How important are lyrics to hifi-freaks?

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Hi!

AFter going though some of the music posts again I began to wonder, how important lyrics are for the rest of you out there.

However important music (and I mean sounds produced my musical instruments, not the lyrics) and it's reproduction with my (DIY) euipment is to me, I simply can't stand music with bad lyrics :headbash:.

My opinion is: If you don't got something to say, then be quiet (=instrumental). But then I often miss the vocal part.

Therefore I am the only one in my circle of friends who simply can't enjoy himself going to a place where they play techno music and its likes, since I always miss lyrics (or, if they have lyrics, I'd rather listen to my dog howling :yell: than to that piece of crap which they most of the time call lyrics :down: - exception: Faithless :up: ).

So, are all of you more into the "music" as such, or does the spoken word also mean a lot to you :confused:?

Bye,

Arndt

PS:

Some examples of what I call great lyrics:

The End - The Doors
Orgasmatron - Motörhead
The Needle And The Damage Done - Neil Young
Bullet In The Head - Rage Against The Machine
Sehnsucht - Purple Schultz
The Master Song - Leonard Cohen
I Ain't Maching Anymore - Phil Ochs
 
Therefore I am the only one in my circle of friends who simply can't enjoy himself going to a place where they play techno music and its likes, since I always miss lyrics (or, if they have lyrics, I'd rather listen to my dog howling :yell: than to that piece of crap which they most of the time call lyrics :down: ).

Exactly!

I can't stand music with bad or stupid lyrics thats why i mostly listen to Pink Floyd, Spacemen 3, Spiritualized and the likes. :)
But I'm sure that there is alot of people that thinks those groups have the worst lyrics in the world.
So who am I to complain?:clown:
 
I totally agree!!! Lyrics are very important. It adds to the emotion of the song. I also listen for layers in the music. The more complex the recording, the more I seem to enjoy it.

Examples: I Mother Earth, Tool, Zepplin, The Who. AudioSlave.

I look for music that is really well produded and has lyrics that mean something.
 
Even if yeller makes it acapella....

Konnichiwa,

Cradle22 said:

AFter going though some of the music posts again I began to wonder, how important lyrics are for the rest of you out there.

Very important. Try those lyrics for size, excellent....

================

hunc ornatum mundi
nolo perdere
video flagrare
omnia res
audio clamare
homines
nune extinguitur
mund(i) et astrorum lamen
nune concipitur
mali hominis crimen
tristetat(e) et lacrimis
gravis est dolor
de terraeque maribus
magnus est clamor
O caritas, O caritas
nobis semper sit amor
mos perituri mortem salutamus
sola resurgit vita
Ah, this world is burning fast
Oh, the world will never last
I don't want to lost it here in my time
Give me time forever here in my time.

========================

Or how about these two?

=======================

Now I've been happy lately, thinking about the good things to come
And I believe it could be, something good has begun

Oh I've been smiling lately, dreaming about the world as one
And I believe it could be, some day it's going to come

Cause out on the edge of darkness, there rides a peace train
Oh peace train take this country, come take me home again

Now I've been smiling lately, thinking about the good things to come
And I believe it could be, something good has begun

Oh peace train sounding louder
Glide on the peace train
Come on now peace train
Yes, peace train holy roller

Everyone jump upon the peace train
Come on now peace train

Get your bags together, go bring your good friends too
Cause it's getting nearer, it soon will be with you

Now come and join the living, it's not so far from you
And it's getting nearer, soon it will all be true

Now I've been crying lately, thinking about the world as it is
Why must we go on hating, why can't we live in bliss

Cause out on the edge of darkness, there rides a peace train
Oh peace train take this country, come take me home again

==========================

Padded with power here they come
International loan sharks backed by the guns
Of market hungry military profiteers
Whose word is a swamp and whose brow is smeared
With the blood of the poor

Who rob life of its quality
Who render rage a necessity
By turning countries into labour camps
Modern slavers in drag as champions of freedom

Sinister cynical instrument
Who makes the gun into a sacrament --
The only response to the deification
Of tyranny by so-called "developed" nations'
Idolatry of ideology

North South East West
Kill the best and buy the rest
It's just spend a buck to make a buck
You don't really give a flying ****
About the people in misery

IMF dirty MF
Takes away everything it can get
Always making certain that there's one thing left
Keep them on the hook with insupportable debt

See the paid-off local bottom feeders
Passing themselves off as leaders
Kiss the ladies shake hands with the fellows
Open for business like a cheap bordello

And they call it democracy
And they call it democracy
And they call it democracy
And they call it democracy

See the loaded eyes of the children too
Trying to make the best of it the way kids do
One day you're going to rise from your habitual feast
To find yourself staring down the throat of the beast
They call the revolution

IMF dirty MF
Takes away everything it can get
Always making certain that there's one thing left
Keep them on the hook with insupportable debt

============================

If you have something to say - SAY IT!

Sayonara

PS, Translation of Latin:

I don't want to lose the harmony of the universe
I see all things... burning, I hear men... shouting.
Now is the light of the world and the stars going out
Now does the blame for the disaster fall upon men.
Grief is heavy with sadness and tears
Great is the noise from the earth and the seas
O love, O love be with us always.
We who will perish salute death. Life alone goes on.

Lyrics by Yussuf Islam (aka Cat Stevens)

Listen To Yussuf Islam & Ladysmith Black Mombazo - Peace Train
 
While we are at it....

Konnichiwa,

....another one....

======================

Freude, schöner Götterfunken,
Tochter aus Elysium,
Wir betreten feuertrunken,
Himmlische, dein Heiligtum.
Deine Zauber binden wieder,
Was der Mode Schwertgeteilt;
Bettler werden Fürstenbrüder,
Wo dein sanfter Flügel weilt.

