Do you focus on the music or the lyrics?

[Infinite Bubble]

I've heard before that Intuitors focus on the lyrics more whereas Sensors focus on the music itself. Personally I have always placed more importance on the melody, chord progressions etc; most lyrics seem to me like poorly written poetry and are usually quite basic in their use of expressing meaning verbally. If it was words I was after, surely I'd just read a book?

So: music or lyrics, and do you think it has anything to do with functions/type at all?

 

[En Gallop]

I've heard before that Intuitors focus on the lyrics more whereas Sensors focus on the music itself. Personally I have always placed more importance on the melody, chord progressions etc; most lyrics seem to me like poorly written poetry and are usually quite basic in their use of expressing meaning verbally. If it was words I was after, surely I'd just read a book?

So: music or lyrics, and do you think it has anything to do with functions/type at all?

I focus more on lyrics (particularly if they're weird/imaginative, unusual in some way). That's why I like Joanna Newsom so much. I'm not a big fan of music generally though; I could live without it. It's very rare a piece of music makes me go Wow!

 

[Tyrinth]

I definitely focus on the music. However, a song can't be great unless it has both good music and good lyrics.

 

[Stanton Moore]

I focus on the music. The lyrics are just a feature of the melody for me, unless I consciously try to ‘hear’ them. They could be in a foreign language because it's sound and not syntax for me.
I have played in many bands, and something I have noticed, related to this, is that I can’t remember a tune by the title. I just don’t connect things that way. If I hear the first chord and a little bit of the rhythm, then I can tell what’s next. But telling me the title won’t remind me of anything. I’ve met a few others who think this way too.

 

[Lexicon]

I've heard before that Intuitors focus on the lyrics more whereas Sensors focus on the music itself. Personally I have always placed more importance on the melody, chord progressions etc; most lyrics seem to me like poorly written poetry and are usually quite basic in their use of expressing meaning verbally. If it was words I was after, surely I'd just read a book?

So: music or lyrics, and do you think it has anything to do with functions/type at all?

I pay attention to both. Lyrics can be more or less limiting, depending on the author, but overall the combination's a package deal I absorb.
I'm doubtful this has much to do with typology. Possibly more to do with learning style, perhaps?

 

[Magic Poriferan]

The music by a long shot.

 

[gromit]

Music first definitely. If it's unpleasant but has great lyrics, I still don't want to hear it.

 

[Pseudo]

I focus on the music to the point that even when I know the words I really just know the sounds. Sometimes I'll sing some old song I listen to a bunch and realize I don;t really know what it's about at all because the lyrics have never seeped into my brain. But I do really like voices...just voices a sounds more than as communicating some narrative. I like ambiguous lyrics, lots of riffing, gospel back up. I prefer singers with idiosyncratic or rough/wailing voices compares to more "beautiful" "diva" type singers.

Like someone else mentioned I also listen to a lot of non English music and it's just them same to me.

My ESFJ friend is very focused on the narrative of the music. Maybe it's an E/I divide.

 

[EffEmDoubleyou]

I'm an intuitive, and I pay far more attention to the music. If lyrics are particularly good, I will enjoy them, but dumb lyrics don't bother me at all...if they did, I couldn't listen to most of the music I do.

 

[Viridian]

That's a tough call for me... I'd say I enjoy the melody a lot more when I can understand the lyrics (I often have to look them up, though), but I also really like purely instrumental stuff, particularly VG tracks.

 

[Rail Tracer]

Depends on what we are listening to, really.

Things like pop, the music tend to be more like a side thing while the lyrics are important.

Things that are electronically based (I.E. Trance, Techno, etc) I'd prefer it to be mostly music.

Classical? Music.

Basically, the more sounds in the background the more I focus on the music, the less sounds in the background the more I focus on lyrics. There isn't anything that can help with bad music or bad lyrics though.

Exhibit A: Pop: Mostly lyrics.

Celine Dion - Because You Loved Me

Westlife - Flying Without Wings

Exhibit B: Electronic: Ignore the video itself, it is all follow the beat.

ABG - Recollections (Dynamis Remix)

Oliver Smith - Tomahawk

Exhibit C: Rock: Energy is from the music, power is from the lyrics.

