Why are more than 90% of songs about dating, love and male/female relationships and none about eating, sleeping and breathing and other basics of existence?
My WAG would be that of your “basics of existance,” relationships are the most difficult. How many people constantly have trouble eating that slice of pizza or exhaling? I assume songwriting is a means of releasing thoughts and energy, and often people are caught up with problems regarding a lover and need to express themselves. Almost everyone has had difficulties in a relationship, and therefore almost everyone can relate to a song about similar difficulties.
Let’s not forget that many types of music are meant to be danced to…something one often does with a member of the opposite sex.
None?
What about:
“Eat It” by Weird Al Yankovic
“I’m only sleeping” by the Beatles
“Breathe” by Pink Floyd
or even these:
“Breakfast in America” by Supertramp
“Sleeping with the television on” by Billy Joel
“Barely breathing” by Dunkan Sheik
More Songs about Buildings and Food by Talking Heads??? (I stand to be corrected if the title is misleading and it’s full of “I love my baby” stuff, though it would be unlikely - long time since I heard it)
do you really want to be driving 70mph down the highway listening to me sing about me ripping my hemorrhoids apart?
It’s got nothing to do with music. How many books are about breathing? How many movies? The stuff of human relationships is more interesting fodder.
Also note though that pop music specializes in innuendo, nuance, and implication. Often the idea is to set an emotional state rather than state a particular plotline or position. Just look at the lyrics to your favorite rock n’ roll song – most of them don’t make a lick of sense, but sound great when the music is played because they are suggestive.
…and human relationships are also full of nuance, whereas eating a slice of pizza is not.
does it matter what a song is about in order for someone to listen to it and enjoy it?