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Fusilli

Fusilli

Boum!
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I'm sure most of you have probably wondered this at some point, so I'd like to hear your thoughts. :monster:

Why is it that the majority of songs (especially these days) are about love? Do people really have nothing better to write about? To be fair, it is something that most people can relate to their own experiences, but surely there are other things that we could relate to aswell? Or maybe love and relationships is such an easy topic to write about, given that there are loads of ways you could look at it.

Ofcourse, I do enjoy listening to songs around this theme, but I also like it when songs have lyrics with other messages too... Thoughts?
 
I'd say it's probably just an easy topic to write about, especially for all those boybands out there. They just know that all the girls will swooooon over the lyrics and imagine that they are singing to them :gasp:

Although I do also think that it is something everyone can relate to. Regardless of wether they are in a relationship or not

I do like listening to some of the songs aswel haha, just not the cheesy Westlife stuff, that knocks me sick
 
This is the reason I don't listen to music with lyrics in them. Chances are, the lyrics will be about love, and it's a subject I have no interest in, or want to hear about. I'd rather hear about lyrics that are actually meaningful in some way, and I don't think love quite covers it. It just seems like the subject of love is an easy escape for people to lament about how they can't seem to get this special girl, or as a means of wooing someone. And I don't like listening to songs for that reason, which is why I've only been listening to classic. There's a broader range of purposes that classical music encompases, and they can either be exciting, sad, happy, slow and fast--it's a very universal genre not limited to strictly love.
 
Yeah, it appeals to almost every age out there since someone may have experienced love (or something close to it) at least once in their lifetime. And as Bam said, it is relatively an easy topic to write about, although it can be fun as well. Song-writers/singers probably want to explore the variety of ways that someone loves or feel loved and show them to others by expressing it through the songs. Kinda like, "Hey, I understand what you're going through. Listen to this song - this song's for you." And sure enough, there will be someone out there who can readily understand the meaning behind it because there are some love songs that aren't so what-you-hear-is what-you-get. Sometimes you have to really listen and try to decipher the lyrics.
 
The majority of songs are love, and I don't mind it especially, but I often listen to some rock songs that is not related to love because sometimes it does get a bit too much for me.

When I read the name of the thread I thought you were going to talk about the song because I realised you've listened to it at least twice today - well, that's what it said on msn. :wacky:
 
I think it depends entirely on the artist/band/songwriter which determines on whether there is a 'love-like' message behind it. Pop songs in my opinion aren't because the artists don't write the songs themselves...RnB and rap I think just do it for the sake of it really.

I wouldn't necessarily say love, relationships etc, are easy to write about but if sung correctly with the right lyrics then it can easily touch someone deep down inside and can easily be related to by certain groups of people. I'd say apart from the odd one off song by different artists not that many bands or singers have kept a consistent span of songs that are touching.
 
Well I am the kind of guy whose mood can be altered depending on the song he listens. So yeah, Love songs are kinda either depressing or way too unreal. All the "love" in these songs are some kind of way for the artists to tell that what this world needs is "love".

Foolish, irresponsible things, even horrible crimes, were committed in the name of "love". Yesterday's lovers now tear themselves apart. What I believe, is that this world needs D I S C I P L I N E, R E S P E C Tand L O Y A L T Y. When all those three are fulfilled, Love is meant to come as well anyway.

Sorry, but love is a subject that sometimes....upsets me. I know I can't judge it based on my own experiences....but I hope I get to understand it someday. After all, it can't be that complicated.
 
One of the only girl artists that I've not really ever heard sing about Love was Vanessa Amorosi when she released her first album.

I've listened to a couple of her most recent songs and they're close to singing about love.

