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Original poster

Do you hear / listen to lyrics when you listen to songs?

26 replies

JoBrodie · 10/03/2023 15:37

I don't hear lyrics when I listen to songs (or rather I don't attend to them) and have no idea what the singer is singing about unless I have the lyrics in front of me or someone tells me what the words are, or I pay more attention. I just hear the sound - the melody of the song, timbre of the instruments, production etc.

It seems that there's a distinct split between lyrics-hearers and non-hearers, the topic has come up on other forums but I didn't find a thread on Mumsnet about it so I thought I'd ask here.

If you do hear lyrics are you making an effort to hear them or does it come naturally? Are lyrics important to your enjoyment of the song? (For me they make no difference).

I don't know if it's a subject that's been researched (I had a cursory glance on PubMed, but not really sure if that's the right place or what to look for) but I'm curious to know if the ways in which people experience music are to do with the way the brain is hard-wired, or differences in auditory processing, or even just earliest exposure to musical styles and current preferences.

I'm a bit like Alan Partridge in this scene where he clearly has no idea what the song Sunday Bloody Sunday is about :)

"...really encapsulates the frustration of a Sunday..."

Jo

OP posts:
CaptainWentworth · 10/03/2023 15:42

I’m so glad you mentioned this as it’s always puzzled me that DH claims not to hear/ be particularly interested in lyrics, whereas yes I do usually at least try to listen to them and they definitely affect how I feel about a song.

DragonbornMum · 10/03/2023 15:45

Depends on the song really. Many songs I have to listen to several times before I can understand the lyrics. I generally pay more attention to the music

(it's gotten me in trouble a few times where I really like a song, and after listening to it multiple times realize how horrible it is 😁)

MobyJeff · 10/03/2023 15:50

I’d say the lyrics are the most important thing in a song for me. I couldn’t listen to a song that I thought had stupid, or racist or misogynistic lyrics.

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Original poster
JoBrodie · 10/03/2023 15:55

I only realised, really quite recently, that Rage Against The Machine's Killing In The Name Of was a protest song about a particular event. I just thought it was generally anti-authority because I had only managed to pick out a few words without picking up any context.

This came to light when there were several observations made about US right-wing rallies using music (often without permission but that's another thing) which had lyrics that were clearly not in sympathy with the people attending the rally, quite the opposite. Several people wondered if right-wingers don't hear lyrics very well ;) I'm not a right-winger but I could easily see me falling foul of the same phenomenon!

Re: @MobyJeff I agree that I'd not want to be listening to objectionable music - it's more that I wouldn't notice that I was, unless someone pointed it out to me or the singer had very clear diction.

Jo

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taxguru · 10/03/2023 16:01

I've always struggled with hearing the lyrics and would pick up on maybe a quarter of the words sung, usually just the chorus.

It came pretty late in life for me to realise that's determined my choice/preference of music, i.e. which singers/groups I liked listening to, which was basically the ones where I could hear more of the lyrics, which has tended towards the likes of Abba, BeeGees, Cliff Richard, etc. The kinds of music I've never liked, such as heavy rock, punk, rap, etc., is almost certainly because I've just never been able to hear the words.

My favourite all time singer is Olivia Newton John, I think because she has a very clear voice and I can probably hear 75+ of the words she sings.

FKATondelayo · 10/03/2023 16:02

I think lyrics are important but they aren't a primary factor in why I love a song. I respond on an instinctive level to the energy, mood, bass, rhythm and production and only hear lyrics in fragments. Then as the song grows on me, I start working out the story and words. Sometimes I never work out or understand the lyrics in full and that doesn't matter.

Edge of 17 Stevie Nicks - I know most of the lyrics but no idea what it's about or how they tell the story but it's still one of my favourite songs.

Whereas Mad by Solange - I definitely came to the lyrics first cos I relate to them and the song grew on me.

FKATondelayo · 10/03/2023 16:10

I also am a massive hip hop fan but to be honest, some artists aside, 90% of hip hop lyrics can be summarised thus "Other rappers don't respect me, nobody understands me even though I've won lots of awards and have a lot of money. By the way did I mention I'm loaded? And I don't even care anyway."

It's the production and bass and swagger that does it for me.

Buttalapasta · 10/03/2023 18:10

I'd say no as I can hear a song a million times and not know what they're singing but if an 80s song comes on I know all the words so perhaps it's an age thing.

PuppyMonkey · 10/03/2023 18:19

I hear the melody and the tune the first few times I hear a song, but then I start noticing the lyrics and it’s all about the words being said from then on. If I realise a song is talking bollocks - see just about any Oasis song - it puts me right off.

tabulahrasa · 10/03/2023 19:08

I mean, the music part is important or I’d just listen to poetry or something, lol.

But, yes I listen to the lyrics and if I don’t like them I won’t like a song and if it’s good really good lyrics I’ll like it more.

