# Voices that touch souls despite lyrics **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 23, 2017, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voices-that-touch-souls-despite-lyrics/780562 "2017-02-23T15:40:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![2Bits](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/e95f7d/32.png) [@2Bits](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2Bits)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voices-that-touch-souls-despite-lyrics/780562/1 "2017-02-23T15:40:26Z")
Robin Gibb (Bee Gees) had a voice that “got to me” despite that it was never used to support song lyrics of any depth or real meaning. Anybody out there know what I am talking about? ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voices-that-touch-souls-despite-lyrics/780562/2 "2017-02-23T21:05:45Z")
The BeeGees were great. They weren’t more vapid than lots of artists as I recall. Robin wrote and sang “I Started a Joke” ---
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voices-that-touch-souls-despite-lyrics/780562/3 "2017-02-23T21:12:15Z")
Alison Krauss. Her voice is clear as crystal and sweet as honey. I can never get enough. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voices-that-touch-souls-despite-lyrics/780562/4 "2017-02-23T21:38:51Z")
A tie: Karen Carpenter/Marilyn McCoo (Fifth Dimension) When KC hits those low notes, my teeth rattle (in a good way). MM has incredible diction, she can really belt one out, but can also be very expressive ([like this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gijK_HQT_Xk)). ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voices-that-touch-souls-despite-lyrics/780562/5 "2017-02-23T21:42:48Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > A tie: Karen Carpenter/Marilyn McCoo (Fifth Dimension) > . Yes to both. Jo Stafford, too. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voices-that-touch-souls-despite-lyrics/780562/6 "2017-02-23T21:46:04Z")
Matt Berninger of [The National](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=14&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjR5JqgmKfSAhVh4YMKHUZ2CXsQFghrMA0&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FMatt_Berninger&usg=AFQjCNGETU9RMPrKxnbUBFW0SDMw4bJYTg&sig2=9xRz1y5N9GjOmrjFUg3krA&bvm=bv.147448319,d.amc). ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voices-that-touch-souls-despite-lyrics/780562/7 "2017-02-23T21:46:07Z")
A bit of a weird example, but the first song that comes to mind is **Plush** by **Stone Temple Pilots**. I have _no_ clue what Scott Weiland was singing about, but damn, it sounded very thoughtful and cool. A scintillating snippet of lyric: > [@](#): > > Where ya going to tomorrow? > Where ya going with that mask I found? > And I feel, and I feel > When the dogs begin to smell her > Will she smell alone? > > When the dogs do find her > Got time, time, to wait for tomorrow > To find it, to find it, to find it > When the dogs do find her > Got time, time, to wait for tomorrow > To find it, to find it, to find it But man, when I was young and buzzed and that song came on, I sang along like I was _sayin’_ something, man!! Note: a quick Google before I posted this suggests that the lyrics were inspired by SW’s reading of an article about the police finding a body, but he was using that to talk about a failed relationship. Okay, then - but they read like he thought he was saying something cool vs. having any meaning, IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voices-that-touch-souls-despite-lyrics/780562/8 "2017-02-23T21:47:26Z")
nm ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voices-that-touch-souls-despite-lyrics/780562/9 "2017-02-23T21:48:29Z")
IMHO the 90s R&B group TLC were better than their songwriting material. They sang really nicely on some forgettable lyrics. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voices-that-touch-souls-despite-lyrics/780562/10 "2017-02-23T22:06:37Z")
Olivia Newton John. Something inside me is screaming Tammy Wynette – do I dare? Faye Wong, and Maya Kristalinskaya, and Paula Fernandes, and Lata Mangeshkar, and Melanie Oesch and Aster Aweke. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voices-that-touch-souls-despite-lyrics/780562/11 "2017-02-23T23:44:28Z")
Cissy Houston (Whitney’s mother). On Aretha’s version of [Ain’t No Way](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-39SMDvGgQI), she unleashes that ethereal voice at about 1:05 for a 15 second demonstration of pure power and sweetness. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voices-that-touch-souls-despite-lyrics/780562/12 "2017-02-23T23:53:23Z")
The singer of the band **Shinedown** has an amazing voice too (don’t know his name). ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voices-that-touch-souls-despite-lyrics/780562/13 "2017-02-23T23:53:45Z")
Jimmy Cliff comes to mind. He has a sweet, pleasing voice, but unlike some artists, I don’t listen to his songs for the lyrics. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2017, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voices-that-touch-souls-despite-lyrics/780562/14 "2017-02-24T14:19:10Z")
I first noticed Audra McDonald when she was a supporting player in the Broadway revival of Carousel. If you don’t shiver at her rendition of [Summertime](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNLbRdoB9Z8), I don’t want to know you. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2017, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voices-that-touch-souls-despite-lyrics/780562/15 "2017-02-24T16:05:40Z")
Willie Nelson. Not on everything, but definitely on the reflective songs. He’s easy to dismiss and parody, but the man can bring it and has an utterly unique voice. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2017, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voices-that-touch-souls-despite-lyrics/780562/16 "2017-02-24T16:26:44Z")
I’m convinced that the Sirens in Homer’s Odyssey must have sounded like the girls in ABBA. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2017, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voices-that-touch-souls-despite-lyrics/780562/17 "2017-02-24T16:28:51Z")
Tom Waits. …what…? ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2017, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voices-that-touch-souls-despite-lyrics/780562/18 "2017-02-24T17:32:57Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > Tom Waits. > …what…? I’d say the other way around. TW can be very hard to listen to but the lyrics are dictation from the Devil (who’s really just God when he’s drunk). ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2017, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voices-that-touch-souls-despite-lyrics/780562/19 "2017-02-24T17:56:33Z")
For male voices, I’d start with Jerry Butler, Lionel Richie, and those two guys who did solo parts with The Sylistics. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2017, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voices-that-touch-souls-despite-lyrics/780562/20 "2017-02-24T18:01:28Z")
Does Cyndi Lauper fit in here? I’ve heard her sing the old standard ‘At Last’ in a minimal version, almost a capella, and that loooooong note at the end (‘and you are miiiiiiiiiiine’) is just thrilling. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voices-that-touch-souls-despite-lyrics/780562.md?page=2)