I think it's just something that people find is easier to sing about. =/

Though these days, you find that they sing about cheating and such and how much they truly loved the girl/guy they cheated on etc and to give them one more chance. It's getting kind of pathetic. >.<
 
There are actually a lot of bands who don't really sing about love--many of them are just not popular, and for the ones that are, the singles usually end up being about love because the promoters know they will make the most money. For example, I can think of a ton of Incubus songs that aren't about love--most of their album "Make Yourself" was about trying to stand up to "the man" and be a free thinker--and yet the single most people remember from that album is "Stellar", one of only 2 or 3 love songs on it. There are a bunch of lesser-known bands I like--Sunny Day Real Estate, Cave, Tin Star, King's X, Primitive Radio Gods, just to name a few--that sing about all different subjects: self-empowerment, commercialism, drug use, politics, abusive families, friends who turn out to be enemies, etc. They may have some love songs thrown in there, it's inevitable, but usually the more you sing about love, the more popular you get. And I think it's because of what a lot of people have been saying--it's one of those social standards that crosses a lot of different genres of people, especially when the lyrics are really basic and generic. It's kind of like horoscopes--the more generic the answer is, the more people can say "Oh, that's describing me!" People love to hear about themselves in the media, so they like these basic love songs--that's why shows/movies about everymen and anti-heroes have become so popular lately too. And it doesn't necessarily mean that the media is right, or that everyone listening is able to relate, but they have to go with the demographics if they want to bring in a profit. I mean, honestly--if I see/hear one more commercial portraying a "smart" housewife nagging a "caveman" husband I'm going to have to hit someone. :banghead:
 
As essentially stated earlier, the main reason the vast majority of songs are about love is because A. they are easy to write about, and B. there is a large female (and a smaller, but equally dedicated male) audience who will spend money on every schleppy romance-themed song no matter how bland or unoriginal the lyrics are. "Fireflies" by Owl City is a perfect example.

It's a guaranteed source of profit, and gives the artist room to work on creative/experimental music. Everybody wins! :p
 
Tired of love songs

Is it just me, or does a overwhelming amount of music -- the most recent music, mind you -- is nearly always about love? Am I the only one getting sick and tired of this one, grossly overused singing topic?

Don't get me wrong, I know singers have been waxing poetic about love for as long as history can remember! But of late, all of these songs just seem to go on and on and on ceaselessly about how MUCH singer loves whoever, and how they cannot LIVE without whoever and how much it MEANS to have that love....

I mean, at least some of the Oldies songs had an angle on the topic. Like the whole, "Sandman" song which goes something like: "Mister Sandman, bring me a dream. Make him the cutest thing I've ever seen."

The whole thing was basically about telling the Sandman (a mythical figure that brings sleep with him) to go out and find this cute guy and tell him that he's got a girlfriend!

Not once does it start droning on about how the singer "NEEEEEDS your LOOOOOOVE" or that kind of crap. There are plenty of other songs out there, but nearly all of them are considered either Oldies or 'classic' so are not played on a number of stations that do that cater directly to such a genre.

How about 'Angel in the Centerfold'? That's technically a love song too, but with a major twist to it! It's awesome!

Or that classic one, "If I Had A Million Dollars". That's a love song, but it takes the whole 'what'd I'd give you if I had million dollars' as its main angle.

Does anyone else miss the songs that could sing about this overused topic with some kind of an interesting angle to it? There's more to the whole 'love' aspect then JUST TEH LOVEZ or TEH CHEATINZ. Come on people! Get creative!

And while I'm on the topic, there's a lot more to the whole WORLD than just love or anger. Because when it comes down to it, almost every song out there will boil down into one of those two categories.

Where are the songs about cats? Trees? The thrill of NASCAR racing? Wanting to fly, or heck, how about a song that's about cleaning your room? True, it may be a song about anger, but it'd be damn funny!

And lastly, I truly desire a radio station that is dedicated to playing only songs that are NOT about love or its companion, hatred. :3 Granted, the way things are going, it'd have a very, very short playlist.

What do you all think?
 
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Dragon Mage said:
Where are the songs about cats?
Click to expand...

:ryan:

I completely agree with you. This is what I find so upsetting to be honest. There's some great potential out there, and people are just throwing it away, while I think they could be BIGGER than the mainstream with their originality. A lot of songs don't have any meaning anymore beside's the sake of 'having' to write a song. And there's just too much to write about, to waste it away with the same crap, just a different beat.

It's really upsetting, as I get inspired myself by my favourite bands, but I wouldn't call them all that 'cliché', though even by them there are some songs that make me think, 'Okay, we get the point, now sing something else.' So it's not like I'm just saying the bands I like are great, 'cause they have sucky songs too.

