I was the same way until about five years ago, then for whatever reason I started to hear the lyrics. Pumped-up kicks, I sang that song proudly without any idea what I was saying. Some things started to click and now wow.
Wait, as in you would sing gibberish words that sounded similar to the real words? Or you would sing along to the real words but they would go in one ear and out the mouth without stopping to process the meaning behind the sentence?
Because I’ve definitely done the former - I think that’s how most people sing along to Smells Like Teen Spirit.
I never considered that some people know the right words to sing, but don’t process them as language with meaning and intent.
I’d sing the words without any idea what they were messing up a few of the words but fewer than you’d expect. Maybe it’s because I was in choir at a young age until early adulthood and in addition to reading notes you read and sing sounds not words. So for example in the chorus of What Do You Do With A Drunken Sailor the lyrics are something like ‘Way-ho and up she rises,’ but on the sheet music it could be ‘Waaaaa- ehyyyyy o- HO.’ It doesn’t look like words, it’s sounds. So singing pop music I used to just hear and reproduce the sound without thinking about what I was saying much. Super clear lyrics yeah but even a little hard to hear I didn’t used to.
Now you have me thinking. I’ve always said that I don’t listen to lyrics but when I was a kid I listened to a lot of artists that are straight up comedy or lean that way (e.g. Barenaked Ladies).
This is the reason I liked Weird Al as a kid. (I still do) His lyrics were the only ones I could understand.
I was the same way until about five years ago, then for whatever reason I started to hear the lyrics. Pumped-up kicks, I sang that song proudly without any idea what I was saying. Some things started to click and now wow.
When you start noticing, you start seeing some pretty hilarious things.
Like hearing “born in the U.S.A.” by Springsteen used at political rallies. lol
Wait, as in you would sing gibberish words that sounded similar to the real words? Or you would sing along to the real words but they would go in one ear and out the mouth without stopping to process the meaning behind the sentence?
Because I’ve definitely done the former - I think that’s how most people sing along to Smells Like Teen Spirit.
I never considered that some people know the right words to sing, but don’t process them as language with meaning and intent.
I’d sing the words without any idea what they were messing up a few of the words but fewer than you’d expect. Maybe it’s because I was in choir at a young age until early adulthood and in addition to reading notes you read and sing sounds not words. So for example in the chorus of What Do You Do With A Drunken Sailor the lyrics are something like ‘Way-ho and up she rises,’ but on the sheet music it could be ‘Waaaaa- ehyyyyy o- HO.’ It doesn’t look like words, it’s sounds. So singing pop music I used to just hear and reproduce the sound without thinking about what I was saying much. Super clear lyrics yeah but even a little hard to hear I didn’t used to.
I love my pancreas too, al.
Now you have me thinking. I’ve always said that I don’t listen to lyrics but when I was a kid I listened to a lot of artists that are straight up comedy or lean that way (e.g. Barenaked Ladies).
I too am white and nerdy
I too ride the bus