Do the Words Count?

Tony Palmer · Post by **Tony Palmer** » 12 Jul 2006 10:55 am

My housecleaning girl, who is from Brazil, speaks very little English and understands even less, but she loves (modern) country music.
I happened to ask her today how can she like it if she doesn't know what they're saying, she said she just likes the sound of it!
She listen to it all the time.
What does that say about lyrics?

Ray Minich · Post by **Ray Minich** » 12 Jul 2006 11:55 am

Depends...
How about "Save a Horse - Ride a Tractor" ?
(From a T-shirt at Penneys)

Richard Sevigny · Post by **Richard Sevigny** » 12 Jul 2006 12:28 pm

I think the majority of listeners don't really pay attention to lyrics. Songs that try to say something meaningful are often derided for being too "heavy".

Most popular music (country included) is straight escapism.

Ben Slaughter · Post by **Ben Slaughter** » 12 Jul 2006 12:50 pm

Depends on the listener, I believe.

The lyrics are one of the last things I hear, in fact, most of the time I have to concentrate just to hear the lyrics. But, I think the lyrics are different from the "hook" line. Most everyone remembers the hook line, but can't tell you the words. When I'm listening to a record for the first time, unless I'm listening for something specific, the elements of the record probably enter my conscienceness in this order:

Melody, beat, hook, arrangement/harmony, tempo, lyrics.

But, to the average "non-musician" listener I'll bet the order is more like this:

Beat, hook, lyric, melody, tempo, arrangement.

There are other elements too, time signature, mode, tone, dynamics, ect, but I think the ones I mentioned are predominant in popular music as many of the other elements are more uniform.

Really, this is a very interesting question you ask.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 12 Jul 2006 1:25 pm

I like the sound of Brazilian music and I don't have a clue as to what they're singing in Portuguese.

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 12 Jul 2006 1:28 pm

Most people dont' know the lyrics to 90% of the rock/pop songs out there. I still don't know the lyrics to "Sympathy for the Devil"

Charles Davidson · Post by **Charles Davidson** » 12 Jul 2006 1:42 pm

Most of the time lyrics just get in the way of good music,that's why 98% of the music I own is instrumental,what the hell does bo-donk-a donk mean anyway?

Petr Vitous · Post by **Petr Vitous** » 12 Jul 2006 3:06 pm

In my country is All-American music very popular and a half of population, more or less, do not know the English language.
I remember myself, in the '70, it was country music what made me going to learn the English language. I started to collect the lyrics of songs, mostly from bootlegged Country Song Round-Up magazines. With the help of dictionary we tried to understand what's the story about. Country melodies are mostly very pretty but listen to Tom T. Hall or Shel Silverstein without understanding the song lyrics, it's only a half of music.

Peter
http://www.luma-electronic.cz/lp/elpe.htm

basilh · Post by **basilh** » 12 Jul 2006 5:31 pm

I think they do !!

Alvin Blaine · Post by **Alvin Blaine** » 12 Jul 2006 7:04 pm

Do the Words Count?

Yes!!
It's the reason I listen to the "Tejano" radio station more than the "New Country" station.

They have fiddles, steels, accordions, polkas, waltzes, and even a shuffle now and then.
And if they are singin' about sexy tractors and badonkadonk, I can't tell.

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 12 Jul 2006 9:12 pm

If it's not an instrumental song, I generally pay pretty close attention to the lyrics...

"Sympathy For The Devil?" I think I could recite the whole thing right now! IMO they are some of the best, and most clever lyrics in the history of rock and roll.

Yeah, I'm big on lyrics.

------------------
Mark

Skip Edwards · Post by **Skip Edwards** » 12 Jul 2006 11:34 pm

Alvin, you took the words right out of my mouth....

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 13 Jul 2006 2:58 am

""Sympathy For The Devil?" I think I could recite the whole thing right now! "

Cool!

Post them. I'd love to know what they are at last.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 13 Jul 2006 3:35 am

I would hate to hear "They're Coming to Take Me Away" without the lyrics...

Ray Minich · Post by **Ray Minich** » 13 Jul 2006 4:27 am

I believe it was on an episode of the Smothers Brothers where the "The Pips" sang their backup vocals to "Midnite Train to Georgia" without Gladys Knight, or her lead lyrics. There was definitely something missing.

Andy Jones · Post by **Andy Jones** » 13 Jul 2006 6:10 am

Mr.Charles Davidson,I must say again,you are the man!There are lots of great lyrics of older real country songs,but for the most part,I just listen to the music.I must meet you some day.
Andy Jones

Joe Casey · Post by **Joe Casey** » 13 Jul 2006 7:36 am

As a singer I find it very hard to sing songs without lyrics.

Charles Davidson · Post by **Charles Davidson** » 13 Jul 2006 7:47 am

Thanks Andy,Yes most of the old country songs ,even though most of them were about cheating,heartbreak,death,and living,at least they were telling stories that people could understand,Hank Sr's I'm so lonesome I could cry[pure poetry]Also the old pop tunes such as Stardust,Deep Purple,Moonlight In Vermont,Moon over Miami,Georgia,Tenderly,Fly me to the Moon,Moonglow,Marie,all had beautiful lyrics,seems the best todays lyricists can come up with is Red-neck women,pickup trucks,and bo-donk-a donk honky tonks.Well at least there is enough people out there that loves this ^%#* to make them all millions of dollars.

Russ Wever · Post by **Russ Wever** » 13 Jul 2006 8:44 am

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>I would hate to hear "They're Coming to Take Me Away" without the lyrics...
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Aw, Jim . . . does this mean it won't be on your new CeeDee . . ?

Phooey!

~Russ

Mark Lind-Hanson · Post by **Mark Lind-Hanson** » 13 Jul 2006 9:33 am

I see absolutely nothing wrong with music as pure escapism. In this mean old world, people need a safety valve. Of course lyrics matter, but if it makes somebody feel good, where's the harm in it?

Ray Minich · Post by **Ray Minich** » 13 Jul 2006 10:00 am

Walter Brennan's tunes would certainly sound different...

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 13 Jul 2006 10:21 am

As a singer I find it very hard to sing songs without lyrics.

You need to listen to more Ella!

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 13 Jul 2006 10:26 am

"I see absolutely nothing wrong with music as pure escapism. In this mean old world, people need a safety valve. Of course lyrics matter, but if it makes somebody feel good, where's the harm in it?"...as written by Mark L.H.

In music, there's room for both, just as there is room in the world for People Magazine and the poetry of T.S. Eliot.

------------------
Mark

Tracy Sheehan · Post by **Tracy Sheehan** » 13 Jul 2006 12:01 pm

I always thought it was the words that made music.Now days from what little i see of so called singers on tv are only running back and forth on stage flapping their arms.
Looks to me like a pelican with an injured wing trying to take off from a lake.

Mark Lind-Hanson · Post by **Mark Lind-Hanson** » 13 Jul 2006 12:04 pm

Hey, you ought to catch Walter Brennan and Ricky Nelson's duet on "Cindy, Cindy"- I think it's in "Rio Bravo" >?<
Yes there is always room for both in music,
Mark!
What I was referring to was that tendency (some) people have that lyrics always have "mean" something, or the music is meaningless.
(boomalacka, rama lama ding dong?)
There's a lot of great classical music out there that causes one type of person to fall asleep, and another type to have reveries. That's sort of what I meant.