because i like the feeling of listening to something with a hidden meaning (Ex: the song is in latin, i end up researching what the lyrics mean) and if i dont understand the lyrics (aka theyre not in english or spanish) i let the voices mix with the sound of the many instruments that are playing and the result is me _feeling _the melody itself, i rarely pay attention to the lyrics.


----------



## SuburbanLurker (Sep 26, 2010)

Serene, I relate 100% to what you wrote.

Another reason I enjoy foreign or incoherent lyrics is that I can create my own meaning. I can freely associate the music to whatever I want - my own feelings, emotions, experiences etc. and just sort of get lost in it (and before anyone says it, NT's have emotions too! Music is my main emotional outlet). I think that's actually the intent with some of the more abstract lyricists.

I guess I kind of prefer not knowing what the artist's vision is, lest I spoil my own ideal vision (and this does happen on occasion - I'll love a song, then find out it's about something I can't relate to or disagree with, which sort of ruins the whole thing).

Alright, I'm getting redundant. I'm going to invade my own thread, let's share some foreign-language music.


----------



## Fizz (Nov 13, 2010)

I'm more of a nonverbal person anyway, so I guess it makes sense that I'm less interested in the words. Sometimes I enjoy listening for the meaning, but then again, I'm a "show me don't tell me" kind of person.


----------



## AussieChick (Dec 27, 2010)

I tend to pay more attention to the lyrics,although the music plays a big part too.If the tune is catchy and stirs me then I like it.I like everything from classical to jazz,but heavy metal and rap isn't my style.When the lyrics have meaning and relate to aspects of my life that is when I pay attention to them the most.Sad songs and those about relationships and life in general are those that most appeal to me.That is why country music is my favourite style,it talks about love,loss and everyday things.Some song lyrics just move me to tears whenever I hear them.


----------



## March Cat (Jan 27, 2011)

I pay more attention to the nonverbal sounds in the music. I don't enjoy lyrics because a lot of them try to constrain what the song could make you think about or feel. Without any lyrics or singing, the music is so much more open to be felt and interpreted however by the listener.


----------



## Soros (Jun 2, 2011)

INTP - I play close attention to the lyrics, assuming that the song has interpretable vocals to begin with.


----------



## SereneMind (Apr 11, 2011)

SuburbanLurker said:


> Serene, I relate 100% to what you wrote.
> 
> Another reason I enjoy foreign or incoherent lyrics is that I can create my own meaning. I can freely associate the music to whatever I want - my own feelings, emotions, experiences etc. and just sort of get lost in it (and before anyone says it, NT's have emotions too! Music is my main emotional outlet). I think that's actually the intent with some of the more abstract lyricists.
> 
> ...


I agree... and about the INTP emotional side... my little brother's an INTP and he's pretty emotional.

That song... sounds like spanish and i cant understand most of it... and i am a native spanish speaker *facepalm* well wasnt really paying attention about what the singer was saying anyways .. very relaxing song indeed

I should share a foreign language song too






well english's a foreign language to me... but this one of few the non-orchestral songs i like... and






in this song the chorus isnt actually saying anything .. but its pretty good to listen to


----------



## Toru Okada (May 10, 2011)

I guess average attention. If I can't understand what someone singing is saying I don't feel that bothered to look it up. I also view vocals as another instrument. I listen to a lot of music that has no vocals, and music that isn't true to what most music is (ambient).


----------



## Le9acyMuse (Mar 12, 2010)

I've always felt as if I live for the stimuli that bring me closer to a reminiscent sensation, so I use anything within an object or concept, lyrics in this case, to get the most sensation out of it. It is worth it if I'm successful. If I don't get what I desire, the object-concept becomes immaterial to me. If I ever purposely pay no attention to lyrics, I'm just not listening to the song (waste of time). I have to dissect music for its value in order to know if I care.

As for songs with unintelligible lyrics, like that of shoegazing rock, I take in what I can. The sound, the tone of voice, texture, nature.. If I can visualize something good, then it's a keeper in spite of being abstruse. I usually read translations of jpop/jrock songs, too.


----------



## nottie (Mar 2, 2011)

katienicole said:


> There are songs that I adore simply because the instrumentation is just so beautiful and really hits my soul. There are other songs that I adore because the lyrics are just so beautiful and really hit my soul. Occasionally I find songs that I adore for both reasons, and those are the songs I listen to over and over and over and over.


