The Lyricist

I may be a huge music lover, but I've never tried to hide the fact that lyrics aren't my thing. Not only am I terrible at writing them, I usually can't understand what a singer is saying. I don't mean just the usual ones. I probably misunderstand more lyrics than I get right. Nothing like not knowing what someone is saying a realizing years later that they are just singing the title of the song.

I don't feel like it's a bad thing that I don't worry about lyrics too much. I've known MANY people in my life that judge if a song is good or not solely on what the singer is singing about. I'm prefer the Tool theory of singing in that it's just another instrument like the rest, even if Maynard does write some of the best lyrics out there. If it sounds good, I don't care about the lyrics (As long as they aren't racist or something like that). My favorite are "Are you mowing the scarred burrowed hair? Pasty rage, gross berry and lime."

Lyrics have always been a bit of a mystery to me. Whether it's writing, listening or figuring out how bands work with them. The main two that make me go "What? How?" are a) when the lyrics are written before the music and then the band writes music along with it, and b) when the lyrics are written aside from the music and the singer just brings it into a piece of music the band is working on. Especially with that second one, how do you make them fit?

I know there are probably some edits involved but still. I suppose there could be dozens of songs worth of lyrics that aren't used but with some artists, there aren't.

Plus, then there are the lyrics that I do understand and whether I think they are good or not. Obviously the lyric from Destiny Child's Bills, Bills, Bills that goes "Pay my Automo-Bills" Is absolutely brilliant and could not have been done better. Then you get guys like Joey Eppard from the band Three. He is an American and has some songs about America, war, etc. One line goes "It's American stew cause we was sick of the pie. Blood, White and Blue in the blink of an eye." I've been listening to that lyric for years and I still have no idea if it's one of the most brilliant I have heard or the dumbest. Does that just make it average?

Of course, all of this confusion is probably because all art is subjective and everyone views everything different. The Mona Lisa is the most famous painting in history and I think it's just boring. I'd still go see the real thing if I had the chance but I can think of a million other paintings I'd rather see.

I always laughed at the old "I know what I like and I like what I know." but I am very much like that. I can't tell you what I like in art but I know it when I see it.