I'm sorry, but lyrics deserve no credit at all on the copyright sheet. Yeah yeah you're all up in arms ready to debate about how much time you spend on lyrics but I'm here to tell you it makes no difference. It all has to do with the song. The music. The production.
I was going to cite songs like Rihanna's "Rude Boy" as examples, but I figured someone would argue the lyrics are great and really make the song because they're party lyrics and they have sexual undertones which are perfect for Rihanna's image... *cough* bullcrap *cough*
So I have been looking for the perfect case song, and I think I have found it. Train's "Hey, Soul Sister"
- I love this song
- This song was #1 on iTunes for I believe 5 or 6+ consecutive weeks
- It's a perfect summer song. Actually, it uses the same 4 chords as Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours", which was last summer's perfect summer song lol
- THE LYRICS ARE SO BAD but it makes no difference...
OK so yeah everything is subjective but please tell me you dont think these lyrics absolutely suck:
"Your lipstick stains/on the front lobe of my left side brains..." wtf
"I'm so obsessed/my heart is bound to beat right out my untrimmed chest..." gross who the heck sings about their hairy chest... it becomes even more, eh, uncanny? when you realize that the guys in this band are all 45 years old...
AND FINALLY...
"The way you cut a rug/watching you is the only drug I need/so gangster I'm so thug..." I have never heard a more futile attempt at being hip with the lingo of today's youth. And no, do not try to tell me that they're actually making fun of the way kids talk these days. No one, I repeat, no one has ever said "cut a rug" since Lynyrd Skynyrd in "Gimme 3 Steps" 40 years ago.
The reason I am using this song as an example is because I am looking to cover it for my live show. When I printed out the lyrics I was legitimately embarrassed to sing it. The lyrics are TERRIBLE hfjdalfhdsa
But, who cares? The song was on iTunes for like 6 straight weeks at #1. I love the song, it's on repeat on my ipod half the day.
My argument here is that lyrics have nothing to do with how good a song is. Songs are good because of the feeling, the vibe they give off. That all comes from the music, not the lyrics.
On the other side, there are songs with arguably "amazing lyrics" that no one knows of because the MUSIC SUCKS:
- Jimmy Buffet sings about the same thing in all of his songs, yet only a few are popular. Margaritaville, Cheeseburger in Paradise, etc. Why? Because these songs are catchy and musically awesome. Not because of the lyrics. His other songs are not, hence why no one knows them.
- The entire collection of Emerson Lake and Palmer. Case closed.
- Niel Young, Bob Dylan. Case closed for the same reasons as Jimmy Buffet.
- All of Justin Beiber or Miley Cyrus' songs are popular because of how awesome the music is, not because of the lyrics.
And the game-winner:
Every rapper of all time. All rap music of all time.
Please listen. Rappers do nothing but rap. Who knows what they're rapping about. The point is, why are some songs super-popular and others not? BECAUSE OF THE MUSIC THEY RAP OVER. That's it! That's the only reason one song is better than the other. Sure there are memorable lines that people love to sing out, but they would be there regardless of the rapper. The production and music is what makes the song popular.
OK, one last thing to throw in there. Pop music... you think Justin Beiber, Miley, Britney, CORNY, CONTRIVED, NOT REAL MUSIC, etc... I know I know. But how do these artists get so dang popular? Because of the songs that are written for them. Check out this video below. 36 songs using the same 4 chords. Why do they all use the same 4 chords? Because they are failsafe. They are catchy to everyone and have always been and always will be. Doesn't matter wtf the lyrics are, the song is instantly attractive to whoever hears it (or at least the masses, maybe not to ye who is so much more musically advanced than the rest of us)
Alright I'm done ranting lol
