How to Understand Music
Look up the lyrics and follow along., Ask yourself how the lyrics interact with the music., Listen for places the vocalist puts emphasis to find crucial lines., Search online for outside context about the track., Note where the song "turns" or...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Look up the lyrics and follow along.
The first step to understanding the meaning of lyrics is actually understanding them.
Reading along will give you a much more complete picture of the words and eliminate misunderstandings.
If you're trying to really dive into a song, you'll need the lyrics on hand to make sense of it.
What does the title mean? What do you think the song is about? More often than not, reading the lyrics will give you guidance.Adele's hit "Hello" is about heartbreak and sadness.
But the title points to something more: the desire and need to reach out to our fellow human beings.
Look up any words or references that don't make sense.
This is often the key to making a strange song suddenly clear.
Charles Mingus's "Fables of Faubus," for example, only makes sense if you know that Orval Faubus was a racist Arkansas governor. -
Step 2: Ask yourself how the lyrics interact with the music.
You cannot understand the lyrics fully if you don't listen to them against the music.
Instrumentals are how mood is set and how songwriters tell their stories, and cannot be forgotten.
Luckily, it is almost all subjective.
Ask yourself
-- what kind of music would you put behind these words? Why would an artist choose the music they did for background?Beyonce's "Love on Top" features a series of key changes that bring her voice higher and higher.
The obvious, but important, parallel is that the love she feels is elevating her into the sky.
The Smiths are famous for using bouncy, happy instruments under dark, melancholic lyrics.
Perhaps this suggests that there is sadness under the surface of even the happiest people, perhaps not
-- it is your call.
Check out covers of your favorite songs to see how different artists approach the same words.
Popular songs like "A Change is Gonna Come" can have wildly different "meanings" depending on the music behind the lyrics. , The words themselves are important, but the way they are delivered is just as crucial.
Where does the singer change up the melody, hit a high note, growl out the words, or put a subtle pause? When you listen to the song, which phrases naturally stick in your brain? These are often the lines that hold the most clues about the songs importance.Even a howl or grunt can give lyrics new meaning, like Marvin Gaye's "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)." When he hits that high note you feel every word of pain in the song in a new light.
Leonard Cohen puts all of "Chelsea Hotel No.2" into perspective with a quick, surprising internal rhyme.
The song sounds like a love song, up until "I never suggest that I love you the best" shows that it is actually about fleeting memory.
Think of the singer has a character, not the specific person.
Tom Waits, for example, inhabits all sorts of druggies, gamblers, drivers, and con-men.
When you realize he is playing characters, all with unique stories, he makes much more sense. , Many songs are personal, hiding or hinting at other events without explaining them.
Knowing this context can suddenly make the lyrics all snap into place.
If you love a song or album, take some time to research how it came about to see if there is anything you never knew.Eric Clapton's "Tears in Heaven," for example, is a poignant song.
But it becomes devastating when you learn it is about his son who died young.
Kanye West's album "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" is already powerful, but the knowledge that it was written in the wake of his mother's death gives it added depth. , This is a technique of many advanced songwriters, and knowing it can help you understand even odd or oblique lyrics.
A turn is when the lyrics suddenly shift directions, and this shift is often where people get confused.
Realize, however, that this shift is often the point of the song
-- to show you how things change or feel misplaced.
When reading these lyrics, it is most important to ask two questions: "how is the end of the song different from the beginning, and how did we get there?Bob Dylan's "A Simple Twist of Fate," is in the third person for every verse until the last one.
Suddenly, he starts with "I." A impressionistic, cute little song becomes extremely personal, and it is clear Dylan was actually hiding his own sadness in someone else's story.
Common's "Testify" is a mob ballad with a twist at the end
-- the grieving wife is actually the mastermind.
Suddenly, the refrain "please let me testify" sounds much more sinister. , Enter into the conversation by searching what other people think of the lyrics.
Sites like RapGenius (which is not exclusively for rap) offer annotated lyrics, giving you a chance to see references or interpretations that you might have missed.
Joining into conversation with others is the best way to quickly increase your understanding and open your mind to new interpretations. , Once a work of art is created you have just as much of a right to "understand it" as anyone else.
Your own thoughts and opinions matter because no one can say what a song means to you.
While there are certainly some interpretations that fit closer to the songwriter's intent than others, you should feel free to think about your personal interpretation. -
Step 3: Listen for places the vocalist puts emphasis to find crucial lines.
