The importance, or not, of a story in a song
 

Just wondered how everyone feels? Assuming the song has a lyric, is it important to you that it tells some sort of story or gives you an insight into the writer, or are you happy if it's vacuous and fluffy, obvious rhymes strung together with no real intention to impart any sort of message or tell a story?

Obviously, coming from a prog rock background, I like to hear good ideas expressed in lyrics, but that's just me. I know some here aren't even bothered about lyrics, and then again there are the non-English artistes, so I would just be interested to see how people view lyrics, if at all?

It's great but in no way a requirement.

How the hell did you get a post in before I even posted the thread??? :yikes: :bowdown: Your mod powers are truly awesome!

I'm unsure what the question is asking. Are you wondering if it's better to have a story in a song or...

I'm not sure how clearer I can make it.
When you listen to a song, is it important to you that the lyric of said song tells a story, ie are you happy if it's a "rock all night" or "dance with me" or "this sucks" kind of idea, or do you prefer (not saying it has to, just is it your preference) for it to tell a story, make a point, or give you some insight into the writer of the song?

I really thought the question was clear. I hope it is now.

you should try looking at the poll m8

Ki's stupid. End story.

Lyrics are not critical to my enjoyment of music, however, if they are great and they tell a great story, it elevates what's already been written.

I'm pretty much only drawn to lyrics that have some sort of dark content that's paired with wry self-awareness or a colourful story. See: Colin Meloy, Colleen Green, Jarvis Cocker, Kevin Barnes, so on.

EDIT: Oh, I see, this isn't about lyrics so much as it's actually about the content of them. Yes. I prefer musicians that tell stories in their writing to those who write nearly-meaningless, half-expressed ideas.

I didn't see the poll. My bad.

Sometimes I want a hamburger. Other times a hot dog does the trick.

This guys knows what's up.


Sometimes I'm in the mood for a story and other times I could care less. I tend to focus on the make up of the song more than the lyrics/story anyways.

Best

Tik tok is seriously a banger with high quality lyrics, I'm surprised she isn't popular yet.

I'm a fan of folk and really like ballads that tell a story. But a story isn't a requirement.

There are songs that express themes, but don't tell a story. This Train Is Bound for Glory is an example. The words are important, but they don't tell a tale. They draw a series of images that express the theme of the song. A lot of gospel music uses lyrics this way.

Worried Man Blues is another of my favorites that isn't a ballad, but does express a theme. Similarly, Johnny B. Goode.

There are good songs that use random lyrics almost like scat. Siberian Khatru (Yes) is an example of that use of lyrics. (I find that many songwriters try use this technique to be artistic and deep, but fail.)

How important are lyrics to me, I'll say 10 out of a possible 17.

Haha?

It just depends. I enjoy a good story told in a song—Nick Cave, The Decemberists, and Harry Nilsson come to mind—but I'm also fine with lyrics that are simply evocative, lyrics I don't understand, or no lyrics at all. I would say most music I listen to has no lyrics, has lyrics in a language I don't understand, or has lyrics that are next to impossible to understand because of the vocal style.

The bolded is so me when it comes to the large amount of reggaeton I listen to. :laughing: I can pick out a few words here and there but most of the time I'm not sure what they are saying completely.

Everything is relative. On one hand, elaborate lyrics make you appreciate "the how". That is, how the idea or the story is expressed. On the other hand, lyrics that are simply evocative allow space for your imagination. Both things are interesting, if at least there is an idea behind them:




Sometimes, songwriters themselves want us to pay attention to the lyrics.... sometimes not. See shoegazing, for instance. Obviously, lyrics are not the most important thing here. However, that doesn't necessarily mean that a shoegaze song doesn't have a certain message.

As for non-English songs, sometimes you only need to understand the title or a few lines to "get the message". For instance, listen to the following song. All you need to know is what chorus says: "take me high, take me higher". I won't translate the rest of the lyrics (for the moment). First, because they're not that important. Second, because I'm too lazy. But it doesn't matter, you will surely "grasp the feeling":



Band Odio París (which means "I hate Paris", :laughing:): Geometría coaxial ("Coaxial Geometry", 2016).

Lyrics can be fun as a measure of catchiness in a song, but the "deeper" i delve into music the less vocals mean to me in any sort of lyrical sense.

Kanye is an example of the type of lyrics I look for in my music.

Nobody is saying there have to be rules. I'm simply asking what is your preference? Obviously, there are good lyricists and bad, and within that, even what I would personally consider a good lyricist can write a crappy song (Gary Moore "Teenage Idol") and a bad lyricist could write a good one (Train, "When the fog rolls in"): of course there are no rules. You're misinterpreting the thrust of this thread, whether you don't understand it or are just being ornery for its own sake I don't know. But I'm not saying all songs have to be deep and meaningful. I just prefer, mostly, my music this way and wondered how others felt about it. It's just a question, not a claim.

That's cool.