Music Or Lyrics?

They are both very important elements of a song but which is more important?

This topic has been touched upon on other threads but here is a whole thread dedicated to it! So what do you think!

Honestly, I used to think it was all about the lyrics, but then now that I have become a bit more serious about music, I realize the most important element is music. Otherwise, one could just go to a website and print out the lyrics.

The music is what makes a band original, this can easily be debated though! What do YOU think!

If I want just words I can buy books, don't you think? If I buy CDs is for the f***ing music.

I'll drink to that.
I've heard people say that the lyrics are most important with just as much as 'reasonable' evidence, but for ME it's mostly the music.

i think both are really directly related. I mean, I've heard songs that have crap lyrics but sounded great, and also some songs that were just thrown together around some awesome lyrics, maybe even a poem. Then again, I don't mind a good instrumental, but I can only take so much. You don't want such a gap in your music that it makes the audience forget what they're listening to, unless that's what you're going for. Jamming is fun for the band, granted, and some people really dig that stuff, but for the most part, I think a band should try an engage its audience as much as possible.

Truly it depends. I think with Floyd, there is a nice mix between the two. But in some instances I truly prefer the music (case in point Echoes) while other times great lyrics make bad music listenable. And there are times where the singing alone (regardless of the words) is important, as the vocals are just another instrument (RAtM is a good example of this)

I watched an interview with Rush, and although Neil Peart does write the lyrics, Geddy Lee is the one who matches up the music and the words and it seems like a daunting task.

I'm completely undecided on this one.

I relate directly to the lyrics because I haven't got a musical bone in my entire body... so as a writer, naturally the lyrics hold a lot of significance for me.

But...

As it has been stated already, the music is what makes a band unique, and it holds a great amount of emotion (and in the special cases, talent).

I don't think you can really do one without the other. I can't argue for either.

For the people who can't make up thier minds I put the Box option, because WHO doesn't love to climb into boxes and close the lids?

I think both are equally important. The music, I believe, has a slight edge over the lyrics. The lyrics are like the brain of the song (message being put forth), while the music expresses the emotion...if that makes any sense!?!

Anyways..it's the complete package that makes it good music. That's what I'm trying to say.

hey, Pearly, I saw the prism in Almost Famous. drop me a line some time, woman, for crying out loud. my outburst about dead musicians is just a cry for attention.

Take away the music and a lot of lyrics are merely bad sixth form poetry, Pink Floyd songs are no execption to this.

That doesn't make the music good, it just means the bad poems are elongated and made to seem as if more work went into them.

Yes, a good song has music and lyrics that compliment each other.

hmmmmmm, interesting point. I really think it depends on the type of music and the band. Like everyone else around here I thikn that you can have really bad lyrics around a great tune and vice versa.

oh and YSB please learn how to spell.

cheers

My personal opinion is that it depends on the band that you're listening to.

With Pink Floyd, I'm hard pressed to pick music over lyrics or lyrics over music, most times. They are in every way absolutely unique, and the music benefits from the lyrics, and the lyrics benefit from the music. One without the other would still be powerful (and tower over most other artists easily), but the combination is simply closer to perfection than I've heard with other artists.

Then there are other bands and artists where the music is outstanding, but the lyrics are what caught and held my attention and keep me coming back, whether for cunning wordplay or cutting commentary, or even simply stunning storytelling.

Sometimes it can be the way a vocal is delivered, more than the words that are being sung/said (Roger Waters is a prime example of this) that gives the words the necessary punch.

And that's all I have to say on the subject at the moment.



Cheers!

GeeDub#1