Story Of The Year - Anthem Of Our Dying Days

Rise Against - The Good Left Undone

Exhibit D: Rap: Mostly lyrics. Music adds effect to the lyrics. Its hard for me to find rap that is alone or something that has enough rap (because most that do, I hate it.)

Linkin Park - Hit The Floor

X-Ecutioners feat. Mike Shinoda & Mr. Hahn - It´s Going Down <--- Linkin Park is pretty much in there too.

Exhibit E: Classical: All Music

Canon in D

Leaves On The Seine

 

[Randomnity]

Definitely both. Probably music would win, since I can enjoy songs with lame lyrics if the music is good (which is actually most songs I listen to, haha), but the lyrics still matter - if the lyrics are actually offensive that'd turn me off, and I like musically simple songs if the lyrics are interesting. And instrumental songs are cool too. I don't really like rap or other music that doesn't really have a melody. So both, but with the melody part slightly more important.

 

[The Ü™]

Music. It takes you to more places than the lyrics. Lyrics are typically unnecessary...but sometimes they seem to be more part of the melody, particularly when you can't understand them -- the growling vocals of metal, for example, are very much a part of the music, because who the hell can understand what they're saying?

And frankly, in most cases, I don't even understand the lyrics in any song, save for maybe the chorus if it's catchy. I usually end up looking them up.

 

[unnamed]

Lyrics,the meaning of lyrics can make the music very different.

 

[Infinite Bubble]

I'm doubtful this has much to do with typology. Possibly more to do with learning style, perhaps?

Maybe not then. Although it could be that it is the opposite way round to what I read, as although technically music is sensory, it represents abstract patterns that can be subjectively interpreted, which might appeal more to intuitors.

Depends on what we are listening to, really.

I think that perhaps people will gravitate towards genres that emphasize whichever quality they prefer.

Lyrics,the meaning of lyrics can make the music very different.

Does knowing the meaning of the lyrics make the music sound 'better' to you? If you like the lyrics, do you enjoy the song whether or not the actual music is that great in your opinion?

 

[unnamed]

Does knowing the meaning of the lyrics make the music sound 'better' to you? If you like the lyrics, do you enjoy the song whether or not the actual music is that great in your opinion?

Yeah.

 

[cafe]

Lyrics. I really can't tolerate stupid lyrics unless they're meant to be funny, doesn't matter how much I like the music. That's why I don't listen to Randy Travis, even though I love his voice. His lyrics are like someone ran a bunch of Hallmark cards through a shredder then randomly glued them back together.

I don't think it's because I'm intuitive. I think it's because my brain is very verbal/ language oriented and I know jack about music. I listen to books a lot more often than I listen to music.

 

[Usehername]

I think it's more to do with how attuned you are to the craft of music. I can't listen to classical music without lyrics while writing because the chord progressions and complex nuances are constantly getting analyzed by me. OTOH, I can listen to pop music with lyics while writing.

I'm very verbal but I am more captivated by the musical theory & application than the words.

 

[Rail Tracer]

I think that perhaps people will gravitate towards genres that emphasize whichever quality they prefer.

Yeah, I tend to prefer music > lyrics for concentrating.

But if it is something like Rock and Rap, I tend to notice the lyrics a lot. That's when lyrics > music for me (but again, rap tends to gives me headaches if it isn't being rapped correctly because I focus a lot on the lyrics.)

I think it's more to do with how attuned you are to the craft of music. I can't listen to classical music without lyrics while writing because the chord progressions and complex nuances are constantly getting analyzed by me. OTOH, I can listen to pop music with lyics while writing.

I'm very verbal but I am more captivated by the musical theory & application than the words.

When it comes to concentrating, I feel the opposite. Too much lyrics clutter my mind, higher tempos also tend to clutter my mind by going too fast.

So when I am doing something I need to concentrate, like doing an essay or reading a book, it has to be something like classical or ambient.

 

[Daenera]

What I go for in music are the emotions, sometimes I can be drawn by a song because of the music, other times by the lyrics, so whichever of the two resonates with me in a certain moment, makes me feel a certain way, but if I have to choose: definitely the music! I have to admit I have been annoyed by stupid lyrics, because I see music as an expression of the soul of the artist, what someones inner world sounds like, unless of course it's intentionally meant to be funny, then we're cool haha