Do Lyrics Really Matter?
I used to hate coffee. My mom drank it when I was growing up. My grandparents would drink a cup after dinner. I never understood why anyone would enjoy such a bitter drink. But now, I rarely go a day without a cup. And I have even had a cup after dinner a few times… Funny how we change.
As I am writing this, I am now craving a delicious cup from Dwell Coffee & Biscuits in Fort Worth. If you haven’t been yet, you need to. But I digress. Do you know what I think goes well with a cup of coffee? Sigur Ros. What is Sigur Ros you ask? It’s an Icelandic band. If you haven’t heard of Sigur Ros, you are missing out on the best writing music. Why? It’s in Icelandic, so your mind is free of thinking about the lyrics they are singing and you can focus on writing.
But how important are lyrics, anyway?
Well for blog-writing, I’d say not very. For worship? Absolutely imperative. The words we sing are important because they express what we believe, and what we believe has implications on our entire lives. As a former pastor used to tell me, “All theology has practical implications”. When we sing a song informed by scripture, it supports and reminds us the truths of God’s word. The church is built up as the congregation sings rich and true songs in unity. The opposite happens when we sing weak or unclear lyrics. I must admit, I used to not pay THAT MUCH attention to the lyrics of worship songs. But, much like my taste for coffee changed, so did my interest in the content of the songs I sing.
Music has power. We all know that. We can listen to our favorite tune and be moved to tears or elation. But when we marry the emotive power of music with an unclear message, it can distort our view of God. Just because a worship song makes us cry, doesn’t mean it’s healthy for us. I can cry watching the end of Star Wars.
The message of the worship song trumps the music itself. I’m not saying that music is unimportant. Quite the contrary. When a solid message is married with powerful music, you get the best of both worlds. Music can help nudge our emotions in the direction that the lyrics determine.
For instance, if I were to sing the lyric “Holy is the Lord God Almighty” with a monotone (meaning only one note) melody, in an erratic rhythm, you would not be moved to sing with me. You would be repulsed. The church would not edified. But, if it were paired to something sing-able and beautiful – you can join with me and we can worship together. (I will note, “sing-able and beautiful” are very relativistic terms, and I’ll save that discussion for another post)
Songs for the church are important. God has commanded us to sing (Psalm 95:1-3). It would good for us to think carefully about what we are singing.
Looking forward to worshiping with you Sunday. - Matt Bowen, Minister of Music