This sums it up for me.


----------



## snail (Oct 13, 2008)

It depends on what I am listening to. Some songs are all about lyrics, and others are about the moods created by abstract sounds. Compare:





The whole point of this one is that it tells a story with the lyrics, so when I listen to it, I listen to the lyrics.









When I listen to this, I am not paying attention to the lyrics. I don't have any idea what she is saying, nor do I care. I doubt the lyrics have anything to do with the point of this song.


----------



## Donkey D Kong (Feb 14, 2011)

It really depends on the genre for me. I could never answer this question honestly because I listen to a wide variety of music and I look at all of them with a different approach.


----------



## StrixAluco (Apr 8, 2011)

_I pay too much attention to the lyrics. I often hate songs that would be nice otherwise just because the lyrics are totally silly or I don't adhere to them. Luckily, I mostly get this problem in French._ When the song is in English, I still pay attention to the lyrics, analyse them and am critical but may still like the song (and wonder all the time how on earth I am able to love them).

Instrumentals are a good alternative.


----------



## snail (Oct 13, 2008)

One of my favorite songs has lyrics I hate.






It's basically promoting a new-age version of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and the myth that we are all gods who are the source of our own fulfillment. I don't agree with any of it, but the music is so pretty that I can't help but listen to it over and over again. It's just gorgeous. I try to ignore the words the way one of my atheist friends ignores the lyrics to Christian songs, but he still loves a lot of them and listens to them for the emotional intensity that the musicians put into them.


So, because of this, I suppose I will vote that I don't really care much about lyrics. Good music can redeem bad lyrics more easily than good lyrics can redeem bad music.


----------



## MissBlossom (Dec 22, 2010)

More votes please.

NT - I pay attention to the lyrics and start imagining situations according to them


----------



## adacis (Dec 30, 2012)

I'm an NT and I answered pay little attention to lyrics. But then after some speculation I realized I unconsciously pay attention to some of it. I'll catch words and phrases here and there but generally I don't know a lot of the lyrics. It's the melody of the song that's gotta grab me, both instrumental and vocal. If it's vocal I'll put effort into listening to lyrics, but only temporarily; I just try to get some of the lyrics so I can look up the song later. If I really really _really_ like the song I'll take the time to look up the lyrics.
There have been some cases where I've liked a song for its lyrics over melody, and when I do, I'll gradually come to like the melody of it.
Overall though, I've got to relate to the melody rather than the lyrics. I don't know how relating to a melody works but that's how I feel about it. Generally the melody sparks up some image and sudden story in my head (and it can be completely irrelevant to the lyrics and purpose of the song), but I can't explain the connection between the melody and image/story.


----------



## Nightshade (Dec 4, 2012)

I pay attention very closely to the lyrics. I like to know what the song embodies, the emotions, and the story being told. If I don't understand the lyrics I will be determined to find them. The lyrics in the song can completely change the meaning and the experience for me. 

I've listened to songs and didn't pay any attention to the lyrics before and years later I will realize that knowing the lyrics made a big difference. The composition is one layer, and once I add on the lyrics, it takes a whole new meaning for me.


----------



## saramara (Nov 13, 2012)

I _can't _pay attention to lyrics. Usually I just find myself being carried by the tone and overall quality of the sounds. I do catch refrains, but, unless I make an effort by reading up on the lyrics for music I really care about, the words just float through me.


----------



## platorepublic (Dec 27, 2012)

The lyrics are important. But the melody and arrangement of the music is just as important.


----------



## celestialelixir (Dec 30, 2012)

I guess it would vary from genre to genre, but generally yes. Lyrics in technical death metal for instance, are a lot less important to me than in most other genres. 

I'd be hard-pressed to say that someone who pays attention to lyrics enjoys the music they listen to any less than someone who "chooses" not to.


----------



## TheProcrastinatingMaster (Jun 4, 2012)

Not very much at all, most of my music is either instrumental or foreign. When my music is English, the lyrics aren't necessarily the most important part of the song.


----------



## Destiny Lund (Sep 2, 2011)

If I'm busy I just focus on the music, but usually I pay very close attention to the lyrics. A song cannot be a good song unless all the lyrics are accounted for & they're decent. I have to at least somewhat FEEL the song.


----------



## Adversary (Dec 5, 2012)

It depends. I try to pay attention to lyrics, but there are many songs where lyrics are hard to decipher for artistic purposes or because of a language barrier. There is also music where less emphasis is put on lyrics and of course those that have no lyrics at all.


