As I was listening to some Turkish rock songs, I wondered how it would be like to listen to those without knowing Turkish. If there are not any special instruments, most songs sound the same despite the language. So, likewise, those rock songs sounded familiar until the singer started singing in Turkish. I started to wonder if such a song would mean anything to the listener who does not know any Turkish and does not understand what the song is about.
I experience this situation when I listen to songs in other languages, especially Spanish. I feel like I like those songs although I don’t understand the story. I even had a Patricia Kaas album in French that I used to listen and enjoy. Well, those were my romantic times when I was chasing after my wife, but that is another story.
I think when you listen to a song in a foreign language, sometimes the melody overcomes the lyrics and not understanding the story doesn’t take anything away from your enjoyment. I also think there are times when the voice of the singer is so powerful that you don’t even notice the language of the lyrics.
[tags]random_stuff, music[/tags]
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I’m a firm believer in melody over lyrics. In fact, even in my own language. I listen to a fair amount of non-English music, and it’s all about the tune and the music. You can still appreciate a great voice, whether or not you understand it.
Back to music in English. A lot of people are proponents of the deep meaning behind lyrics. I could care less. If I want meaningful words, I’ll read a book. I want a good tune.
If music was about lyrics, then classical music would be lost on us.