Many people focus too much on the lyrics when searching for meaning in a song. Words written on paper are missing half of what makes a song a song. The instrumentation and background noise can tell as much to the listener as the words, and this part even takes the forefront sometimes. Take “Build Me Up Buttercup” by the Foundations for example. Just by the reading the lyrics, the song seems like it would be depressing and hopeless, but when listening, it is upbeat and almost happy. The actual sound of the music changes the meaning beyond what the lyrics are saying and gives the song a more hopeful feeling. The ability of sound to invoke meaning is also apparent in cover songs. Often times, an artist will use the same lyrics as the original, but a change in the sound, or even just the differences in their voices, can change the meaning away from the original. In music, the sound of a song often extends or changes the meaning beyond the lyrics.
Sound can play an interesting role in giving songs an ambiguous meaning or having the sound give a feeling contradictory to the lyrics. The sound or tune can either contradict the lyrics or build upon them. “Semi-charmed Life” by Third Eye Blind was a late nineties alt-rock hit with a catchy melody and upbeat pace. When the song first came out, Jay Taylor, program director of San Jose, California based radio station KOME, said he played the song 35 times a week and described the song as having “a summertime feel to it.” But when searching for meaning in the lyrics, the bright and sunny feel can fade. Stephan Jenkins, the lead singer for Third Eye Blind, came out and said the song is really about his use of meth. Jenkins told Billboard Magazine that like speed, the song is “bright and shiny on the surface, and then it just pulls you down into this lockjawed mess…It’s intended to be what the seductiveness of speed is like, represented in music” (Third Eye Blind…Elektra).
The lyrics, though, seem to be talking about a relationship with a girl, and when mixed with the “summertime feel,” the ambiguity caused by the sound is very apparent. Sam West, a writer for Vice, put forth an interesting hypothetical situation. He said, “What if you first made out with the love of your life while the song was playing at a party? Is the song still about meth? Probably not. It’s about two semi-charmed kinda lovers finding happiness in each other’s arms” (West). Although Jenkins would disagree that his song has anything to do with two lovers, he cannot control how people interpret the meaning of the song. His use of sound adds to the ambiguity of the lyrics and, although it may not have been his intention, can often differ from what the true meaning of the song is to him. Of course, there is nothing wrong with this. Music is designed to be interpreted and defined differently by everyone and the sound Jenkins used still makes sense for how he pictured the meaning of his song. Overall, though, the upbeat, happy sound used does add meaning beyond what the lyrics are actually saying for both interpretations. For drug use, it represents the seductiveness of meth or for love, it could represent a different kind of seductiveness. Sometimes a song should not be taken too seriously though. Maybe the sound is just there to develop a certain feeling. A happy sing-a-long song sounds a lot more appealing to listeners than a depressing sounding one about drug use. This observation can give some cultural insights.
A google search of “sad songs that sound happy” turns up hundreds of valuable results. However, a search of “happy songs that sound sad” turns up almost nothing. Why is this? The answer lies in our cultural values, but also shows the power of sound. “Semi-charmed Life” for example has a dark meaning but a sound that seems contradictory to the lyrics. The interesting aspect, however, is people generally would not recognize this song as having a sad meaning, as opposed to Jenkins who actually wrote the song and sees the dark meaning behind the lyrics. Like other art, music can be interpreted differently by everyone because there is no set way that a song will make a listener feel. So is a “sad” song that sounds happy really a sad song? It is up to the listener to determine this using the sound and further complicates trying to find an answer to the question. After trying to dig deeper into the question of why there are sad songs that sound happy, but not many happy songs that sound sad, I was left with no answers. Although music is art, it is also a business. It is possible some artists feel like an upbeat song would sell better even if they gave the lyrics a dark meaning. With music being art, it is also possible that this is simply a mode of creativity and experimentation with sound to give meaning. The second explanation, though, does not explain why there are not many songs with more uplifting lyrics that sound sad. There is no good answer to this question because artists have free will to write music however they want. Each individual can have different reasons for making their music sound the way it does. The main importance of looking into the ambiguity of the meaning between the lyrics and the sound is to show that sound has a powerful effect on the meaning.
Cover songs give a different but just as important view on the effect of sound on the meaning of a song. There are a variety of ways this can happen. The instrumentals, tune, or tone of the song can change. Often these changes occur without a change in lyrics which highlights how the sound itself can alter the meaning. The cover of “September” by Taylor Swift exemplifies this idea well. While Earth, Wind, and Fire’s version is the epitome of funk, Swift’s version has a country feel to it. The only instrumental part is a banjo and her voice is soft and relaxing. The sound she uses places more emphasis on the lyrics because the instrumental portion is less aggressive. The change in sound she uses changes the meaning. It adjusts the tone with the softer sound by making it more melancholy and nostalgic than Earth, Wind, and Fire’s version. Earth, Wind, and Fire’s upbeat tempo and dance beat made it seem like more of a celebration, while Swift’s style made it seem like she was longing to go back to the time she was singing about. Her cover did come with criticism, though. According to Elyse Wanshel of Huffpost, people were angry because of “the mere concept of Swift turning a funk, R&B, soul and disco classic into a country ballad” (Wanshel). Since she used the same lyrics, this means that people were angry about her change in sound or genre. Genre is a way to categorize songs based on sound and from the reaction to Swift’s cover, genre has meaning. People felt a different way after listening to the cover in comparison to the original. Overall, the change in sound of Swift’s cover shows how sound can augment the meaning of a song and the resulting reaction also showed that genre, being sorted by sound, inherently affects the meaning of a song.
