Do you ever really think about...

[Alvabass]

If I cared about the lyrics, maybe I wouldn't pay attention to songs in other language than Spanish, I think. Of course, there are some moving lyrics, and others are very funny. Must mention "Mi Agüita Amarilla" ("My Yellow Little Water") here: A song by a Spanish band called "Los Toreros Muertos" ("The Dead Bullfighters") that funnily describes the trip of a pee after released. But that's one of the very few cases in which I've really enjoyed a song because of its lyrics (and it's a very good overall song, BTW).

Anyway, some time ago I started a similar thread/poll at TalkBass. Maybe you'd like to check it out.

P.S.: Hey Jack! (And those of you who are fluent in Spanish) I think you'll find [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zL171xk2Zxw"]YouTube - Pingüino Rodriguez[/ame] very funny (also posted it in my TB thread).

 

[AnthonyD]

...If I’m picked for a jury I’m pushing for death, no matter what the offence is! )

Always a good choice!

It sounds like your guitarist is playing with the wrong band.

We thought about that too... But the group really clicks and plays well apart from this issue. It's always been a problem and it wasn't until my front guy/lead singer/cousin decided he was out that we brought it to a head. Turns out our other guitarist had the same complaints but wasn't ready to walk because of it - yet.

Kinda opened my eyes a bit. I had three of four guys (myself included) thinking about walking. That ratio is heavy on the wrong side.

 

[midopa]

+1 with SmallEQ. I don't pay attention cuz I usually don't "get" lyrics. If it sounds good and it's fun to play I'll play it.

 

[mbgreene]

Anthony - Is this the same guy that you gave this Look to last year

Ever been really, REALLY mad at your (soon-to-be-ex) lead guitarist? This is at the
opening of "Some Kind of Wonderful" - just me and "Phil" (our drum machine.) We've
ALL reminded him to stay out of the song until "Can I get a witness" but the a$$ can't
help but diddle with his guitar throughout the song.

add this to the equation and it almost seems not worth it. I remember your set list from another thread being fairly innocuous - straight ahead party rock tunes. No death metal, or even Prince tunes. Not sure what the objectionable content would be other than veiled references that most people going to here a rock n roll band accept and expect.

 

[AnthonyD]

Ha! Nope - it's the other guy!

Actually, last year's "problem" has become a blessing - how things change. We had a knock-down/drag-out/all on the table discussion late last year, complete with the "If you want me outta the band..." stuff flying around the room.

After all the dust settled, we all learned to work better together and it's actually been completely turned around - open communication really is key. I've learned to relax a bit and be a bit more acceptable of his "ADD" - he's agreed to work at focusing a bit harder and has employed a kind of "cheat-sheet" approach to keeping his playing on point.

Things are much, much better this "season" and his playing has never been a problem - the guy is a great guitar player.

Believe me, I've recently said to myself on more than one occassion "Imagine if I cut this guy loose and hung on to the other guy"...

 

[T-bone]

Oh man you guys,

Lyrics make the song! Go back and listen to some early Bowie, CSNY, and most certainly Beatles.

tbone

"And in the end, the love you take, is equal to the love you make"

 

[phatduckk]

we/i really pay attention to lyrics. personally i like certain songs more due to their lyrics.

However... i consider lyrics good if they're not cheesey, derivative, predictable or come off like amateur hour at some poetry reading.

if the lyrics serve the song i'll like em... especially intelligent lyrics. some songs are funny etc so i dont disqualify funny lyrics at all.

as far as offensive material... if it has a point and convey's someone's point of view WELL, even if i completely disagree, its all good by me. i can actually appreciate their expression. ya, maybe i don't by into it - but free speach n all that.

but im not easily offended at all and my type of music and our audience really doesnt require any toning down

 

[Fred E.]

What...are...these...things...you...call..."lyrics"???

Must be those noises that the guy in the front of the musicians is making.

 

[phatduckk]

lyrics are super important. anyone ever think they know what the lyrics are and once you look em up you realize they're lame & cheesey and get bummed out?

 

[roburado]

lyrics are super important. anyone ever think they know what the lyrics are and once you look em up you realize they're lame & cheesey and get bummed out?

Oh goodness yes. It's much better when I don't understand what the heck they're singing, and I'm pleasantly surprised or even amazed at how good they are after I look them up.

 

[Beth]

What are you guys talking about? Did something happen while I was gone?

 

[Aussie Mark]

Well...

That guy now steps off-stage and the three of us get to

He's either in the band or he's not. Dude's got a decision to make.

 

[Leftybassist]

Sorry this is a little off topic and harping back on an old post in this thread

I have a lot of problems with songs that espouse killing cops or that sort of thing.

I guess you could quite fairly say that I have no use whatsoever for rap, hip-hop or whatever it is we're supposed to call it now.

But then - to me - that isn't really music nor are they really songs. It's generally just some self-aggrandizing asshat, bragging about his street cred and how many women he's abused and so on. I know what a band looks like, I think, and it isn't one guy talking and another playing with a turntable.