Wem der große Wurf gelungen,
Eines Freundes Freund zu sein;
Wer ein holdes Weib errungen,
Mische seinen Jubel ein!
Ja - wer auch nur eine Seele
Sein nennt auf dem Erdenrund!
Und wer´s nie gekonnt, der stehle
Weinend sich aus diesem Bund!

Freude trinken alle Wesen
An den Brüsten der Natur,
Alle Guten, alle Bösen
Folgen ihrer Rosenspur.
Küsse gab sie uns und Reben,
Einen Freund, geprüft im Tod.
Wollust ward dem Wurm gegeben,
Und der Cherub steht vor Gott.

Froh, wie seine Sonnen fliegen,
Durch des Himmels prächtgen Plan,
Laufet, Brüder, eure Bahn,
Freudig wie ein Held zum Siegen.

Seid umschlungen, Millionen!
Diesen Kuß der ganzen Welt!
Brüder - überm Sternenzelt
Muß ein lieber Vater wohnen.
Ihr stürzt nieder, Millionen?
Ahndest du den Schöpfer, Welt ?
Such ihn überm Sternenzelt,
Über Sternen muß er wohnen.

Sayonara

PS, "The name of the rose and the fire are one."

PPS, translation of the german:

===========================

Joy, thou beauteous godly lightning,
Daughter of Elysium,
Fire drunken we are ent'ring
Heavenly, thy holy home!
Thy enchantments bind together,
What did custom's sword divide,
Beggars are a prince's brother,
Where thy gentle wings abide.

Who the noble prize achieveth,
Good friend of a friend to be;
Who a lovely wife attaineth,
Join us in his jubilee!
Yes--he too who but one being
On this earth can call his own!
He who ne'er was able, weeping
Stealeth from this league alone!

Joy is drunk by every being
From kind nature's flowing breasts,
Every evil, every good thing
For her rosy footprint quests.
Gave she us both wines and kisses,
In the face of death, a friend,
To the worm were given blisses
And the Cherubs God attend.

As the suns are flying, happy
Through the heaven's glorious plane,
Travel, brothers, down your lane,
Joyful as in hero's vict'ry.

Be embrac'd, ye millions yonder!
Take this kiss throughout the world!
Brothers--o'er the stars unfurl'd
Must reside a loving father.
Fall before him, all ye millions?
Know'st thou the Creator, world?
Seek above the stars unfurl'd,
Yonder dwells He in the heavens.

PPPS, lyrics from Schillers "Ode to Joy", found in Beethoven's 9th, try the Klemperer performance on HMV, strictly vinyl of course....
 
Well Vangelis is my primo music. But one of my favorite bands is Enigma, and although they have lyrics I can't understand any of them (first album especially). Generally the lyrics are not too high on importance to me. The only time I do not like the lyrics is when they are the point of the song.

I don't like political songs, religious songs, or rap. If I wanted viewpoints I would watch CNN. Most of the songs I listen to (80's mostly) just happen to be about love or life in general and thats fine.

But even if a song is in a different language I'll listen to it if it flows well. Such as George Michael's "Desafinado" (I think that ones in french), plus I'd like to see anybody try and decipher a Deep Forest CD!
 
peterr said:
I agree that the human voice is a very powerful instrument but a big part of it is in the expression not just in the words. How else is it possible to be moved by songs in a language you don't understand?
:nod: When I save up some play money I am going to get Kayah and Bergovic (spelling?) with the track "Like a Bird". It's all in Polish which doesn't mean a thing to me, but wow, it sounds good.

...OTOH, there is Beijing Opera. :dead:
 
Ones that caught my attention.

Queen - I'm In Love With My Car:
Told my girl I'll have to forget her
Rather buy me a new carburettor

Billy Joel - Its Still Rock And Roll To Me
Don't waste your money on a new set of speakers,
You get more mileage from a cheap pair of sneakers.

Skyhooks - Horror Movie (It's the 6:30 news)
The planes are a-crashin
The cars are a-smashin
The cops are a-bashin - oh yeah
The kids are a-fightin
The fires are a-lightin
The dogs are a-bitin - oh yeah

The public's waitin'
For the killin' and the hatin'
Switch on the station - oh yeah
They do a lotta sellin
Between the firin' and the yellin'
And you believe in what they're tellin' - oh yeah
 
Hi!

peterr said:
I agree that the human voice is a very powerful instrument but a big part of it is in the expression not just in the words. How else is it possible to be moved by songs in a language you don't understand?

Therefore there are artists who simply use their voice as an instrument, take for an example Mike Patton (former Faith No More singer) with his highly experimental Band "Fantomas" (sporting some other well-known artists, Dave Lombardo from ex-Slayer and Buzz Osborne from The Melvins), where he mostly does not sing, but makes a lot of crazy noises with his "voice".

Some cannot stand it, but most critics like it. Listen into their record "The Director's Cut", where they take movie's themes and do their own version of them. Some stuff is not so great, but "The Godfather", "Rosemary's Baby" and "Investigation Of A Citizen Above Suspicion" shows where music can go if creative minds are set lose...

Bye,

Arndt
 
Normally, lyrics don't matter to me but some really stick out. For instance I only have one rap album, NWA - Straight Outta Compton. Beautiful words about ugly inner city life.

And one that always stays with me... Colin James first CD, the track titled "Why'd you lie?"

We had discussed it,
'til I was disgusted.

Otherwise, it's the musicality. Must be the jazz training, eh?

:)ensen.
 
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