Mp3′s and Lyrics

So, I imagine you see this post’s title and think “Hey, this doesn’t sound guitar related, like the rest of your site”, and -to an extent- you’d be right. However, as a musician, these are two things I’m interested in for quite related reasons.

Free Mp3 Downloads

Anyone remember Napster? I do. In case you’ve never heard of Napster (what planet have you been on?!), it was the first major “peer to peer network” file sharing application on the Internet- and, at the time it was big, I (sadly) was a member.

Why sadly? Well, I was young at the time and I was doing it because everyone else was (the same way I started using myspace and facebook). When Napster was forced to close down for legal reasons I remember being disappointed and started to look around for a similar program (many others tried). Then it hit me. I realised (possibly because I was starting to work as a musician myself), that selling albums is what makes bands their money- downloading Mp3′s on the Internet for free is stealing! Stealing from the very bands I loved!

Anyway, if you don’t buy the physical disc you’re missing out on things such as the cover art, or the track order, or the lyrics in the inside cover. All of these things are part of the artistic vision of the band, and to miss them out means you only getting half a work of art!

Free Lyrics Websites

Why have I grouped these two things together? You’re right, it might be a bit of an odd thing to do, but there is a link (trust me!). See, Lyrics websites have been treated in much the same way as free Mp3 download sites, but I’m not sure this is right.

When you buy an album, sometimes the lyrics are printed in the inside cover, sometimes they are not. The idea is that you can apreciate (by which I mean “sing along loudly to”) the lyrics of a song and the craft of the writer, but- make no mistake- that’s not what you’re buying. When you buy an album, surely you are buying it for the music and not just for the lyrics? If you know the lyrics of a song, is that the same as sticking a CD on?

Is it?

I don’t think so, so therefore I’m not sure that these lyrics sites are taking anything from the musicians and songwriters. I mean, wouldn’t they prefer people to know their well-written lyrics? Or do they want their songs forever comically misheard and misunderstood? It seems obvious to me.

Any thoughts?

As always, if you like my blog, please don’t forget to subscribe

November 8, 2009 at 3:00 pm | Music News and Opinions | No comments

Copyright 2009 Chainsaw Guitar Tuition
Grab the feed