[starman]

Every now and then I just listen to a song and say "err...I don't get it". My latest is NIN's "All The Love in the World" (is it legal to repost the lyrics?). The concept of the album is supposed to be Trent getting over drugs and alcohol and I still don't get it.

And it's not just NIN, there are times when songs use so many metaphors that I get lost. Anyone else have this problem?

[Atheist]

I rarely pay much attention to the lyrics. It's the music that's important to me.

[Railroader]

I usually sit down with the CD insert and read the lyrics the first time I listen through an album. That way I am not focused on figuring out what the artist/s are saying and I am better able to enjoy the music in the future.

[Chuckit]

Sometimes I'm convinced that songs don't even have a coherent meaning outside of the writer's mind. (I don't mean songs in general, but some specific songs just seem to be immune to semantics.)

BTW, lyrics.

[starman]

Yeah, I've thought of that too. It bugs me when people say "oh, I get it" and I'm not stupid, but maybe there are things that illegal substances are required for (and therefore I will never understand)

[analogika]

I think often enough there's a subtext that the artist is working off, where a bunch of materials and related text ideas and lyrics get written down, but all that makes it onto the final recording are snippets that only give you a small glimpse of the bigger picture.

From reading the lyrics, it sounds to me like he's driving.

[wallinbl]

R.E.M.


If I put some text here, it will let that be upper case.

[analogika]

I read a few days ago that REM's biggest problem recording their first few albums was fixing the lyrics, because Stipe would keep making up lyrics on the fly for every gig.

That explains some of it.

[Luca Rescigno]

I rarely understand lyrics unless they're really obvious or tell a story that can be taken at face value.

However, the biggest problem for me is that I can almost never tell what the lyrics are by listening to a song. Overall, I'd say 95% of vocals in all songs are unintelligible to me. But I don't really listen to the words. I just enjoy the music itself.

[@pplejaxkz]

I like to read the lyrics to a song the first time I listen to it. That way I have an understanding of it and can actually enjoy it. For the longest time I would just keep listening to the song over and over again and tried to piece together what the artist was saying. I got sick of that, and even after listening to it so many times I still wouldn't know what they were staying in some parts of the song.

[zro]

Sounds like he's done a lot of heroin.

Fugazi's a good band to not know WTF they're talking about half the time. Picciotto's work especially.

[wallinbl]

Originally Posted by lyrics

Why do you get all the love in the world? [x19]

x19? Sheesh.

[alligator]

I almost never have trouble with country songs, it's just hip hop that causes me to wonder what they are saying.

[Ozmodiar]

There is nothing mysterious about any lyrics to any song. I submit LFO's "Summer Girls" as evidence.

[wallinbl]

Originally Posted by alligator 

it's just hip hop that causes me to wonder what they are saying.

They're either talking about smokin chronic, bangin hoes or cappin fools, right?

[OwlBoy]

Originally Posted by Atheist 

I rarely pay much attention to the lyrics. It's the music that's important to me.

Do you still hear anything if it is Vocals only?

-Owl

[Spliff]

Originally Posted by wallinbl 

R.E.M.

Yeah, their lyrics are the reason I've never enjoyed their music.

I prefer narrative-based song lyrics and lyrics that demonstrate wit (e.g., Pulp or The Magnetic Fields) rather than obscurity and obtuseness.

[Oisín]

I like Tori Amos and Björk, so yes, I often have trouble interpreting lyrics.

[@pplejaxkz]

Originally Posted by wallinbl 

They're either talking about smokin chronic, bangin hoes or cappin fools, right?

Rap and Gangster Rap maybe, but true hip hop can be about so many other things. Now a days everybody is grouping Rap, Gangster Rap and real hip hop together as just "Hip Hop." A good example of true hip hop would be people like Atmosphere, one of his newest songs is called "Sunshine" and can be found here (just scroll down). Atmosphere has a lot of meaningful songs, everyone should check him out. I am not a fan of all that mainstream record label rap like 50 Cent, Jeezy or whoever the hell you call them.

But as Master Shake from ATHF says "All that rap is, is just clicks and whistles."