Wednesday, 10 December 2008

Meaningful lyrics

At this point, I would like to pick up and specify my recent observation in music taste of taking lyrics rather important: I've come to the conclusion that I prefer songs with meaningful lyrics. "What does meaningful mean in this context anyway?" – That’s a question in place and to be addressed first.
Let me paraphrase "meaningful" with "to contain a message that can be understood and applied beyond the specific context which it is embedded in". You might want to call it a thesis or even a theory in scientific, lesson in philosophical or even wisdom in more spiritual terms. I want to refrain from such ponderous words, though.
Anyway, it doesn't leave back the notorious "So what?"-question but gives something to think about it.
Now of course, there certainly are other fascinating aspects about lyrics like the eloquence and choice of words or rhythm and rhymes. However, I can't help but to value meaningful content the most.
Further, I daresay that a well-done song with some insightful message tends to depict real masters of song composition. Yes, I claim that it requires more skill to write a (good) meaningful song than any other kind of song-writing.
Of course, this argument goes again hand-in-hand with my basic conviction that language determine thinking, wherefore the formal elaboration of lyrics can and might already point at the profoundness of its content - especially in lyrics.
Just think of how much more difficult it is to wrap some decent message in an obstinate verse style! How many musicians and songwriters can't help but to be assumed to have come up with some good rhymes or even just tunes and now try to blow it up to a balloon of lyrics - nicely shaped but completely empty? Of course, on the opposite, there are terrific messages wrapped in horrible verses and tunes - but who listens to those anyway? Shape tends to become your first impression with an annoying regularity.

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