Powerful Lyrics

For a long time I didn’t care so much about lyrics. There were a few songs that every once in a while popped up at the right moment with the words I needed to hear, but I never looked for good lyrics. Lyrics was never the determining factor that would make or break a song to me. It was always the beat, rhythm, and melodies. If I ever valued the lyrics it was just icing on the cake, not something I considered to be essential. My friends always thought I was weird for being that way, but frankly I thought they were weird for relying so much on the words in a song. Not until recently was I finally able to see why lyrics can be powerful, and how to spot which lyrics are.

Powerful Lyrics Speak For You, Not To You

I recently wrote about a song with lyrics that strongly impacted me, but it wasn’t because I liked the words, it wasn’t because I thought they were interesting - no. Those lyrics ripped something out of me. Those lyrics said everything I was trying to say for years, and the vocals just made it even better. That song helped me move on from several situations that I needed to forget about, and if it wasn’t going to be the lyrics I’m not sure what would’ve brought me to this point.

Powerful Lyrics Are Simple

Of the few songs that have impacted me this way, there’s usually not too much going on. It’s usually one idea, expressed in no more than three different ways, but the emotion is real and that’s all that really matters. Repeating lines are also very powerful. If you think about those moments when you’re feeling a certain emotion, you usually only have one thought or sentence at the front of your mind that repeats itself over and over. That’s what happens when we experience those feelings, so when it’s put into music it makes it even better.

Powerful Lyrics Compliment The Song

When a song’s emotion perfectly lines up with the intent behind the music, it gives those lyrics a huge boost. Of course, the delivery of the vocals also plays a huge role, but when both the instruments and the words are perfectly matching, it’s a lot harder to distort the true meaning of the song. (Although, songs with meanings that are open to interpretation are also powerful. I just think when a song is more intentional, the lyrics have more reason to be respected.)