Are there two types of people?

[36degrees]

Having a conversation with a friend and wondered if this is a 'push the meeting back' type scenario.

Do you tune into the lyrics in songs and think about and be moved by them just as much as the music, or do you hear the music and the melody but not really take in the words?

Yes, I listen to the lyrics and the music either moves me or it doesn't.

Dh listens to the beat and loves songs based on that. He has no head for lyrics at all. The trouble with that is, he thinks the subject of the song is directly related to how the beat makes him feel. Was a marvellous day when he played me Gives You Hell by All American Rejects and smilingly said "this one always reminds me of you."

I never really notice the lyrics, apart from Warren Zevon lyrics, as they are so clever.

Yes pretty much only interested the tune and not bothered about the lyrics, exception being Eminem.

If the lyrics are clear then I listen to them. If not, I just listen to the tune/beat.

DH always seems to know all the lyrics of the songs he likes, is there a Folk version of Smash Hits??

But I will be enduring listening to a song with him thinking yeah this is catchy "La la la underground, something something master" then he will say"God it's so moving about the miners dying underground , betrayed by their masters," and I'd say, oh yeah, yeah, it is . . .

Really interesting to see all the different answers. And reassuring that me and my friend are both entirely normal in our own ways 🤣

Follow up question, if you're a person who does tune into lyrics, do you imagine you're the singer, you're the person being sung to, or could go either way depending on the song?

I’m definitely in the lyrics camp here.

We’ve got iTunes and one of the things I like best about that is that - for most songs - you can get the lyrics to show. It annoys me when I can’t find lyrics.

Please tell me I'm not the only person who saw the title and immediately thought

🎤the ones that entertain
And the ones that observe🎤

.??

So interesting. I’ve realised fairly late into my life that I don’t really listen to lyrics. If you asked me I’d instinctively tell you the lyrics are really important (I love words, my job is word-y) but actually it’s the whole feel of the song I react to and love, and so I’d say it’s probably the music more than the lyrics. I can sing along to songs I love and realise I’m wrong, or it’s not quite what I thought it was.

For me music is that marriage of lyric and tune that transcends either of them somehow. So you experience the feeling of the whole song - more than the sum of its parts.

@FuckingFabulous

Yes, I listen to the lyrics and the music either moves me or it doesn't.

Dh listens to the beat and loves songs based on that. He has no head for lyrics at all. The trouble with that is, he thinks the subject of the song is directly related to how the beat makes him feel. Was a marvellous day when he played me Gives You Hell by All American Rejects and smilingly said "this one always reminds me of you."

Depends on the song.

Definitely the tune hooks me and then I notice the lyrics. Always get them arse ways. Only realised v recently that prefab sprout didn't love cookie.

I've noticed the words so much more this past year since the first lockdown really. I always heard the beat and the melody, but now songs I've danced to for years I'm hearing the words for what feels like the first time. I just stand there in shock sometimes, like how did I not realise that was the lyrics? There have been so many downsides this year, but I have experienced music in a whole new way.

You definitely notice the lyrics with Pulp songs.

Ohh, I'm a bit of both. My username is from song lyrics though.

Certain chord progressions will catch me right in the feels. With the genre of music I listen to the lyrics are often quite indistinguishable .

I agree with others that I tend to listen to the lyrics more if I'm feeling a bit introspective or down.

Far too many vocalists don't enunciate properly, which doesn't exactly help matters.

@36degrees

Really interesting to see all the different answers. And reassuring that me and my friend are both entirely normal in our own ways 🤣

Follow up question, if you're a person who does tune into lyrics, do you imagine you're the singer, you're the person being sung to, or could go either way depending on the song?

Could go either way - I usually don’t really identify as either? So if it’s a man singing about his girlfriend, I see myself as a third party having to listen to him going on about it, definitely not the girlfriend. Perhaps an annoying work colleague

If it’s a female singer, I might identify as her if I’m singing along, but again generally I’m imagining her as a friend offloading about her shit boyfriend.

Most songs I really like either have no viewpoint character (Shot by Both Sides by Magazine, Everything Counts by Depeche Mode), or no lyrics at all (minimal techno).

It depends, usually lyrics. But for dancing the beat.

I asked my sister the similar question. Not exactly the same type of question. I asked her when people post music videos on Facebook, are they trying to share how they are feeling or are they sharing the music they like.

One guy posted “this is why I drink”. Another guy posted “please don’t ask me” that made me wonder

@Blueberries0112 oh that is interesting. It always makes me wonder why people share their Spotify top 5 thing at the end of the year, I'd sooner take all my clothes off than expose myself emotionally like that online.

I never really thought about it before, but definitely listen to the lyrics. Unfortunately I now can't ever listen to One by Metallica as the lyrics really haunt me and I feel desperately sad for that poor soldier.

I did see a meme once that said something along the lines of "if you want to know what a girl is really thinking listen to her current playlist"

Ive realised recently that I don't really listen to lyrics. Dd has been singing lots of eighties songs around the house (she know the lyrics of everything) and I am often surprised to find out what well-known songs are actually about! I obviously just zone out.