Do Lyrics Matter?

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Xdrummer

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This was influenced by a trhead in the songwriting forum - in which people debate if lyrics are important (a surprising number of "songwriters" think lyrics do not matter.

I would like to think that a vocalist can be moved by lyrical content - which in turn would influence the vocal performance (sad lyrics bring angst to the voice - angry lyrics bring attitude, lyrics that the vocalist can relate to bring more passion)

Candidly, I'm surprised by the number of vocalists I've used to demo my songs - who sing with little or no real passion. I find as the "producer" I often have to really work to get passionate vocal performances. While, I'm not a great singer - I do sing with passion, which helps to sell the song - I've always thought that was part of a singers "job"

So - to you singers - do lyrics matter?
 
I am a Singer/Songwriter and I would say that Lyrics definitley matter, the more you believe in the lyrics the more you can get into the song. Lyrics mean different things to different people, they don't have to be profound or deep, they can be very simple but can get a message across especially when delivered by a great singer.
For me personally the songs that really move me are those sung with passion and feeling and usually have something to say beyond "baby baby baby oh !".

YouTube - Upon The Sea
 
I can't understand what Liz Fraser is saying most of the time, but her singing blows my mind. Not knowing the lyrics doesn't matter. But I suppose a singer needs lyrics regardless of that. They can't just say "la la la" all the time.
 
I believe lyrics matter a lot to a singer. If you don't tap into emotion when singing, then it's just technical, there is no feeling there. A lack of feeling = boring. As a singer, if I am not able to get emotionally amped up, the performance is going to suffer.
 
I think to a singer, the lyrics have got to matter, if only for the duration of the song. I've noticed that sometimes, singers are just 'singing the words' and while I do sometimes see the voice as another instrument, it's an instrument with a difference. Even if one thinks the lyrics are stupid, as a singer, you've got to deliver those lyrics and melody with some sort of conviction. Even fake conviction. What I mean is that if the singer has agreed to sing the song, they need to give some life to the words. To me, words are not just words.
Sometimes, simply the way a lyric is sung can transform it from maybe being bland and uninteresting, to sounding deep and meaningful, even though it may be anything but.
I remember, when I used to do the music in church meetings, I would only pick songs that I agreed with or believed in. There were tons of songs that I used to refuse to sing, either because I couldn't bring myself to sing something I didn't mean or because I thought the lyrics were unthought out mush. But there were other songs, particularly ones aimed at kids, that I could do justice to, even though I'd never sing them to myself in a thousand and ten years !
I'm also a believer in the fact that lyrics should have meaning, somewhere, even if the writer has just tossed them off in 2 minutes and hasn't thought them through. The meaning doesn't have to be important, though.
 
Indeed they DO matter. And not just the lyrics, but the vocal delivery of the lyrical content.

Today, it seems that most singers are more focused on vocal acrobatics than anything else. A singer 'riffing' his or her way through a song doesn't impress, or interest me in the least. A non-instrumental song is a story being told, within the span of just a few minutes. You have just three to four minutes (on average) to get a complete story across to the listener(s), and the success of that depends on three elements: The musical backing tracks, the lyric, and the emotional deliverance of the written word. The latter is what brings the lyric to life. It is what makes them real. It is what makes the listener(s) really feel what is being expressed.

That, is what's key.
 
Like trying to comunicate without wordS
If can happen but it's harder to do so
 
I agree, I think they do matter, but in my opinion melody can make the lyrics so much more powerful.
Though for some reason lyrics don't matter in bad mainstream regurgitated pop music... anyone remember the song (and i use the term song very loosely) "MMMBop" :p ?
 
I would agree with most of what has been said. Lyrics and their delivery do matter. What happens at times in pop/rock is the tune itself is "catchy" enough that the lyrics take a back seat. Not saying it's bad or good. One tune I really like - What You Do to Me/Teenage Fanclub - is quite simple lyrically; 3 or four lines repeated over the course of the tune, but the melody is what makes me listen and enjoy the tune. (The visual intrigues me on this tune also.) Sometimes, for me personally, that works just fine - other times it is annoyingly stupid. Just as there are a variety of individual preferences musically there are a variety of individual relatedness to music. What works and is "valid" or worthy for one person may be less so for another.

A lyric is a story many times; sometimes it's close to gibberish. Delivered well can make those words matter. Delivered poorly and the whole tune can suffer.
 
Xdrummer said:
Candidly, I'm surprised by the number of vocalists I've used to demo my songs - who sing with little or no real passion. I find as the "producer" I often have to really work to get passionate vocal performances. While, I'm not a great singer - I do sing with passion, which helps to sell the song - I've always thought that was part of a singers "job"
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Interesting that you bring this up. I can sing but I've tended to prefer the voices of many of my friends over the years. Although people think I'm an OK singer, I'd rather sing back ups and harmony and I've long liked the idea of having different singers of songs on an album. Sometimes, getting a good performance from people doing the singing has been like performing an operation ! I'm aware that most of the time my friends haven't a clue what my lyrics mean, even when I explain them. But I also sometimes find the performances listless and uninspired. So I've taken to doing a number of them myself. Though I think my voice isn't as good, I do a better job for the most part. The bit that's interested me is that as you put it, to vocally convey life, passion, humour, sarcasm, something, that's a singers 'job', not just represent words as musical notes.
 
I think it depends on what the message of the song is.. but all in all, lyrics aren't completely necassary.
 
Lyrics matter more in the studio than they do live if you ask me, but who's asking me?
 
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