Ah, I think I detect a fellow mind..........there's many a song I sing in Gaelic; I haven't a clue as to the meaning of any of the words; there's an Africaans one as well.Bastet said:As some others have also posted, for me it depends - on the music, the artist, and the mood I'm in at the time. I have a very eclectic music collection, and at least a little bit of everything.
There are songs where the music and the lyrics are inextricably entwined - if one or the other were taken away, the song would be less than it is; it would mean less to me and I would get less enjoyment/emotional impact out of it. There are songs where the lyrics take a back seat to the melody of the vocals themselves - the vocals are truly an instrument all of their own, and what they are actually saying doesn't really matter as much as how they weave in and out of the music proper. And honestly, sometimes I can't even understand the lyrics but the song still sends a chill down my spine - e.g. Clannad's 'Theme From Harry's Game' (someone mentioned Loreena McKennitt - she has the same effect). I'm a sucker for a great harmony - especially 3-part or more. But then I also love classical music, and if someone suddenly stuck lyrics into music I had only heard as instrumental my whole life, I would probably beat them over the head for being crass and ruining the emotion of the piece. Having said that, I didn't buy Public Enemy's 'Fear of a Black Planet' for the music.
*sigh* It seems I'll have to be a fence sitter on this one...damn those splinters.
Oh, and whoever mentioned Primus --->
I sometimes amaze myself by hearing something I would never normally listen to, and suddenly become hell bent on listening to every piece of music by that artist.:bounce
