The Indie Bar Brawls: Music V Lyrics
 

OK, here’s the deal: to make me feel self-important each week, Im going to run this little series of polls. I’ll invite two of musics conflicting forces into my Indie Bar, stick a few Indie Beers into them and toss them into the gladiatorial death-ring that is this forum. It’s just like, well, every, Kings Of Leon song, but minus the 16 year old cousins who “consented with their eyes, Your Honour”, although I will try and get some arranged for next week They have a week to spar it out and whoever has the most votes reigns as the Indie Bar Champion. All clear?

Good, well we’re gonna start with the biggest topic I could think of: Music vs. Lyrics. The age old question that dates back to when Neanderthal singers would fight that their “ughs” were considerably better than the lead stone player’s riff (acoustic stone, obviously, since the electric hadn’t been invented yet)…Which makes or breaks the song? Which are you listening for? Are you pricking your ears to Paige or Plant, Morrissey or Marr, Hawkins or Hawkins (well Ok the answer hear is clearly “ but how can you choose between those two geniuses?”…ahem). So who’s bloody corpse will I be cleaning out of my bar? YOU DECIDE: MUSIC OR LYRICS??

The first thing I really tune into is the sound of the song. If it has a good melody and it's all on key, etc. then I'll move onto the lyrics and really get a feel for the song.

Music
 

Both are important, but I think the music is a bit more important. I can listen to a song that's musically great, but with weak lyrics, and enjoy it, but one with bad music will lose my interest quick. Case in point...Coal Chamber; Their music is great, but Dez's lyrics leave a lot to be desired. Weak lyrics don't make "Big Truck" a bad song, but weak music would.

probably for me the music cos i play guitar and i wanna hear what people are playing, but i listen equally for both

Some bands can pull off bad lyrics if they have good music (Children Of Bodom) but very few can do the opposite. I'll listen to some music, especially if it's fun pop-punky stuff even if the lyrics leave alot to be desired but in general I like lyrics to be as good as possible, it sort of lends more substance to the songs.

I'll have to go with music, because after I listen to a song I replay it and make sure I get all the lyrics right.

i have to say i pay very little attention to lyrics, maybe it's cause english is not my native language because i do pay much more attention to lyrics in croatian songs...either way i'd have to go with music too...that's the first thing that gets your attention, if the music is crap the best lyrics in the world can't make up for it...

What about Bright Eyes or Bob Dylan? Truly amazing lyrics, yet they have so few memorable tunes...

well the music counts alot, it's like a first impression, but if the lyrics are really bad i sometimes get disappointed and only look for the good tunes and not pay attention to the lyrics or ignore the artist altogether and vice versa....music does give an overall impression and is universal. i think i'd pick the music, just because it's more international and can give an impression of the song whether you like it or not and it can put you in a mood, like in movies.....

MUSIC.

Deffo.

For one, its called music, not lyrics.
And another, ya get music without lyrics more often than ya get lyrics without music.
AND another... I like music more. Id die without ma music, but.. I'd cope without lyrics. Its the music I look for in a song.