Besides that I think it's just a waste of time, and money, with so much crap as writing material that they actually write about... I'm not even gonna name examples, but there's some ridiculous lyrics out there. I don't want to offend anyone with their favourite artist.

But I couldn't agree with you more, lady.

And now, it's off to work with me.
 
I have to admit its a subject that is currently getting well overdone and well abused in music, this is why most of the music of today I tend not to listen to as it lacks any kind of soul and just seems to be nothing more than a bunch of words strung together.

In the 70's 80's and even the early 90's the love songs all had meaning as they were written with the artists partner or life experience in mind so they were fare easier to relate to an understand, now it's nothing more than a mass marketted product based on an ideal we all wish to achieve because they know Love songs sell well.

Look at Cheryl Tweedy, as she will soon become again for instance, 3 solo songs she has released so far and each one is a love song about holding on and the one, with the likes of bloody Flo' Rida featured heavily in one of them, they make little sense and they feel very empty in meaning.

If I was to choose a love song that has meaning I will always look to U2 with or without you or even Bryan Adam's classic love songs because they have meaning, make sense and relate well to something we have all experienced.
 
Dragon Mage said:
Where are the songs about cats? Trees? The thrill of NASCAR racing? Wanting to fly, or heck, how about a song that's about cleaning your room? True, it may be a song about anger, but it'd be damn funny!
Click to expand...
Because none of those topics are interesting enough to write a song about, clearly.
 
:3 Cat song wins!

Oh, so love is the only interesting thing in the world is there? Is that it? Then we must all be dying of boredom unless we're on dopamine highs while basking in the bliss of our LOVED one, woe, woe....

JSR, you disappoint. I thought you would have something witty to say! Tsk. Have a cookie for effort in any case.

Besides, those are just a minuscule sample of the great potential of topics out there! I remember hearing a song about how some guy at the arcade 'plays a mean pinball'. It was funny. The tune was good. Most entertaining!

As Colors said, songs are becoming little more the same thing with a different beat. I foresee the day when songwriters are going to be using the same exact music sheets with completely different lyrics pertaining to some new topic. Or at least have some kind of an angle on the same old topic. :P
 
No, but love and anger are the easiest to write about because they're the more poetic of emotions that you feel. If you can manage to write a three minute song about cleaning your room that consists of more than "I'm cleaning my room, I'm picking stuff up off the floor" and so on, then you really need to get out more.

And that pinball song would be Pinball Wizard by The Who.
 
You, my friend, are SO right.
There's such little creativity in the music industry. >,<
It's not really that hard to write a meaningful or unique song.
Especially for someone who writes lyrics for pop singers for a living, you'd think they'd put just a little heart into it.
I hate it when you have a great tune and beat and waste it on crappy lyrics. XD
Or when you have good lyrics but a bad voice (i.e. Owl City :gasp:)
 
Firstly I don't think there's anything wrong with love songs. Love is part of life, and love is as a topic for any as a song. There are plenty of fantastic love songs; Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley, Purple Rain by Prince, I can't make you love me by Bonnie Raitt, I want you by Elvis Costello, etc etc. Then there is the excellence of breakup albums, Blood on the Rails and Grace and Danger in particular. Love songs are good.

I also disagree about with the notion that current love songs are bad. Current pop music ballads are bad, but they always have been and always will be. This also applies to what is known as R&B. There are plenty of good recent love songs too. Go and buy a Belle and Sebastian album. Or the Decemberists, Bjork, Tori Amos, Eliott Smith, Iron and Wine, The Shins etc etc
 
Love songs will always be around no matter what. I don't even mind them that much, they're actually one of my favourite kinds of songs. Like it's been said before, they're much easier to write about than anything else. I don't see them going anytime soon and I'll never get tired of them.
 
Love is a pain in the arse when it comes to music. Its freaking everywhere and I too am sick of it!! Songs about broken hearts, romance and cheating are always on the flipping go. I like my random music or songs that make no sense. I hate lovey dovey crap in music, it pisses me off.
 
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