----------



## OverthoughtAndUnderstated (Aug 13, 2012)

It all depends on the type of music. Country, pop, hip-hop, etc, are all generally lyrically-based. It's nearly all that's important in that case. More artistic, composed pieces in the classical genres, instrumental ensembles, and electronic, etc, place all relevance on the instrumentation. There is a lot more to it than just this. This is very general insight. I am actually writing an article on this exact subject matter at the moment. I may post a link on PerC when I am done!


----------



## Idea (Mar 11, 2011)

Completely depends on the kind of music it is.


----------



## Dragearen (Feb 2, 2012)

I am very focused on lyrics and the vocals. If those two aren't good, odds are I won't listen to the music. The exception being classical. I especially love listening to foreign music. Those words... Are candy to my ears, even if I have no clue what they say.


----------



## Planisphere (Apr 24, 2012)

NT - VERY close attention

Although I can get scene ideas for a story from music without lyrics (and I listen to a lot of songs like that), I usually get larger plot ideas and inspiration from music _with _lyrics. I've written at least three stories based almost completely around the lyrics of certain songs. But I wouldn't have cared to listen to the lyrics if the 'mood' of the song didn't fit what I wanted to write. Unless doing a dramatic/romantic scene, I prefer writing to fast-paced or 'stealthy' tunes.

Everything I listen to is for writing. I rarely listen to music that pertains to me (although I've accidentally come across several songs that could be applied to me and my life in the course of my many song-searching quests - completely unintentional, however).


----------



## tanstaafl28 (Sep 10, 2012)

NT- I pay close attention to the lyrics, in fact, I am usually the one who tells other people who ask what the song actually means. 

Sometimes, I even find meanings for songs that I don't think the artists originally thought of either. For example: 

Tool- _Schism_ I think it works well for the 9/11/01 attacks.


----------



## Aslynn (Jun 2, 2012)

Nx - I don't understand the concept of _not _paying attention to the lyrics of a song. If I don't know what a singer is saying, then I can't enjoy it. And if the lyrics, or the meaning behind them, aren't good, then I don't listen to the song. That may have to do with the fact that I'm much more linguistically knowledgeable than musically literate, so I can't usually pick up on the more subtle aspects of instrumentation, whereas I can derive a world of meaning from good lyrics.


----------



## illow (Dec 23, 2012)

I mostly just listen to the beat, and then get to know the lyrics.


----------



## Crystal Winter Dream (May 27, 2018)

The words are most important to me.


----------



## ImminentThunder (May 15, 2011)

Lyrics are everything to me. Of course, if I don’t like the music or beat, I probably won’t like the song. But I’m more willing to compromise with music if I relate to the lyrics. The Smiths, for example, were initially too slow for me. But the lyrics hit home so I listened to a few of their songs, and started to find them catchy. 

With some bands, I do listen more for music. Like Skindred is cool because it’s reggae plus nu metal, which is awesome, but the lyrics don’t hit home for me. But for me this is rare.


----------



## jcal (Oct 31, 2013)

I'm a huge music lover, but I never pay any attention whatsoever to lyrics... zero, zip, zilch. You could change the words for a song I've heard a thousand times and I wouldn't notice. For me, music is all about the "texture" of the sound.


----------



## Swiss Miss (Jun 6, 2018)

There are some songs where the beat is king, but generally the lyrics are more important for me.


----------



## ButIHaveNoFear (Sep 6, 2017)

The music is the most important thing to me. If a song has great lyrics, but I hate the way it sounds, I'm not going to listen to it. (How I feel about all pop Christian music...)

The lyrics are still part of the music. The artist could write evocative lines of pure poetry in there, and I want to hear that! Lyrics give me a reason to listen to a song more deeply and thoughtfully. I think a lot about music while I listen and after the fact, so I like music that has a lot of ideas to toss around! _Please_ stump me with your prog rock metaphors—what is a Child in Time anyway?? 

So _*yes*_, I play close attention to the lyrics! 

And the more you pay attention, the easier it becomes to understand what words the person is saying in the moment. That skill has taken me years, and I'm still not very good at it!


----------



## Miss Nightingale (Aug 10, 2013)

Depends on the kind of song I am looking for. Pop songs, no. But I'll take the time to appreciate a song with good lyrics.


----------