Rainbow1901 · 10/03/2023 19:15

Lyrics have always been a mixed bag for me as I wear hearing aids. Some singers are really clear and others definitley not so!! Peter Kays' comedy showing songs and lyrics sums this up perfectly. 🙄

Badbadbunny · 10/03/2023 19:26

My hearing has always been poor, so I've always preferred singers with crystal clear voices, or purely instrumental such as The Shadows. I don't really enjoy listening to singers who aren't clear as I find myself trying to listen to understand the lyrics (which is often impossible with some singers), that I can't concentrate on the music itself.

A previous poster mentioned 80s music, and I really do think that singers were generally clearer back then, and the 70s, less mumbling, etc.

RoseslnTheHospital · 10/03/2023 19:29

Lyrics and music are pretty much equal for me, and I can't imagine listening to a song without also thinking about the lyrics. My favourite bands and songs are those where the music is interesting and complex as well as having meaningful, quirky, interesting or powerful lyrics.

JimJamJolly · 10/03/2023 19:41

I love music, but I'm definitely a non-hearer. I often have music/the radio on, but generally it's the background to my own thoughts.

My DS definitely listens to the lyrics. On car journeys he'll often comment on the lyrics or ask questions about what they mean.

user1471453601 · 10/03/2023 19:46

Lyrics tend to be what draws me to a song, but I think I'm in a minority. Years and years ago, a poll voted Crackiln Rosie (Neil Diamond) the happiest song. One interpretation of the lyrics is that it's talking about an indigenous American on a reservation singing about a bottle of wine being his only solice

Annabananna1 · 10/03/2023 19:50

Yes lyrics are v important to me I definitely listen and take them in.

Thinkbiglittleone · 10/03/2023 20:30

Yes, lyrics are important, they tell the story of the song. My DH can't tell you what a song is about, I just can't comprehend this, it's feels like trying to read a book but not reading the words.

Donotgogentle · 10/03/2023 20:38

Yes, it can completely change my view of the song.

DS told me yesterday that “Pumped Up Kicks” was about a high school shooting. I had thought it was a breezy, summer indie pop song. Ruined for me now.

PlateBilledDuckyPerson · 10/03/2023 20:39

Yes.

Donotgogentle · 10/03/2023 20:41

I am Alan Partridge.

Cardamoney · 10/03/2023 20:59

The melody is important to me, but the lyrics more so. There are songs I love, but once I’ve realised how uninspiring or crass the lyrics are it really puts me off when the lyrics don’t scan or are really naff.

megletthesecond · 10/03/2023 21:11

Yes always.

I didn't realise not listening to them was a thing until recently when Greg James was talking about it.

Original poster
JoBrodie · 10/03/2023 21:12

Peter Kay's misheard lyrics sketch is wonderful :) I certainly do mishear lyrics* but it's quite rare cos I would have to hear them first ;)

*I hear Freddie Mercury singing 'got to beat some git on the head' instead of 'got to be some good times ahead' (Living on my own).

Jo

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Original poster
JoBrodie · 10/03/2023 21:13

@megletthesecond ooh can you point me to where he said that? I heard Richard Osman on Michael Rosen's programme (Word Of Mouth) a couple of weeks ago and he mentioned that he's a lyric-hearer but his brother isn't.

Jo

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larkstar · 10/03/2023 22:24

The lyrics are probably right at the top of the list for me but I'm looking for invention in every or any aspect of the song. I'm a musician and I write my own songs and the bit that gives me the most satisfaction is crafting the lyrics because that's usually the trickiest part - TBH once you have a set of lyrics or even just a few lines actually putting a melody and chords to it is pretty easy. I make a conscious effort to work out the lyrics to songs that catch my attention and it could be any aspect that hooks me in in the first place - it will usually be the invention - something that sets it apart from anything I've heard before - could be in the bass line, a drum fill, the rhythm, the narrative.... I dispared when I heard or Eurovision entry this year because it had too many over used and familiar elements - "wronged girl not taking that sh!t from her man" - it's a whole genre in itself these days, Rihanna style "na na na na na na na na na na na na na na" - it's low hanging fruit from the songwriters, lowest common denominator stuff - how does it break new ground: where's the invention that sets it apart from what's gone before our what's in circulation now? Of course - this is just me looking for the holy grail in new music - there's still music I find I can enjoy that doesn't tick all or even many of the boxes. On the one hand is fair enough that there's often an element of standing on the shoulders of giants but I think it's laziness when artists don't try and break some new ground. Lyrics matter a lot to me because I think they are hard, storytelling is hard but it's the narrative that makes a song something I'm going to take to heart and carry around with me for years. Songs, like poems are like shells on a beach - there are millions of them but I have a couple of pockets and maybe have space for a dozen shells in each - I'm only going to pick up and hold on to the ones I think are really special.