I think that it is really important for lyrics to be reality based. For people to like or respect musicians, their music has to be about problems, issues, or about life in general, that can be relatable to their audience. Music is a great form of therapy and people can turn to music for comfort or for a feeling of togetherness. Lyrics that are reality based help us not feel alone. We can turn to music when we need to hear words that we can relate to or when we need to be brought back to reality.
Eminem gets credit for “keeping it real.” His songs are about real life situations and hardships that he went through as a young child. His lyrics talk about things that are sometimes hard to hear. From his song “mockingbird,” Eminem writes, “I remember back when you and daddy had no money Mommy wrapped the Christmas presents up
And stuck 'em under the tree and said some of 'em were from me
Cuz daddy couldn't buy 'em
I'll never forget that Christmas I sat up the whole night crying
Cuz daddy felt like a bum, see daddy had a job
But his job was to keep the food on the table for you and mom”
This song is written for his daughter-and it tells of his care for her despite all of life’s issues. These lyrics are definitely important because they are reality based. People can relate to his lyrics when they grew up in a poor family and/or struggling with family problems. People turn to music when they need an outlet; an outlet for fun, sadness, or a new reality. Eminem’s songs can be that outlet for some people because his real life experiences are relatable and can take us to a place of comfort, in knowing that you are not alone in the hardships in life.
Non-reality based lyrics can be fun to listen to, but they are not as important as songs that are really relatable. I think that most songs we listen to contribute some meaning to our lives. When you can’t express yourself, you can turn to music to say the words that you cannot.
For me, I think that country music is the perfect example when it comes to reality based lyrics. Country singer Brad Paisley sings a song called, “This is country music,” which I think describes what country music is all about. In the song, he says, “This is real; this is your life in a song-Yeah this is country music.” You can find a song about pretty much any life situation in the country music genre. Having “your life in a song” is a really important way to express yourself when you cannot think of the right words to say.
I would agree that lyrics do better when they resemble reality closely. I think you make a strong point when you say that the songs sometimes have the words for feelings that are hard to explain. I know there have been many times when I just put on a song and it sounds like it was made perfectly for how you are feeling or problems you are also facing in your own life. It also seems like the artists that stay close to real subject matter are the ones that last the test of time and get more respect in the long run. People remember the artists and their songs when they have meaning and those artists can develop a huge fan base. It is like people want to hear music with substance, not just some song made for the radio. There is so much bad music out there these days that it actually makes you wonder what was the meaning of the songs after you listen to them. I’m like you, the song has to tell a story or provoke some emotion in order for it to be interesting. I even enjoy country for that same reason. It is really based on real life relationships, people, and everyday situations.
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