Of course, when you ask the author of the text such a question, you will hear in response: Of course the text, because that’s where the whole essence is!
But if you ask the composer of the same song the same question, you’ll hear a litany of raving praise for their music.
Both sides are right in their own ways.
When discussing the importance of one component or another, one can, of course, base one’s judgment on the priorities of the musicians or the composers. Ultimately, everyone has the right to decide what’s most important in their song.
I will express my opinion. I wouldn’t favor either element. I can’t divide and choose. Let me explain why.
I’ll warn you that my arguments may differ from yours, and that’s okay.
When listening to a song, we emphasize one thing: some the lyrics, some the music. In one song, we heard interesting phrases in the lyrics that resonated with us because they reflected our life experiences, while the music remained in the background. In another song, a clever combination of notes made us feel the music, while the lyrics weren’t important to us.
Just as we bring our own meaning to music, we do the same with lyrics. Some people may hear what is most important to them in the lyrics, while others will feel how the music creates importance for them. What’s important to us is what we ascribe meaning to. But a song is a harmonious blend of words and music. Therefore, lyrics and music in a song should be considered inseparable elements.
It’s like an egg. Separate the yolk from the white, and it’s no longer an egg. We can’t say which is more important, the yolk or the white.
By separating one from the other, we lose the integrity of a musical piece.
But you can experiment. Let’s test ourselves with a simple task.
What’s more important to you?
- Take any song and describe it simply as happy or sad. Let’s say you think she’s happy/sad. Now, listen to the backing track of this song. Listen carefully to the melody or, if applicable, the chord progression.
- Determine what feelings this music evokes in you. Are they exactly the same as the lyrics, or completely different?
- Next, replace the “happy”/”sad” words in the lyrics with their opposites (antonyms), keeping the same number of syllables, or come up with a different lyric with a happy/sad inversion (no rhyme required).
- Sing or intonate the resulting text. Now feel them. What’s changed?
- If your feelings remain the same in both cases, then the music is your priority in this song.
- If you felt a contrast between the first and second options, then the lyrics are important to you.
This is a simple way to discover your personal interests!
Compose music, write lyrics!
