Do lyrics matter?

Depends on the context.

If its music for a stripper to shake her ass to, then sure the words don't matter that much. If it's something I'm listening to on my own time I prefer the lyrics not to suck. There's songs I listen to where the lyrics aren't great, but my favorite songs tend to have both lyrics and music I can appreciate.

I have 5,580 music files on my hard drive (41.6GB). A dozen different languages and a dozen genres. Probably 25% of them have no lyrics. I burn my own CD's and that is all I listen to in my car. They probably wouldn't go over in a strip club.

 "I burn my own CD's and that is all I listen to in my car"

I miss the car CD player my old phone holder slid in and held the phone quite firmly.

I like the way songs sound and go with the words. One of my favorite guilty pleasure songs when I feel rowdy is "jetboy jet girl" by Elon Motello. Totally fucking kick ass rock n' roll with lyrics that are fucking horrifying. No really, really horrifying. Full disclosure: The first version I heard was in a club and it was the French language version, so I understood nothing. Love that song!!!!

Forgot to add in that if you truly want to see how much society has changed, look for the version of this song on the old tv show: "Soul Train".

Great music can cover for bad lyrics, great lyrics can't cover for bad music.

Yes to some extent. I like 80's glam rock, so it's mostly about girls, sex, drugs, rock n roll and more girls. A-OK with me. I also listen to country and do like the story-telling of that genre.

There are a few songs where the lyrics are sooooooo bad, that I cannot listen to the songs. Anyone old enough to remember
MacArthur Park by Richard Harris?
or
Having my Baby by Paul Anka?

I agree with ime. The music rules.

I call my music tunes. And that is what I go by. The lyrics could be a reading from the Bible or some devils cult book, wouldn't matter if I enjoy listening to it.

Honestly, no. The beat is usually what holds my attention to the song 75% of the time. The words will have a neutral effect on me at the worst.

There will be times where if I happen to listen to a song where the words are pretty hard to understand (ie: hip hop/rap or heavy/death metal) and I just google the lyrics to see what they are and I'll think to myself "Holy shit, this is gruesome/gnarly/rancid/twisted/morally questionable as fuck" and you know what? ... I still listen and enjoy the song.

Makes sense Eve. I love punk/new wave, so I love Jet Boy/Jet Girl even with lyrics such as: " jetboy, I'm gonna make em penetrate, I'm gonna make you be a girl" not my style of sex, but its agood punk/new wave.

Electron: Whats not to like about a 6 minute song about acake melting in the rain, sung by an old guy lol. Havin my baby. Huge scandal at the time when out of wedlock births were conisdered bad, not a tv show.

Usually, no, but I have to admit years ago I thought Hashpipe was a very catchy tune that I enjoyed until I listened to the lyrics. Hard to jam out to a song about a male street whore with his "ass wide."

For the most part, the lyrics don't matter. Roger Miller's "The Day I Jumped From Uncle Harvey's Plane" is a notable exception, but there's not too many others.

In a strip club, they make no difference at all.

Along the lines of what Eve mentioned, for me it's mostly about the beat - thru the years there have been a lot of songs I like whose 75% of the lyrics I had no idea what they were saying - for me good lyrics that I can understand can enhance a song, but it's not a requirement.

All my favorite songs have meaningful lyrics and there is plenty of great music which I do not care about the lyrics and quite a few which have no lyrics.

the rhythm and beat first.

Great music and even better lyrics is why Pink Floyd was and always will be unique.

There are many songs that I don’t care for the words but like the music. I don’t like 4 letter words in songs. If my grandkids shouldn’t listen to it then I don’t like it.

a guitar riff and tone at the beginning of the song first most of the time.

What’s got to be the most or at least one of the most memorable guitar licks without knowing the lyrics you always recognize the opening to “Smoke On The Water” by Jethro Tull

It depends on why I am listening to the songs. If it is something to dance to (or watch someone dance to) or at a party the words don't matter nearly as much as the music. Other times I am listening to a song specifically to here the lyrics tell a story. Songs like Johnny Cash's "Ragged Old Flag", Harry Chapin's " Cats in the craddle", Pink Floyd's "The gunner's dream", or Nine Inch Nails "Hurt" are just a few examples where the lyrics are more important than the music in my opinion.

I think they do but, it is somewhat based on the type of music. I am a hard rocker so in my world they matter a lot.

Lyrics aren’t as important as they were many years ago. That being said, lyrics from old songs were sometimes odd - and sometimes cringe worthy.

I doubt folks listen to today’s pop shit for enlightening life insights. I don’t think Katy Perry is offering life altering lyrics. I also doubt T Pain is going to help my life.

Some old Led Zeppelin songs were written in specific drug induced times, and they really make no sense to me now. But they still sound good.

i thought ‘Smoke On The Water’ was written by deep purple in the early seventies.

"live from the L.A. forum jethro dull bores the audience." jimmy page

@jascoi you’re right it was by deep purple I think I was having a flashback lol