-
Step 4: Search online for outside context about the track.
-
Step 5: Note where the song "turns" or changes on a dime.
-
Step 6: Check out discussions or writing on music to gain a greater appreciation.
-
Step 7: Trust your own interpretation of the lyrics.
Detailed Guide
The first step to understanding the meaning of lyrics is actually understanding them.
Reading along will give you a much more complete picture of the words and eliminate misunderstandings.
If you're trying to really dive into a song, you'll need the lyrics on hand to make sense of it.
What does the title mean? What do you think the song is about? More often than not, reading the lyrics will give you guidance.Adele's hit "Hello" is about heartbreak and sadness.
But the title points to something more: the desire and need to reach out to our fellow human beings.
Look up any words or references that don't make sense.
This is often the key to making a strange song suddenly clear.
Charles Mingus's "Fables of Faubus," for example, only makes sense if you know that Orval Faubus was a racist Arkansas governor.
You cannot understand the lyrics fully if you don't listen to them against the music.
Instrumentals are how mood is set and how songwriters tell their stories, and cannot be forgotten.
Luckily, it is almost all subjective.
Ask yourself
-- what kind of music would you put behind these words? Why would an artist choose the music they did for background?Beyonce's "Love on Top" features a series of key changes that bring her voice higher and higher.
The obvious, but important, parallel is that the love she feels is elevating her into the sky.
The Smiths are famous for using bouncy, happy instruments under dark, melancholic lyrics.
Perhaps this suggests that there is sadness under the surface of even the happiest people, perhaps not
-- it is your call.
Check out covers of your favorite songs to see how different artists approach the same words.
Popular songs like "A Change is Gonna Come" can have wildly different "meanings" depending on the music behind the lyrics. , The words themselves are important, but the way they are delivered is just as crucial.
Where does the singer change up the melody, hit a high note, growl out the words, or put a subtle pause? When you listen to the song, which phrases naturally stick in your brain? These are often the lines that hold the most clues about the songs importance.Even a howl or grunt can give lyrics new meaning, like Marvin Gaye's "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)." When he hits that high note you feel every word of pain in the song in a new light.
Leonard Cohen puts all of "Chelsea Hotel No.2" into perspective with a quick, surprising internal rhyme.
The song sounds like a love song, up until "I never suggest that I love you the best" shows that it is actually about fleeting memory.
Think of the singer has a character, not the specific person.
Tom Waits, for example, inhabits all sorts of druggies, gamblers, drivers, and con-men.
When you realize he is playing characters, all with unique stories, he makes much more sense. , Many songs are personal, hiding or hinting at other events without explaining them.
Knowing this context can suddenly make the lyrics all snap into place.
If you love a song or album, take some time to research how it came about to see if there is anything you never knew.Eric Clapton's "Tears in Heaven," for example, is a poignant song.
But it becomes devastating when you learn it is about his son who died young.
Kanye West's album "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" is already powerful, but the knowledge that it was written in the wake of his mother's death gives it added depth. , This is a technique of many advanced songwriters, and knowing it can help you understand even odd or oblique lyrics.
A turn is when the lyrics suddenly shift directions, and this shift is often where people get confused.
Realize, however, that this shift is often the point of the song
-- to show you how things change or feel misplaced.
When reading these lyrics, it is most important to ask two questions: "how is the end of the song different from the beginning, and how did we get there?Bob Dylan's "A Simple Twist of Fate," is in the third person for every verse until the last one.
Suddenly, he starts with "I." A impressionistic, cute little song becomes extremely personal, and it is clear Dylan was actually hiding his own sadness in someone else's story.
Common's "Testify" is a mob ballad with a twist at the end
-- the grieving wife is actually the mastermind.
Suddenly, the refrain "please let me testify" sounds much more sinister. , Enter into the conversation by searching what other people think of the lyrics.
Sites like RapGenius (which is not exclusively for rap) offer annotated lyrics, giving you a chance to see references or interpretations that you might have missed.
Joining into conversation with others is the best way to quickly increase your understanding and open your mind to new interpretations. , Once a work of art is created you have just as much of a right to "understand it" as anyone else.
Your own thoughts and opinions matter because no one can say what a song means to you.
While there are certainly some interpretations that fit closer to the songwriter's intent than others, you should feel free to think about your personal interpretation.
About the Author
Natalie Ward
Specializes in breaking down complex practical skills topics into simple steps.
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