Music With Lyrics You Can't Understand

The other night I was at a bar and there were these punk bands playing that were really reminiscent of early 1970s or maybe 1960s punk sound. I couldn't understand a single one
of the screamed and hoarsely yelled lyrics. But the sounds of the melodic screaming and yelling certainly added something to the music.

Tonite I was listening to XM 100, a french language music station on XM Satellite radio and they were playing French hip-hop. I speak some French, but still could only catch a word here or there. But again, the incomprehensible chanting, rapping, and singing along with the music and beats still sounded cool. I also listen to latino music stations on XM even though I don't understand Spanish.

It's sort of interesting to contemplate the difference in appreciating music with lyrics you can't understand, when voice becomes just another instrument of sounds and rythm.

I remember growing up and listening to music on the radio - it was always difficult to find music, find out what artist had sung the song you'd just heard, and then often the lyrics weren't printed. Today stations like XM list the band and song title, you can find and download most music via sharing software, and you can search for most lyrics on the internet.

Of course, if the lyrics are good, then you might want to actually know what's being sung, rapped, or screamed. Maybe bands should hand out lyric sheets before they play live. But when you're listening to radio, you'll still have to go research the song if the lyrics aren't perfectly clear...