Another interesting example of a cover song that changes meaning is “Hurt” originally written by Nine Inch Nails, but covered by Johnny Cash. Josh Reznor, the lead singer for Nine Inch Nails said, “It instantly became his song … I haven’t listened to my version since then,” about the cover (Armstrong). The lyrics of the song did not change, so what was different about Cash’s cover that changed the song? Cash uses some similar strategies to Swift in giving it his own twist. The original version by Nine Inch Nails has instrumentals performed by a variety of guitars, drums, and other electronically generated sounds. Cash’s version, though, is solely his voice and an acoustic guitar. This changes the meaning by giving the cover a more lonely feeling than the original because it can paint a picture of Cash sitting there by himself playing the guitar and singing the song. Already, the words have not changed but the meaning has. Digging deeper into the sound of the cover reveals another interesting idea. Cash’s voice sounds different than Josh Reznor’s, the lead singer for Nine Inch Nails. Reznor’s is stronger, louder, and the sound even comes off as healthier. On the other hand, Cash’s voice in his cover is raspy and weak. This makes sense because he was close to the end of his life at this time, but it adds so much meaning to his cover. While Reznor is singing about what he regrets doing in life, he knows he still has time to change it. The youthfulness and strength in his voice shows this. His version of “Hurt” is about finding an alternate meaning or way to live life. The same can’t be said about Cash, however. Throughout his career and life, he had many issues he regretted as he grew older. The weakness and raspiness of his voice relates to his age and unlike Reznor, shows he no longer has time to change his lifestyle or fix his regrets. The effects of sound in Cash’s cover are what made Reznor feel like it was no longer his song. This shows the power of sound in music. It made the cover more moving and meaningful than the original.Taking the sound of his voice into account when searching for meaning and differences between the cover and the original reveals how two voices, singing the exact same lyrics, can have two different meanings. This proves that sound can extend or augment the meaning of a song beyond the lyrics.
Songs like “Semi-charmed Life” or Johnny Cash’s cover of “Hurt” are full of information on the impact sound has on the meaning of a song beyond the lyrics. Their use of sound shows how important the sound of music is for artists and must be taken into account the same, if not more than, the lyrics. Studying this topic can be interesting because they can show a lot about why certain songs are more successful or more popular and help up and coming artists tune their sound in a way that is personal or best suited to create fans. I know from my personal experience that music can have a huge impact on people’s lives and simply the sound of a song can have an amazing effect on an individual emotionally. While lyrics usually have a more concrete meaning, the meaning created by sound is dynamic and can change or vary depending on the listener and their situation. This is a special characteristic and it should be given more acknowledgement in the music world.
Citations
Armstrong, Edward, and Paul Greider. “The Presentation of Identity in the Work Songs of Johnny Cash.” Popular Music and Society, vol. 36, no. 2, 12 July 2012, pp. 216-33. Taylor & Francis Online. Accessed 24 Mar. 2019.
“Build Me Up Buttercup.” YouTube, 1 Sept. 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvluBVhfGcw. Accessed 24 Mar. 2019.
“Earth, Wind & Fire – September (Official Music Video).” YouTube, 11 Jan. 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gs069dndIYk. Accessed 24 Mar. 2019.
“Johnny Cash – Hurt (Official Video) HD.” YouTube, 5 Apr. 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=vt1Pwfnh5pc. Accessed 24 Mar. 2019.
“Nine Inch Nails – Hurt.” YouTube, 12 Sept. 2009, www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPz21cDK7dg. Accessed 24 Mar. 2019.
“Taylor Swift – September Cover (Earth, Wind & Fire).” YouTube, 14 Apr. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnDnphYTb0Q. Accessed 24 Mar. 2019.
“Third Eye Blind Sees Promise in Elektra.” Billboard Magazine, 15 Mar. 1997, pp. 22-24 Accessed 24 Mar. 2019.
“Third Eye Blind – Semi-Charmed Life (Official Music Video).” YouTube, 23 Feb. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=beINamVRGy4.
Wanshel, Elyse. “Taylor Swift’s Cover Of An Earth, Wind & Fire Classic Is Pissing People Off.” Huffpost, 13 Apr. 2018.
West, Sam. “This Was Supposed to Be an Article Called ‘Songs You Didn’t Know Were About Weed.'” Noisey, Vice, 9 Feb. 2017. Accessed 24 Mar. 2019.
