Is it the lyrics that make a song or the one singing it?

[Elemental]

Ok well I have been listening to many different genre remixes of songs and I am just wondering if the song is made by the Lyrics or by the one singing it, thoughts?

[Tomas]

I don't think it's an either or thing.

 

A song with beautiful lyrics that is sung by an artist in a performance that is technically perfect, but without emotion, may not turn out to be beautiful and the song fails.

 

The reverse can also be true. A performance that may not be technically perfect but is done with emotion can sometimes make even mediocre lyrics sound beautiful and there fore make the song.

 

Then too. No matter how good the lyrics and how good the vocal performance, the music for the song, poorly played, can ruin an other wise beautiful performance.

 

There are just too many variables that can make or break a performance to say it's one or two things that make a song.

 

Take Care

Tomas

[DragonMando]

Personally, lyrics don't really matter if I can't stand the voice singing them. But a beautiful voice with disgusting or severely inappropriate lyrics is almost as big a turnoff. It's kind of both.

[Tommy_B]

It is both and sometimes neither.

 

I love songs in Italian and German or even Latin where I can't understand most of the words, but the sound is beautiful.

 

A singer can destroy a great song by doing their version and make a song I love one I don't love so much. Like Silent Night, such a beautiful song, it is one of my favorites, I even get misty eyed sometimes when it is sung well or like the version from Mannheim Steamroller, but two years ago I went with a friend to her schools Christmas concert and they so butchered Silent Night trying to jazz it up I wanted to run up on stage and make them stop,

 

[Trebs]

Lyrics - it's why I love broadway showtunes so much. I do agree, the music and the singer matter - but lyrics can transform a song from enjoyable to sublime.

[Tipdin]

It's a mix of who, how, and what.

 

I often buy music that has lyrics in languages that I cannot speak. I liked the sound of the voice or music, or some combination. I've heard great lyrics ruined by bad singers and some really horrid lyrics sung so beautifully that it brought tears to my eyes. And of course, the music is ALWAYS important.

[Former Member]

I think it's both important and one can't be picked easily over the other. The lyrics of a song can be amazing, but if the one singing it sounds horrible, then the song won't be any good either, and vice versa. And I think the music that goes with the song is also important. If the music is bad, then the song will lose (some of) its beauty.

[Matthew k]

I am kind of in the both camp, but lean to lyrics. The lyrics are always there and some singers might do it better than others, but the lyrics are always there.

 

That is why I hate songs in English where I can't understand a bunch of the words because they are slurred together or butchered. I couldn't think of an example, but I am sure you all know what I mean so I googled it.

 

Here is what I got

[TrevorTime]

I'm leaning towards the one singing it. Many emo bands sound alike, so it's always a good thing when you have a singer that sets himself apart from the rest of the crowd. Such as Pierre Bouvier from Simple Plan or Bert McCracken from The Used.

[hh5]

It depends how the music, lyrics, and singer are wiving or jamming their talents together ... I rather look at it all as a musical voice ... the music has certain properties ... the voice has certain properties and the lyrics has another ... its up to the composer\lyric writer ... to write which voice is dominate or not ... or what role they play in a song ... a form of joining or blending

 

Then there is the listener ... whats pleasing to them ... do they prefer musical voice ... lyrical voice ... or the singers voice ...

 

Hence you have ppl buying from whichever artist that has the blend and sound that they prefer

[hh5]

I'm leaning towards the one singing it. Many emo bands sound alike, so it's always a good thing when you have a singer that sets himself apart from the rest of the crowd. Such as Pierre Bouvier from Simple Plan or Bert McCracken from The Used.

 

There are many examples of music or bands that sound a like ... rag-time music, emo as you said, military bands, High School Bands ... its really the sense of how many voices are there in the band and their songs ... the variety of what they have to offer as a ensemble of music ...

 

if a band has a change of singers or players ... then there is a new sounds that's introduced .. a new soul in the music ,,, that still is the band ... as a different version or rendition.

 

Another thing is the variety of music that your own soul ask of you to listen ... if there is plenty of music to not get you board ... then you have a nice variety of music ... if not then there a new set of sounds that yourself wishes to experience

[DragonFire]

I think it's a mixture of things, lyrics, artist & arrangement. You could have a beautiful song, a great artist... but a horrible arrangement, which in my opinion totally wrecks the song as a whole.

[Stargazer]

I'm a lyric junkie but I believe it's a little of both that makes the song. As other people have said, too, I can like a song but hate a remake of it and vice versa.

[thephoenix]

the lyrics, the vocals, music, and tune are all pieces of the puzzle required to make a good song imo. If any of them are not done well, then it can mess up the whole thing.

[AleMaho]

It's obvious that it's a mix of both.

 

However, i'm intended to say that the lyrics are what really matter.

 

When you think about it:

I prefer to listen to an off-tune singer who's singing real shit, rather than someone with the perfect vocals but that doesn't give me anything worth listening to!!

[freakthefreakout]

The beat and tempo of a song grabs me follow by the melody

[Trevorj]

As a song wrtiter of old with a modicum of sucess I cerainly beleve itis the lyrics no matter what the genre is. As long as the words a lyrical and make some oprt of sense any one can sing them. Of course if they have the right voice which matches the words and tune then it will naturally sound better.

So I believe the order for sucess his firs the words, then the melody and finally the pereformer.

TrevorJ

Ok well I have been listening to many different genre remixes of songs and I am just wondering if the song is made by the Lyrics or by the one singing it, thoughts?

[daniellehern04]

I think it is the person that sings the song that makes the song. I might be wrong hee, but it is my opinion.

[Freddyness]

The best songs come about when you have excellent lyrics with a vocalist who can vocalize the meaning of the song and feels the lyrics and understands.

 

Don't take me wrong its not just the lyrics a vocalist who make the song. The musicians matter just as much, and should be able to feel the songs meaning.

[Michael9344]

The lyrics, music and the singer. I love songs with emotion and rhythm (I often times don't care about the lyrics).

[Fishwings]

The musical composition of the song matters the most, if that's what you meant by "who the singer is". Good lyrics for me are an added bonus, but no matter how well the lyrics are written, it wouldn't make me like a song that I didn't care for in the first place.