So I just purchased two CD’s (a definate shocker considering my age range), but I’m left troubled: No lyrics in the liner notes of one of them. What is the possible reasoning behind this, aside from annoying the buyers of the CD’s? It just seems really asinine to me, and it’s not a new problem either.
Anyone who has the SD, please enlighten me; others feel free to heap more on this stank pile o’ complaining.
There’s no rule about this, WS. It’s up to the individual artist usually, or if it’s a cover song, up to the label whether they want to buy the print rights to the song.
Victoria Williams once told me that she doesn’t include lyrics in her albums because she wants the listener to have a personal relationship with the song, and to discover the words at your own pace; to hear the song as if she were singing it directly to you. Personally, I wish I had her lyrics, since she’s one of the best songwriters who ever lived, but it’s an artistic choice.
thanks liss, I remember an old rolling stone interview with james hetfield of metallica talking about his frustrations as a teen when Aerosmith didn’t include lyric sheets. Personally I like to know exactly what the words are after a few listens, so that when I’m singin’ along I’m not butchering the song.
Some artists want to include the lyrics, some do not. It’s was the same way back with LPs. There are varying reasons for it – cost, how the artist feels about the lyrics – but it’s their choice.
Some musicians want to be mysterious and secretive and don’t want to tie the lyrics down. :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
Spare me.
Just give us the damn lyrics okay, guys. None of what you are singing has any deep significant meaning anyway.
I recently bought two cds that didn’t come with lyric sheets. Makes me feel cheated. When I listen to a cd for the first time, I like to relax and read along with the lyrics. They were very different cds–one comparatively obscure and with deeper lyrics, one mainstream and rich with ridiculous ones. I don’t know why neither included 'em.
I remember hearing Seal (remember him?) explain that he didn’t include lyrics because everyone hears a different thing. He said the worst thing he could think of is if someone heard his song on the radio and started to sing it to themselves, and then bought the CD and found that they were “wrong”. He must have heard Victoria Williams talk.
I can also see the point that lyrics by definition are to be heard over music, not read on the page, and separating them changes whatever magic the lyric has.
Rap records tend not to have lyrics included in my experience. In a genre where lyrics are if anything more important than they are in more traditional pop music that always seemed interesting to me.
I’m actually sorta surprised to see people who feel cheated when they don’t get the lyrics – I suppose sitting down and reading the lyrics is not something I ever would have thought to do. I’ve looked things up when a particular phrase was hard to understand, but usually on the internet since I don’ t think many of the albums I’ve bought recently have included lyrics. I always put the discs and booklets in one of those big CD folder things, so I’m usually much happier with a compact two-page booklet than a 32-page manual of things the artist thought were important. Gimme a track list and some cool graphic design and I’m happy.
Actually, I think that’s kind of the point. There are some really great bands with really stupid lyrics. If the song rocks, why call attention to its stupid lyrics if they’re only there to carry the melody anyway? I’ve been frustrated with artists who insist on printing all their lyrics even though their lyrics suck. Can you imagine if old R.E.M. albums included lyrics? It would have been gibberish.
Having said that, when you really really really HAVE to know the lyrics to a song, it can be helpful to have them. But writing down all the lyrics tends to clutter up the packaging.
Have you tried the internet? You can usually find pretty obscure lyrics if you look hard enough.
All of these are good answers. But another big reason for this is money. More liner notes cost more money.
What really bugs me, though, is pulling out the liner notes for the first time, and thinking, “Ooooh! Lots of liner notes! Lyrics! Thank yous! What fun!” …and then it’s just a bunch of really awful pictures. THAT. Makes. Me. Mad.
How did I fail to see this before now? No songs committed to compact disc ever have had any deep significant meaning. It’s all been shopping lists and pointless rambling! What a fool I have been. It’s a good thing poetry is such a national obsession or we wouldn’t have any deep significant meaning in our lives at all. Wait a minute!
-fh
Might I recommend, if you’re that keen on reading lyrics, try poetry instead. It tends to be at least minimally literate and occasionally makes sense.
The real reason is money. No matter what they tell you. Lyric booklets cost money. Plain and simple. It’s cheaper without them.
Some countries always include lyrics. Japan, Germany and Mexico. Even if the CD is in another language, those countries will provide lyrics. Japan also provides Japanese translations to the lyrics, in case anyone is interested.
I write some songs, and there is no way that I would include my lyrics in the packaging. Why? Because my lyrics are stupid.
I’m sure there are many bands who use the same reasoning I do. Others figure that they write songs, not words, and that their songs are meant to be heard not read. Go read a book if you don’t like it.
Personally, I find lyric sheets a bit boring after a while. The best liner notes are the ones with nice design and interesting things to discover. Essays, thoughts, humorous thankyous - all these things are far more interestings than the lyrics. I always respect a band that thinks their songs are strong enough to stand on their own without providing lyrics to accompany the listening experience.
To me, song lyrics are best heard, not written down. It often ruins the song for me if I read the lyrics, because written words don’t have the characteristics of spoken or sung words that make them so powerful. It cheapens the whole experience for me.
I have a rap CD that doesn’t include lyrics, but instead has every member of the group comment on each song. “what I meant in this verse was …” “when we were recording this, I went with such-and-such sound …” It works well with this particular album, and it’s my favorite form of liner notes.
Well, there are other cases besides money and obscurity…
For instance, the vocalist in Sigur Ros sings in a combination of English, Icelandic, and an invented language he calls “Hopelandic”, so printing the lyrics really wouldn’t shed any light on the meaning of the words.
Also, in rap, I recall an interview with Jay-Z where he basically said he doesn’t write any of his lyrics down, and he often has to have other people remind him of what he originally said…
Also, from a “mass production” standpoint, perhaps many of these CD’s have the artwork completed (either by the artist or the record label marketing department) before the music is actually complete?
Ooh, yes! Why didn’t I think of that? :rolleyes:
Us plebians, reading lyrics instead of Shakespeare… how can we live with ourselves? So very low-class!
I didn’t know a lack of lyrics was so common… I think the two cds I mentioned are the only ones I have without lyrics.
Out of curiosity: what CD’s were they?