This type of statement always rubs me the wrong way. Don't worry... I'm not getting pissed off or angry. I just want to give you a little something to think about, or a heads up, you might say. What you are refering to, is specifically, rap, which is just one form of hip hop, ie: all the bitch, hoes, money and street cred you spoke of. I, personally think that is a load of crap too. That is just the pop end of the spectrum. Now, I don't expect you to try and go out and find the type of hip hop that is classy and sophisticated. But I just want you to know that it does exist. There are some true poets in hip hop. Mos Def is a prime example in my opinion. His first solo album "Black on Both Sides" is shear genious, and classic, and classy IMHO. And you might be interested to know that he plays the BASS on the majority of his tracks. This form of hip hop is quite different from rap and I just wanted to clarify that point. It grooves, swings, has beautiful melodies and tastful and thought provoking samples. And yes, truely impressive poetry.
You may even know this .. but just in case you didn't.

 

[ptg]

This is supposed to be fun. If one guy is making everyone else uncomfortable, it may be addition by subtraction.

I have to admit that I'm very into lyrics and care about what they say. But if it's not my band, I would have to go with the majority rule. Walking on and off the stage because I don't approve of the message means it's time for a new band. (IMHO)

BTW, the 10,000 Maniacs song "What's the Matter Here?" is about child abuse, yet everybody dances to it. Things are not always what they seem...

 

[midopa]

Mos Def played bass on that album? Well well now you learn sumthin new everyday. Black on Both Sides is an excellent hip hop album. I love "Umi Says", "New World Water", "Mathematics", ... shoot I love the whole things I do.

 

[spencer]

Hmm. Again, an example, please?

Good song with a bad message.

I don't get it.

It's not like using an Iggy Pop song about HEROIN ADDICTION to get you to buy a ticket for a cruise ship, right?

No, here is an example, lets say Sir Phycho Sexy one of my favorite songs however it doesn't have a great message, but I love it anyways, however I would never play it at a concert.

I don't like songs that sing about drugs, cars, hoes, the rock life, sex, however sir psycho has a funny mood to it.

About the whole rap thing I always hated it I had heard a few hip hop songs that I did like however that was about one or two. I always said it was because of the message and also because the lack of instrumentals.

However Christian rap is really starting to grow on me, it has a great message and Im really starting to like it minus the computer generated sounds even though Im begging to have a little respect for those because I know I couldn't do that.

 

[Bass Control]

I think there is a level that just shouldn't be breached. There are certain songs that should not be performed, certain lyrics that should be sung, certain things that shouldn't be talked about in song format. I'm not very into the "glorification" of certain topics. I don't like songs about raping people (my fiancee was a victim of rape from her last girlfriend, and I've had many friend become a victim of it), beating children, getting drunk (my parents were abusers and I was hit by a drunk driver two months ago), and stuff like that. There are things that I think are "acidic" to me, and that is different from person to person.

Will my dislike of drunk drivers and my fear of alcohol abuse keep me from playing in the local bar scene? Absolutely not. I may give an objection to certain lyrics and won't play certain songs for that reason, but the music itself is what overrules it for me. When you care more for what is being sung rather than the joy of playing music itself, that's when I think you should get out from behind the instrument and just write songs like a modern day Andrew Lloyd Webber.

On the issue of Christian Music. This may make me sound like a bad person, but I absolutely HATE modernized Christian music. I'm 20 years old and grew up in one of those old-fogey "hymnal and organ" churches. I think that the modernization of Christian music has turned Christianity into a commercial business.

Wow... I think I may have bounced around there and meandered a bit... I wasn't thinking linearly. Time for some soda!

 

[MrMusashi]

if it aint fun anymore, why the humh do you do it?

thats my motto in any band related issues

but then again, im lucky enough i dont have to do it for a living.. i only sell the axes.. and that is FUN

MrM

ps: i find rappers (or rather non singing vocalists) interesting rhythmically... its like listening to sex machine with james brown with bootsy on bass.. that bass line is its own song inside that song!!!! same with the rhythms they present.. always some nice variations to try to implement in the thumbthump solo

 

[Aussie Mark]

I don't like songs that sing about drugs, cars, hoes, the rock life, sex

What's left?

 

[AnthonyD]

This is supposed to be fun. If one guy is making everyone else uncomfortable, it may be addition by subtraction...

But if it's not my band, I would have to go with the majority rule. Walking on and off the stage because I don't approve of the message means it's time for a new band. (IMHO)...

Agreed - but the making everyone uncomfortable was happening when we were ditching songs because of one members "higher morals" - now that we've decided to move ahead with these songs there is no discomfort - at least not for three of us.

Other big problem that feeds into this is control - we've tried doing everything by committee - most of you will know that doesn't work. When my cousin decided he was "leaving the band" because of this nonsense - struggling with song selections, taking months to make "group" decisions - it was a wake-up call for me. Mike is the guy I want to be standing next to with my bass in hand - have been for almost 30 years - and he was right to be fed-up.

I got to thinking...

BTW - remember my knee? You'd be AMAZED by how much thinking one can get done when there's absolutely nothing else you can do.

So I have a direction - and I have no doubt that two of the other three guys are quite happy to follow my lead. By being so open about "this is the new way we're doing things" we've gotten more done in the past month than we've done in the past year. Guys that were fed-up are excited all over again. Guys that were simply "showing up" are now playing to win. The energy is high again. Ever get "giggles" playing a tune because it is so tight? So right-on rocking in the pocket? I do - and it's happening much more often in the past few weeks.

So three of us are on a high, making plans, looking forward to working hard and making music - and we're seeing signs that the forth is picking up on the vibe and looking to prevent being left behind. Again, time will tell...

In case you missed it, this all came to a head over "Tush", "Only the Good Die Young" and "Brown Sugar".