For example.

This (http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/deftones/deathblow.html) and This (http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/aperfectcircle/thenoose.html)

Should they make sense? Or is it just a way to use a voice, after all, the voice is an instrument to the music, and the words are how you play it, so you can use any words just to get the right note to the music.

Do you prefer lyrics that make sense? or just the way a person uses their voice.

Depends on the group I spose but I often find myself wondering "Does this actually mean anything at all?" when I listen to song lyrics these days.

i dont care as long as the words complement the music if it sounds good who cares what it says!that is why i can listen to songs in german italian romanian russian and japanese.lyrics dont matter.

Edna: That depends on the artist I'm listening to.
I really like Bj�rk but most of the time her lyrics are scuffled but her voice expression makes up for it.

The lyrics don't have to make sense. If you want to tell a story or something, then they should, but often times it's much more fun to have lyrics like Captain Beefheart's:

"And in the night when I'm full
she bring me white jam
(voice suddenly becomes a bizarre falsetto)
and in the night when I'm full
she bring me white jam
and I don't know where I am"

I prefer when the lyrics mean something. Unless it's techno then I don't care too much.

I don't think they have to make sense, they can just be crazy lyrics like: I like popcorn because clowns in canada are so funny that i don't know why i fart when the scisors cut paper. that didn't make any sense.

They should definitely make sense. If they don't, it's just a case of the artist being lazy.

the only thing that really matters in music is the music itself. the words dont really count. look at hit songs--most of the time they suck or dont make much sense. music is like a feeling, and just like poetry, doesnt have to really make sense as long as it conveys some sort of feeling. if that is accomplished then i dont really think it matters either way.

if the person can sing the song right without the lyrics makin sense then it doesnt matter. but if you actually wanna understand the song then yes they do need to make sense

but i dont think a songs meaning is necessarily conveyed through the lyrics.

It depends I guess. I prefer them to have meaning, but they don't have to if I am really "digging" the music.

Still, I tend to prefer those artists who are great lyricists.

I don't really care much about lyrics. Some songs I love because the lyrics are great, and others I can't stand because the lyrics are so stupid that I find them difficult to listen to. But really, the main thing I'm concerned with is the melody.

I definitely appreciate the people that take the time to write good lyrics more than those that don't though. And I also like intentionally nonsensical lyrics over confusing or cliched lyrics by someone that sucks at poetry.

This (http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/deftones/deathblow.html) and This (http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/aperfectcircle/thenoose.html)


Lyrics aren't nonsensical just because they don't mean anything to you.

Translated Spanish lyrics makes no sense at all.

I think a lot of songs, even if it doesn't seem like it, actually do have a meaning. It might not mean anything to you, but for the person who wrote the lyrics it might make perfect sense. A lot of people write about personal experiances so it probably means something personal to the writer, but it would be totally lost on the person listening to it.

Besides the two examples you give aren't very good.. you can easily find meaning in both those songs. To me Deathblow is about someone on thier deathbed, on the verge of dying. The thing he's talking about that comes and scares the beasts away is death, the ropes that keep him awake are the I.V.'s and tubes that keep him alive. The line at the end about the same song seems to me like he's coming to the realization that no matter how things advance everyone still dies.

The Noose.. I honestly don't see how you couldn't find a meaning in that song.. it seems pretty blatant to me. The song is about someone who commited some kind of atrocity and then... maybe "found god" or felt he did something to cleanse himself of the bad deeds he did but hasn't actually done anything for the people he hurt, someone who feels self-rightous. However, it's written from the view of a person who is questioning the person, asking how can he feel so good about himself? He's saying "Not to put a damper on how high and mighty you feel, but what do you plan on doing for all the people you hurt and killed?"

Some people also say it's about Bush and him sending troops into Afghanistan and Iraq. I have heard that some people say when they saw APC live Maynard said "I appologize for our president." before playing this song. Not sure if it's true or not, but regardless of that the meaning behind the song is still there. Like I said, it's pretty blatant. The Deftones song is a little open to interpretation though and what I wrote was just my take on it.

I really belive that most songs with obscure lyrics have meanings, it's just that usualy the writer is the one who really knows the meaning behind it. They like to leave us to use our imaginations and interpret the lyrics in our own ways.

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Lyrics aren't nonsensical just because they don't mean anything to you.

Agree.

If the song is good but has bad lyrics, it doesn't mean i won't listen to it. However i think the lyrics have a major role in a song.Also lyrics can't be any similar if the music geners are different.FAE pop lyrics can be about "oh my babe left me ..." which can mean something to someone, rock and roll usually makes fun of things, while metal lyrics have a darker tone(which i prefer the most). As for metal lyrics it pays of to have good lyrics in live shows. I mean would you rather sing along with some "slay the dragon" lyrics or metallica's "one" or "wherever i may roam"

Besides the two examples you give aren't very good..

I do find meaning in the songs, yes, but it's the only examples I could think of at the time, if people can find any better examples..

I like it when lyrics have a meaning, but sometimes, lyrics without a meaning can be very funny. ;)

It depends on the song. Some people do songs whose lyrics make no very well, which is fine, and others do great meaningful ones quite excellently. So. Yeah.

Doesn't really matter to me. As long as the song sounds good, I don't mind.

I do find meaning in the songs, yes, but it's the only examples I could think of at the time, if people can find any better examples..
maybe its better to give no examples than bad ones? it really wouldn't be hard to find a harder to understand deftones song. Most of them are pretty out there.

Lyrics don't necessarily have to make sense to you, it's what it means to the artist. If you can't follow what the lyrics are referring to, then...either they're very well written, or conversely, very poorly written. Personally, I listen more for the sound than the lyrics, but I can appreciate good lyrics when I come across them.

There are a few bands I like based more on their lyrical content than their musical style...the most notable example (and one of the only bands most people in this forum would recognize) is AFI...I think Davey Havok is an amazing lyricist, ever since Black Sails his writing style has changed immensely, and I think he's incredible.

Of cousre they should, how can a song mean anything to you if all the singer does is moan!?

I think the lyrics should make some sense. Because if it doesn't, then what is the lyrics there for ? right ?

have you ever heard "Cheeba Cheeba" by Harlem Underground Band or "Wet My Bed" by Stone Temple Pilots? Those songs are awesome, and the lyrics make absolutely no sense whatsoever!

I don't care if lyrics make sense at all, I jsut care about the beat.

Lyrics need to make sense and I prefer it if they tell a story in some way (as with many of Pedro the Lion's songs), but nonsensical lyrics do provide a good laugh at times...

I think the lyrics should make some sense. Because if it doesn't, then what is the lyrics there for ? right ?

exactly thank you

i dont agree lyrics shudnt HAVE to make sence....take jackson 5 - blame it on the boogie for example....great song....but the lyrics make no sence!

It just doesn't sound the same when the lyrics are crap because the vocalist can't get into the song that much. I think Savatage, Dream Theater and Metallica have some awesome lyrics.

I am immensely fond of writing things in such a way that they only make sense to me. I've got a fondness for songs that do the same thing, at least to an extent. I like looking at lyrics and trying to figure out what they could really be about.

But I've also got a weakness for dumb songs about girls, and lyrics don't get much more straight forward then that.

i think lyrics are probably the most important part of music for myself. but i do listen to bands who's lyrics mean nothing to most people, radiohead for example

lyrics dnt have 2 make sense, 4 eg, u have skat, just a jumble of syllables

I am immensely fond of writing things in such a way that they only make sense to me. I've got a fondness for songs that do the same thing, at least to an extent. I like looking at lyrics and trying to figure out what they could really be about.

Ha!! i do that too!!!