Do you find music to be more meaningful with words in general or without?

Do you find music to be more meaningful with words in general or without?

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Eventhorizon

Eventhorizon

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You can discuss aspects of the question here as you like.
 
I suppose it depends on the individual. Both instrumentals and songs have moved me to tears, but I find music to be more meaningful with words, because I have a love for writing, and I'm a vocalist. It adds something to the music. But I have friends who are instrumentalists who don't particularly care whether there are lyrics or not, and if there are, don't care what the content is. Lyrical content, when present, matters a lot of me, and I can't much enjoy a song if I disagree with the words.
 
I tend to get distracted by something else if music doesn't have lyrics - my head tends to view it as background music that's nice for ambiance, but I don't pay much mind to it.

With lyrics, that's when my mind begins to make emotional associations, and the music really has an emotional impact on me - it can make me feel sad or happy just by listening to it even if I was feeling differently before.
 
Either/or. Both. I prefer lyrics that are deep, thoughtful, or interesting, or vocalizations that blend with the music. I also listen to a lot of music without lyrics.
 
I think music with or without vocals can either be meaningful or complete bull. There are such things as empty words and unimaginative music.

On the one hand, vocals can add specificity to the meaning of the melody, but on the other they can also distract from the beauty and expressiveness of it. It has to balance out to become really moving.

I still listen to specific pieces because they remind me of a mindset I have had at specific moments, and sometimes a single song can elicit a violent emotional response. This goes both for vocalised and classic music.
 
I don't imbue or descipher meaning from music without words. But if the music can evoke an emotion fro the past I like one just as well as the other.
 
with. i've always been more into lyrics.. music adds emphasis to the words. atleast for me... even with poetry reading with background music is moving for me... hmm
 
Music is full of tropes, too. Like with Etna Boogie, you know what kind of song it is before the words even start, if you're genre savvy.

 
The question for me primarily stems from a noticeable effect that a lot of classical music has on me. To some extent I liken it to reading as opposed to watching a movie about the same story. Reading allows me to imagine my own version of the world the story takes place in. Music seems much the same way. I like to try to imagine how the composer came up with the music. What source did they draw on to create it? Whereas with words, it seems to trap you into a specific story in accordance to whatever is said.
 
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Music is meant to evoke an emotional response. With no lyrics, the story is told through the instruments themselves and our own interpretations of their sound. Whereas with lyrics, the songwriter is taking us on a specific journey through their own interpretations. Both are enjoyable for me, it really depends on what I'm doing at the time.
 
Maybe I tend to zone off when there is music without lyrics because I'm not used to thinking for myself/I want someone guiding me through the experience instead of making up something on my own.

When reading books as well, I tend to appreciate being led by the narrator/author in order to be exposed to new experiences and perspectives that I woudn't have been able to have/create on my own.

It's kind of like being on a vacation without an itinerary … some prefer the freedom to do as they please, but others prefer more structure like a list of landmarks to visit, history blurbs for context, etc.
 
Eventhorizon said:
The question for me primarily stems from a noticeable effect that a lot of classical music has on me. To some extent I liken it to reading as opposed to watching a movie about the same story. Reading allows me to imagine my own version of the world the story takes place in. Music seems much the same way. I like to try to imagine how the composer came up with the music. What source did they draw on to create it? Whereas with words, it seems to trap you into a specific story in accordance to whatever is said.
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I was wondering if Classical inspired this thread. I listen to a lot of Classical and prefer no vocals. The instruments definitely convey emotion, or tell a story.
 
Asa said:
I was wondering if Classical inspired this thread. I listen to a lot of Classical and prefer no vocals. The instruments definitely convey emotion, or tell a story.
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I agree, only it bugs me sometimes if what story I imagine is conveyed really is the intended story. But then I think about the impossibility of that ever happening and wonder: what's wrong with that? It's an opportunity to let your mind wander wherever it wants to go. It's intuition in its purest form.

Edit: Something I just realised, with classical it also depends on the interpretation of the piece. It can sound very much different even if you only change the pace ever so slightly, or press down a key just that little bit harder/faster.
 
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I think classical music is much more complex and soothing. I'm not a classical buff, but I like the Baroque period and Vivaldi especially. I agree it conveys much emotion. Music with lyrics can get aggravating, especially as I drive a lot for work and listen to the radio. It just becomes repetitive and tedious. Instrumental and particularly classical music is mind expanding.
 
acd said:
I think classical music is much more complex and soothing. I'm not a classical buff, but I like the Baroque period and Vivaldi especially. I agree it conveys much emotion. Music with lyrics can get aggravating, especially as I drive a lot for work and listen to the radio. It just becomes repetitive and tedious. Instrumental and particularly classical music is mind expanding.
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Vivaldi is who I remember first as making me pay more attention to classical. Winter Solstice deeply affects me every time I listen.
 
Eventhorizon said:
Vivaldi is who I remember first as making me pay more attention to classical. Winter Solstice deeply affects me every time I listen.
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For me it was John Williams, recently it was Mozart's piano concertos (I can read while listening to them), but I'm looking for other artists (can't just listen to one, limits my horizon). Any suggestions of brilliant pieces?
 
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