When I was young, most of the time I didn't listen to lyrics.

[raccoon]

(However, I absorbed some of them, such as every line of "Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny yellow polka dot Bikini.&quot

In my forties or thereabouts, I started listening carefully to lyrics. I don't know if this was a function of age, or because I was listening to audiobooks on cassette and got in the habit of listening.

Your experience?

[SamKnause]

1. I always listened, (and still do) to the lyrics because I love to sing.

I like to dance even more than I like singing.

[smirkymonkey]

2. I listened, but a lot of times I got them wrong (as a child)

I came up with some doozies.

[lapfog_1]

8. ditto! sometimes the ones I came up with made more sense...

[yonder]

3. I still don't.

My ear searches the melody, chord progression, bass line, etc. first and if that's interesting enough I might filter down to the words.

If it's a ballad or topical song, I'll pay more attention especially if there's a hook or I know something about the song, otherwise music first, words second.

Which isn't to say I never get waylaid by the power of some songs.

[targetpractice]

4. I don't, and I have ADD...

I've always attributed it to that... I just never got into listening to music on the radio, etc. I need beats, synthesizers, house music, hooks, etc to make me like/remember a song.

[Tikki]

5. I like words surrounded by noise.

Many of the newer bands I listen to have lyrics about
actions like police abuse and out of control consumerism.


Some people like to just hum along to the melody. That is fine.



Tikki

[Brother Buzz]

6. Back in my day, I listed on a primative AM transistor radio

Many, many of the lyrics were totally indiscernible.

[kozar]

7. I thought I was weird,

Because I find myself at almost 60 doing the same thing. I am finding since then, the songs I hated back then, because of tune ,beat,or awful to dance to ( sorry American Bandstand reference) now make sense because of lyrics.

[bif]

9. I still don't, most of the time. And I'm 63.

[Va Lefty]

10. Sometimes I misheard

I thought for years that the ZZ top song Nationwide went:

"Easin' down the highway in a new Cadillac
I had a fine fox in front, I had primo in the back

as in primo weed

[LakeArenal]

11. I lived for the lyrics.

Just now I’m beginning listen to the individual musicians. Pretty much opposite I guess.
When I hear my oldies, it’s wonderful how quickly the lyrics come pouring back.

[rurallib]

12. I am like you

there is some awfully good poetry in many lyrics
and sometimes such a stretch for a rhyme that it makes you laugh.

[hurl]

13. I still don't listen to lyrics much

Unless the music is interesting. I've always been a 'music-first' guy. If the music is interesting, then I'll get into the lyrics. My possibly wrong view is that lyrics are usually an afterthought. When lyrics are the main focus, then the music is probably boring.