Lyrics… does anyone care?

‘He didn’t deserve you cause your precious heart is a precious heart’
– The Fighter by Keith Urban Feat. Carrie Underwood

Have you ever looked up the lyrics to a song that you love only to discover they are completely idiotic? Does it ruin the song for you, is it just a bummer, or are you not phased at all?

When you stop and think about the words you’re singing along to, you may find that an alarmingly high amount of them leave you wishing you never did. They can be redundant, confusing, or completely nonsensical at times. But for a large number of successful songs, this fact somehow manages to get overlooked or ignored. Is that because the lyrics don’t really matter that much? Or are other parts of the song just compelling enough to overshadow any semblance of logic the words they support could or should possess? 

Research on songwriting points to several key elements that contribute to a song’s success. Coming in at Number One: a melody or hook. This can be instrumental or a vocal melody, but does not rely on lyrics. An enticing repeatable earworm can keep you up at night and will be the one part of the song used to describe it to your friends. Number Two: a memorable rhythm. Sometimes unnoticed, a song that resonates with your inner ticker will not be soon forgotten. Number Three: a solid chord progression. Most people have no idea what chords they’re listening to, but their order and structure can define a memorable song.

So where does that leave the lyrics? 

We asked a random unbiased music fan... 

How important is it to you that the lyrics in a song make sense or are thoughtful?

“The lyrics of a song must make sense but the instrumental parts of the song are equally important. There is not one without the other. It doesn't matter if the lyrics are simple or complicated – they just have to sound natural. If they are lame, that can definitely ruin a song for me. But if they speak to me, even if it's just one line, I will listen again and again.”

That sounds logical, but doesn’t explain the success of so many poorly worded songs. Maybe people just aren’t paying attention?

One night recently at band rehearsal, as I was singing a song that I have sung with the group for at least a year, a question arose in my head… Does the rest of the band even know what I’m singing right now? Do they know the words too or what the song is about? The answer was a resounding no. If the musicians in the band (besides the singer) don’t even know the lyrics to their own songs, how can we expect the listener to care if they stink? 

We asked producer and co-owner of London Bridge Studio, Jonathan Plum…

How important is it that band members understand what the song they’re playing is about?

“I often see band members at the studio notice that they never knew the lyrics of a song until the song was recorded. Some singers and songwriters enjoy collaborating on lyrics while others feel it’s a deeply personal experience that is best left as a solo process. I suppose as a band member it’s not a bad idea to pay attention to the lyrics of a song as they may dictate what type of playing is appropriate. But not always.”

He adds, “I’ve not seen a change in artists’ care for lyrics. However I have seen music producers and engineers get less involved with lyrics over the years. I think traditional producers usually pay close attention to lyrics and songwriting. I’ve seen a lot of younger modern producer/engineer types pay more attention to the sonic quality of the recording rather then the quality of the song itself.”

Any serious songwriter will tell you that the amount of time and energy put into writing meaningful words with attention to cadence and rhyming patterns can be extensive and a grueling process. Finding the exact words to express an emotion or tell a story in a concise relatable way involves multiple rounds of editing and re-editing. 

We asked two prolific songwriters, Wolff Bowden and Amanda Birdsall of the Seattle duo, The Winterlings, for their perspective on importance of lyrics.

The Winterlings

How high on the totem pole of importance would you put lyrics on your songs, in relation to a melody, arrangement, rhythm, etc.?

“Lyrics are the killer whale at the top of the totem pole of song. And the whale has a bleeding tiger shark in her teeth.”  – Wolff

When you’re writing a new song, when do lyrics come into the picture? Do they typically inspire the song or come later in the process?

“Lyrics pretty much always come to me first, then I find the melody and chords. I think it's only happened twice to me where I came up with music first. I never think ‘I want to write a song about this subject.’ “ – Amanda

“Lyrics always begin the song and they usually arrive with a melody. I call a snippet of language with song potential a ‘Song Seed.’ It's a few words, a phrase, a whole verse or chorus. It's NOT an abstract concept. It's not ‘I’m gonna write a song about Beer and Cigarettes.’ It's ‘Ashes from a trucker's lips drift into a jar of piss.’ Specific.” – Wolff

Your lyrics are very thoughtful and feel very personal at times. Do you think this is something your followers value most about your music? Does it help your audience connect to you?

“Yes and yes. People have reached out to us many times over the years to let us know that our songs helped them to get through a difficult time, or to celebrate happy times. So many songs out there are about the ups and downs of romantic love, but there are so many other aspects of life, so many different emotions and experiences we have as humans that also deserve to be honored with songs.” – Amanda

“Many so-called songwriters today use dead language in the place of living lyrics. They get a good groove going, maybe even a fine melody, and they become intoxicated. ‘Let’s finish this song,’ they think. Toss a few words into the batter and put that cake in the oven. That’s how you get a salty cake: full of clichés and abstract language.” – Wolff

With the rapid mass production of new music it appears that for many genres, thoughtful lyrics are becoming even more and more rare. And with attention spans shrinking by the second, it’s understandable why listeners and musicians alike may find themselves singing along to and writing material that is less than inspirational. 

For the curious, however, for the listener who is seeking a more moving thought-provoking experience, it is nice to know that this is not a lost art. There are songwriters out there who, at this very moment, are intensely debating in their mind which exact word will best capture an emotion to best serve their song. And the listener who pays attention will be rewarded.

“If we sing the details of our own pain and perseverance, then we’re singing for everyone, which is what we set out to do. The true artist doesn’t dream of attention; we dream of connection.” – Wolff