I am more of a music listener than a lyrics listener. But then there are songs which are rich on content, and I have to listen to what the lyricist has tried to say. Such instances are rare and make me very happy. I saw Masaan a few days back and was spellbound by its songs.
This short post is inspired from Varun Grover's take on his songs in Masaan. I thank him for the beautiful lyrics and also his effort to explain his thought process succintly.
Those who say that they understand the lyrics of a song are only able to see what their experience helps them see in the painting painted from the unique life, mind and experiences of the lyricist. If the words are direct, its easier to see the meaning, like the painting of a scene from history. But great lyrics are like abstract art. Its a glimpse into the unknown universe of the artist which somehow catches our eyes as we can see some familiarity in the scene from the universe which the artist has presented as form of the abstract art. The lyricist is an abstract artist too, and to say that I understand what the song means is describing one perspective of the lyrics. It is not necessarily what the lyricist meant to convey.
I believe, lyricists should explain their thoughts at-least a year after people have had the opportunity of internalising a song and deriving its meaning on their own terms. Then it would be interesting to note how close our observations are to that of the lyricist. This exploration of parallel universes will be very interesting.
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| Source - indiatimes.in |
Understanding Abstract Lyrics
I believe, lyricists should explain their thoughts at-least a year after people have had the opportunity of internalising a song and deriving its meaning on their own terms. Then it would be interesting to note how close our observations are to that of the lyricist. This exploration of parallel universes will be very interesting.
