I had a very deep appreciation for words yesterday while sitting in one of my classes, and given that this class is titled “Critical Thinking and Writing,” I figured words are of some importance. I was in my “Intro to Listening” class (yes I know, it sounds weird but I’m only taking it because it fulfills my art requirement) and the professor asked us if music needs words to be music. The class agreed that the answer was “no” given how many wonderful orchestras and instrumentals there are that lack lyrics. However, the question got me thinking about the effect words have on music.

There are many songs with a peaceful tune but dark, depressing lyrics just as there are many songs with intimidating, powerful tunes that have inspirational lyrics. A song’s sound creates a mood while the words evoke emotion. They go hand in hand and wouldn’t be the same without one another. A song without a tune would be a poem whereas a song without words would be a melody. Thus to combine these art forms creates a beauty like no other. People’s personality can be reflected through how a tune may make them feel but almost all can come to an agreement on how certain song’s lyrics make them feel. This gives power to words and demonstrates how artists can create change through music. I’ve always loved music for this reason, and although I am not one bit musically talented, I have a great deal of respect for those who are.