The place to speak about Dev's current projects, and everything yet to come

Do you care about the lyrics ?

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#2933 by Falk
Sun Mar 14, 2004 1:35 pm
So, as I've already said in the Terria thread, I'm french and not good enough in english to understand everything by ear, and even when reading the booklet, as song lyrics often are weird, or a transcription of the authors feelings and thougts, it's hard for me to understand the 'true' meaning of the lyrics.

For me, lyrics, or should I say the voice, is another instrument, along guitar, bass, etc etc, 'just' a really weird and versatyl instrument.

There's also something strange, it's that a lot of people here in France listen to english music, but I'm sure 70% of them don't understand what is said.

And for some reason, I don't like french songs that much (well moreover we don't have so many great bands, I'm sure there are some (at least a few one) but I don't know them). I don't really know why, maybe I simply prefer to listen to the music than to have to think about what is said.

For example I remember reading on a board a guy talking about Paparoach. There was a war on the board, with pro-nu-metal and anti-nu-metal and blah, and the guy replied to the anti-nu-metal that it would be good if he shut his mouth cuz' Paparoach (and their lyrics) had been really important for him at a bad period of his life.Of course I understand some parts, I can udnerstand the global feeling of the lyrics, but it looks loke I prefer not to know more.

So I'd like to know what you all think of that, if you care or not, iand if yes or not if it's partly because of your native langage.

And as I'm posting this in the DT discussion, I also wanted to know if there's some lyrics in Devin's work that I should pay more attention to.

#2938 by Tren
Sun Mar 14, 2004 1:56 pm
Lyrics matter way so much.

#2944 by Amaran
Sun Mar 14, 2004 2:13 pm
Really good lyrics can make only mediocre sounding music more interesting for me, so I'd say lyrics can sometimes be even more important than the music.

...but sometimes, if the music is damn good, the lyrics can be nonsens and I wouldn't mind...

#2948 by Guest
Sun Mar 14, 2004 2:17 pm
dev's lyrics can be simple and complex at the same trip .
You have to follow the guy in the mind trip to dig the whole concept . An album like "Physicist" is lyrically very simple, and I think that you can easily understand that everything here is based on distress . "Terria" is more nuanced, more enigmatic . It's a puzzle, take one word here, one note there and try to decipher the language ...

However, I remember Dev saying in a fan interview that he had difficulties with english . It proves that this guy is not canadian, he is not from this earth

:lol:

Geoff

#3021 by Catatonik
Sun Mar 14, 2004 8:03 pm
Lyrics are a HUGE part of the musical experience for me.

Even when I don't understand them (Finntroll for example) I try and get the translations because knowing what the song is about helps increase the feelings it evokes...IMO. :P

#3038 by Disputatious
Sun Mar 14, 2004 9:39 pm
Lyrics are definitely very important. The best part of Devin's music is that the lyrics can be deep, but he has such great range and is able to use his voice as another instrument. I just love the songs where he's singing, and then doubles over his voice humming or something.

#3121 by Falk
Mon Mar 15, 2004 6:47 am
Mwahaha ! 13 Vs 1.
Mmh but... but... what's this feeling growing deeply... mmh maybe lonelyness ? :help: :lol:

Am I the only one here who doesn't understand english perfectly ?
Sure it's a fact that we frenchmen suck at other languages, I remember in middle school, the germen (germans ?) for example speak french way better than we speak german, but I'm a bit surprised (not much, cuz' I've already seen this question on other boards and the yes won against the no, but it wasn't so clear :þ).

But if I take Deep Peace for example, I can understand what it means :
It's alright to cry = c'est normal de pleurer

If it's in a discussion, my brain will translate "It's alright to cry" to "c'est normal de pleurer" and get the sens of words, sometimes it don't even translate but I understand the meaning anyway, but in a song, the translation isn't automatic at all, so the lyrics don't come as words, they come as sound.

That's kinda weird, or funny.
Another example, I'm a huge Children Of Bodom fan. COB is a great band IMO (of course as I'm a fan :wink: ), very technical, powerful, angry, and the band that made me buy a guitar. But I'm quite happy I don't understand the lyrics, cuz' even if their lyrics aren't serious, I think I would fine it quite lame (your shadow, tourmented soul and blablablah^^). So the lyrics are 'just' an angry sound, and I'm happy with it. (In fact I'm not even sure enlish natives people can understand the lyrics :p)

I search the lyrics most of time anyway, just to get the right words so that I can sing (or mumble^^) instead of saying words and sentences that don't really mean anything, but I'm ok this way.

So, maybe I miss a part of the feelings and emotions of the songs, or maybe there's just different way to listen to music^^...

No german, italian, japanese here feeling the same way than I do ? :roll: )

#3135 by danceswithchickens
Mon Mar 15, 2004 7:37 am
I think lyrics are only as good as they are able to fit into the song. I can't relate to all of Devin's lyrics. He writes about his life, not mine. I don't even like all of his lyrics, but as long as they sound good in the song, that's all that matters....

Of course, great lyrics can make an average song interesting, just as terrible words can make an otherwise good song unlistenable.

#3148 by Blazingmonga
Mon Mar 15, 2004 8:17 am
I think lyrics are very important, and for me Dev's solo work wouldnt be the same without the lyrics it has. Its true that his voice is an awesome instrument, but it has also got something to say.

I found the lyrics of Ocean Machine particularly soothing and important during a period of depression, the whole album was important to me on every level. Same goes for Infinity.

I think when it comes to really heavy or angry music, it isnt quite so important what is being said necessarily, its more like the emotion itself is all that is needed. Although sometimes this isnt the case. For example, I find the lyrics to City important, although not so much on SYL or HAARHT.

I am a big fan of Rammstein, but I dont speak a word of german. If the music stands up on its own, then the lyrics arent needed.

Yep.

#3183 by simbelmyne
Mon Mar 15, 2004 11:56 am
Falk wrote:No german, italian, japanese here feeling the same way than I do ? :roll: )



yes, i speak german and i'm just a bit above the average in speaking english but still i'm trying to understand the lyrics.
and for some of dev's albums it REALLY needed quite a long time to fully understand them.

but with dev's music ... uhm ... how shall i say this ... uhm ... :? ... i also do enjoy the singing as an instrument. and if i didn't understand the lyrics i would still love his music.

#3249 by Gimpston
Mon Mar 15, 2004 2:42 pm
the lyrics and the way they are sang act as part of the whole sound, they are the icing on a fairly edible cake

#3254 by MullHawk
Mon Mar 15, 2004 2:47 pm
It depends, sometimes without knowing the background to the songs it's hard to have a clue what Devin is actualy talking about, they are important though.

#3256 by Gimpston
Mon Mar 15, 2004 2:49 pm
with a lot of bands i don't always pick up on the lyrics straight away, and as i listen more and i tend to get to know them. it gives each listen that little bit extra

#3257 by MullHawk
Mon Mar 15, 2004 2:52 pm
I'm awful with lyrics, my ears are destroyed from tinnitus so I struggle to even make out what there saying. Most of the time I don't even bother reading them because combined with my terrible memory I never have a clue what the artist is singing anyway. Which is why I get on with grind and power violence so well, because you can barely make out what they are saying regardless.

#3261 by Catatonik
Mon Mar 15, 2004 3:01 pm
When I hear lyrics in a language other than English, it bothers me until I can find a translation and get to know what they mean.

What can I say, I really feel Lyrics are an important part of the experience.

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