Lyrics vs. Composition?

[rhapsodical]

Hello hello ~ if you can't tell from the nifty sidebar, I am new here!

I was wondering whether INTJs generally have a leaning towards valuing lyrics over composition or vice versa.

At this point, I'm assuming composition, as that is what draws me to music. Also -- are INTJs more likely than others to be picky with music preferences?

Thanks! :)

[rufsketch1]

Both are quite important for me. I can't listen to anything too slow and melodic. But it doesn't matter how good the composition is if I don't have any lyrics I can attach to. I like things to have meaning, and sounds may sound cool, but they don't really say much.

For the same reason, I am also generally not too fond of avant garde sorts of art.

I don't like things for what they are, I like them for what I can make of them.

[rhapsodical]

Hm... fair enough. You don't listen to much instrumental music, then?

I actually took a peek at the charts for the INTJ last.fm group... a lot of heavy music! I think sonically interesting music would be important?

This is just me theorizing here.

[mozi84]

Kind of hard question to answer. For some songs, I think the instrumental alone can be too boring and/or repetitive (with the vocals either adding some flavor to the song or carrying the song entirely), while for other songs, I think the instrumental alone can be very enjoyable.

If this were a question for a quiz and I had to choose one or the other, I would say I value composition over lyrics. When I listen to a song, I like finding the little subtleties in the composition and trying to isolate the different sounds in the track. Kind of hard for me to explain, but I hope this makes some sense.

[s4nder]

I don't listen to lyrics at all. The singer's voice is just another sound in the mix. I prefer electronic and instrumental music to singing.

[LordCorbin]

Composition. I definitely need a human voice in my music, but I pay attention to how the sound they produce integrates and accentuates the whole and not so much to the content of their lyrics. In most cases in fact I prefer not to know what the lyrics are at all since they are usually a colossal disappointment.

[Lansing]

I don't listen to lyrics at all. The singer's voice is just another sound in the mix. I prefer electronic and instrumental music to singing.

I concur.

Often when listening to a song I like, I can feel a significant shift in my enjoyment of the song the moment the singer begins. I almost say to myself, "Aw, this was going so good, why did he have to show up?"

Most of this time, the singer/lyrics just blend into the song as s4under describes. Sometimes the lyrics enhance the song for me, but I typically don't pay much attention.

Here's an example:
"The Rover" by Led Zep's Physical Graffitti album. I love everything about this song except the lyrics. The song starts with a long instrumental intro and then Robert Plant starts singing. Not only does his voice distract from the music, but the lyrics are really dumb.
Every time I hear this song, I think about how great it would be if I could just hear a version with Robert Plant's voice removed.

Furthermore, for anyone interested, if you listen to Jimmy Page's guitar solo in this song which begins at 3:13, his guitar is a much better singer than Robert Plant. I don't mean this as a joke to call Robert Plant a bad singer. I mean the guitar is literally a superior singer in this song.

Whether it's produced by human vocal cords or by amplified guitar stings, sound is just waves and vibrations received by our ear, and the vibrations produced by Page's guitar are MUCH better than the vibrations produced by Plant's vocal chords. They guitar is more cohesive with the rest of the song, has more range, and just in general sounds better.

If the lyrics weren't so stupid, Page and his guitar might come up short, but as they are written the words add nothing to this song. In fact, they distract from it.

So, in summary, put a cork in it, Robert Plant.

[rhapsodical]

So, in summary, put a cork in it, Robert Plant.
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
I've never heard someone tell Plant to "put a cork in it," but nonetheless, I find it amusing.

[kepstein8888]

Zep isn't about lyrics. They're more of a religious than intellectual experience.

Lyrics aren't a big deal to me, so long as the music is good. But they do sometimes help make a good song better, and a bad song worse.

[MosesVale]

I often find myself enamored with composition the first, second, maybe third time i hear a song. If i'm still listening to the song after this, i usually delve into the lyrics. The most enjoyment for me comes when i can find/create a connection betwixt the two.

[Effay]

If a song has vocals and I hate them, I will hate the song. I judge vocals based on personal taste in the voice and lyrical content. For example, there are few (3) rap groups I like, and I like all of them because of their lyrics. I hate all the shit they play on the radio.

On the other end of the spectrum are songs I like are based mostly in the instrumentals. All of the metal I like is primarily because of the instrumentals, though if I hate the vocalist I refuse to listen. Both the vocals and instruments must be good for me to listen.

The classical music I listen to is pretty much always pure instrumental so that's obviously what matters the most.

[rara avis]

I tend to vaguely ignore the lyrics, the voice is usually just another sound, much like the other instruments. I've had good songs ruined when I've listened to what the singer's actually saying.

[rdahlem]

It all depends on what I'm listening to. I definitely lean toward Composition though.

I get more enjoyment listening to the nuances in Robert Johnson's guitar playing, or little things you might notice listening to classical music. I tend to enjoy tying influences from one composer/artist to another, and other influences on artists.

If anyone listens to classical music, a good example is Mahler using Frere Jaqcues (in d minor) as a funeral march theme in the third Movement of his 1st symphony. Another more modern example is Chuck Berry taking a standard blues riff, taking the swing out of the riff, and turning it into rock n roll.