Song of the Moment: My Father's Son

[Jorge]

I don't write songs, so my own writing style isn't really relevant.

And I've always found lyrics in most rock music to be secondary. Music first, always. I listen to too much instrumental music, and too much music in languages I don't speak, to be bothered about what the words mean.

Of course this varies artist to artist. There are some musicians whose lyrics I'll pay close attention to. Pearl Jam was never that band for me.

[harmless]

Yep, all fair points. Certainly lyrics are far more worth talking about with artists like Tom Waits, Elvis Costello or even R.E.M or Arcade Fire.

[McParadigm]

How much better would Losing My Religion be if the phrase "the corner" in the opening line was changed to "your sister"

????

Everything else can stay the same. Just that one line changed.

[harmless]

[Jorge]

Yep, all fair points. Certainly lyrics are far more worth talking about with artists like Tom Waits, Elvis Costello or even R.E.M or Arcade Fire.

I also wonder how much it has to do with listening to a bunch of English-language music before I learned English. Appreciating the sound of the words "I've got you under my skin" before I figured out what the literal and metaphorical meanings were.

[Strat]

Music and feeling first, always for me. The lyrics of a song can elevate it but will not detract from a piece i already love.

[stip]

Yep, all fair points. Certainly lyrics are far more worth talking about with artists like Tom Waits, Elvis Costello or even R.E.M or Arcade Fire.

I also wonder how much it has to do with listening to a bunch of English-language music before I learned English. Appreciating the sound of the words "I've got you under my skin" before I figured out what the literal and metaphorical meanings were.

that's an interesting thought.

[harmless]

Yep, all fair points. Certainly lyrics are far more worth talking about with artists like Tom Waits, Elvis Costello or even R.E.M or Arcade Fire.

I also wonder how much it has to do with listening to a bunch of English-language music before I learned English. Appreciating the sound of the words "I've got you under my skin" before I figured out what the literal and metaphorical meanings were.

It's interesting to hear that you enjoyed the sound. You speak Spanish, one of the Romance languages, which to me *sounds* incredible. Some languages... not so much. I've always wondered what the English language's sound evokes for people.

[stupidmop]

I think lyrics definitely do matter, but the better the surrounding music and actual vocal melodies are the worse the lyrics have to be to ruin the song. For instance I don't really like the lyrics to pendulum either, there's a lot of dark for the sake of sounding dark lyrics that don't really do anything for me, but I like everything else so I'm letting it slide, same with long nights on ITW.

I'm trying to think of a song thats awesome but ruined by hideous lyrics for me, I'm sure there's a few somewhere.

[Jorge]

One of my most vivid memories from before I learned English is stringing together a bunch of "English-sounding" syllables in the form of a song (not unlike this piece of brilliance), and excitedly asking my father "WHAT DID I SAY?!". And him just staring at me blankly.

[Heathen]

Yep, all fair points. Certainly lyrics are far more worth talking about with artists like Tom Waits, Elvis Costello or even R.E.M or Arcade Fire.

I also wonder how much it has to do with listening to a bunch of English-language music before I learned English. Appreciating the sound of the words "I've got you under my skin" before I figured out what the literal and metaphorical meanings were.

it has to be somewhat similar for me

[Mike]

I think I almost understood nothing when I discovered Pearl Jam as a 13 year old. I had been learning english for about 2 years then but understanding Eddie Vedder was almost impossible for me and I loved every second of the music.

[Jorge]

Just took a look at the lyrics someone transcribed earlier in the thread. If they are correct, you guys are definitely exaggerating how bad they are. They're not great, but far from the worst lyrics Ed has ever sung in a Pearl Jam album. Mostly it just sounds like he's struggling for words to fill the space where words are supposed to go. His delivery more than makes up for it. I love how he sounds here. This is my favorite song in the record.

[lowlight79]

Interesting track, not what I expected. Sounds even better after a few listens, still digesting this one.

[mray10]

This is a pretty good one.

I don't have a clue what people are complaining about with the lyrics.

[mray10]

Also, I've no idea what he's saying in that last verse, but I don't think it's anything about "Fifth symphony." Apart from that making no sense, it sounds a bit more like "sympathy" than "symphony" to me. Or at least like that's what the lyric should be. Plenty of instances on record of "the lyric" as written not really being perfectly pronounced on the track.

[harmless]

Also, I've no idea what he's saying in that last verse, but I don't think it's anything about "Fifth symphony." Apart from that making no sense, it sounds a bit more like "sympathy" than "symphony" to me. Or at least like that's what the lyric should be. Plenty of instances on record of "the lyric" as written not really being perfectly pronounced on the track.

But whatever it is, he rhymes it with "sympathy" in another line. So you know, it's not going to be "sympathy" twice.

[diaglo]

What the fuck is with the bridge? Sounds like a completely different song

I quite like the way Pearl Jam do this, when it works. The guitars aren't as furious as they should be for the rest of the song, so I think the contrast helps to make those parts sound more aggressive.

This is a bingo.

[benton netty]

Wow, I wish the whole album had this energy.

[mray10]

Also, I've no idea what he's saying in that last verse, but I don't think it's anything about "Fifth symphony." Apart from that making no sense, it sounds a bit more like "sympathy" than "symphony" to me. Or at least like that's what the lyric should be. Plenty of instances on record of "the lyric" as written not really being perfectly pronounced on the track.

But whatever it is, he rhymes it with "sympathy" in another line. So you know, it's not going to be "sympathy" twice.

LOL, no wonder I was confused and sure I heard "sympathy" in there.

Yeah, so it's not sympathy, but I don't thinks it's 5th symphony, either.