Music or Lyrics?

[AneeshTheGreat]

So this is a debate i often have with others, and sometimes even with myself. So i ask you guys too: what do you think is more important to YOU in a song, the music (i.e. the guitar work, the DJ scratching) or the lyrics of the song (obviously not for instrumentals)?

In my opinion the music is (more or less) a tiny bit more important. See, i generally listen to songs when i'm relaxing, and at times like those, i'd much rather jam to some good Green Day guitar than say, an Eminem rap battle.

[capnnerefir]

Both are pretty important to me. No matter how beautiful/poetic/meaningful/insightful/inspired/what have you your lyrics might be, if the music is bad, it results in a substarndard song. At the same time, though, I just can't stand songs with lyrics that lack substance. Songs that have no real meaning or purpose disgust me. Song is poetry, and there can be no poetry without passion. And if you have a song that is about nothing, then you cannot have any passion for it. The song, then, is just masturbation.

Obligatory ska plug:

Spoiler:

This is one of the reasons I love ska music. Traditional ska was straight out of Jamaica and had a great deal about what life was like for the people there. Not in a whining or complaining sense, more matter of fact. And honestly, they didn't think life was all that horrible. Even when you have very little to your name besides a place to sleep and maybe a guitar or trumpet, there's still a whole lot to be happy about. That's part of where ska music gets its happy or party tone. Two-tone ska had more social impact and was universally anti-racist, spreading a lesson of unity and love to everyone. Third-wave ska is even more socially bent these days. Let's look at Streetlight Manifesto. Tomas Kalnoky wrote a lot of songs about society (Down, Down, Down to Mephisto's Cafe about religion, Here's To Life on suicide, and a whole lot of songs about life in general). Many of these express pessimistic views of the world. But ska isn't just the lyrics, which (when taken alone) might be depressing. The music is just as important. And the music of ska is joyful, full of energy and life. With Streetlight, this underlines one of their most important points, one that is never stated outright because it is inherent to their music. Life is often a dark and scary thing for most people. You might not know where you'll get your next meal, where you'll sleep, and if you'll wake up tomorrow. But underneath all that is an overpowering joy in life itself, expressed by the instruments in contrast with the lyrics, that simply cannot be denied. No matter how dark life might be, there is still plenty of reason to love it.

[Dr Sario]

The music, by a bit.
Though it largely depends on wether I'm making music or just listening to it. Also, the lyrics must *not* be just some lovey-dovey mushy nonsense - should not only rhyme, but have meaning, too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBOvOatPqnY" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Leviathan]

For me, lyrics are not so important. The song can be very epic even if it doesn't have any lyrics, for example classical. Some songs have their own story to tell, the lyrics would just ruin them. Every song will give you different feeling. In my opinion, the music can be awesome without lyrics. On the other hand, lyrics won't crawl deep inside of you and impress you without music.

But I appreciate good lyrics, too. Good song and bad lyrics just won't fit together. They screw each other.

I say music.

[Spencer]

I'd also say the music. I listen to quite the variety of music, and I have to say the only rap I listen to has got to have some great lyrics and a catchy beet. But the catchy beet is usually what catches my attention.

Deffinitely music. Good music with bad lyrics can still be fun to listen to, not so much the other way around.

The best songs have both, that compliment each other. Under Pressure is one such song.

[nomadsland]

For me, definitely the music. I think at least half of my itunes library is instrumental or has vocals in another language. I pay so much attention to how the instruments, beat, and vocals mesh together and make me feel that I could (and do) listen to a song a hundred times and still have no idea what it's about. That being said, I don't listen to just anything that sounds good; there are songs out there that have a catchy beat or something that I refuse to listen to because the lyrics disgust me.

[darkwriter00]

It depends on the song. If it's some anime related music, I'd say the music more, plus the vocalist melodies. Otherwise I believe both is important. I don't listen to any music that gives really bad messages, and I don't listen to music that sounds hum-drum or boring.

[BLuSKyE]

both and it depends on the mood im in or what im doin. sometimes im just needing a strong beat the music to concentrate, other times i wanna hear the right lyrics to hepl me feel better idk i flip too much

[dreamz]

For me, definitely the music. Words are useless unless they sound good. I very recently took a Lyrical Persuasion class, and this very subject was debated. Interesting music makes important words all the more meaningful, and if the lyrics suck, the song can still be decent. The other way around, not so much.

[TF.]

Music, quite easily, though the vocals do serve as music themselves. As one example, the choir voices in Martin O'Donnell's soundtrack to Halo 1, 2 and 3 was driven by vocals- they produced most of the music.