Tuesday Tunes (new music meme!)

Changes have been made at the Music Memoirs meme blog. Take Me Back Tuesday has been replaced by a fun new Tuesday meme - Tuesday Tunes! I look forward to the new questions to answer each week. The first week is all about lyrics:

How important are the lyrics to you when it comes to a song.

They really aren't that important to me. I rarely pay much attention to them, and instead focus on the melody and instruments.

Tell us some lyrical wisdom.

"Emancipate yourself from mental slavery,
none but ourselves can free our minds."

- Bob Marley, "Redemption Song"

"Try to realize it's all within yourself, no one else can make you change"

- George Harrison, "Within You Without You" by The Beatles

There's also a Clash lyric I like, but I can't really post it here. I will say, however, it has to do with nuns.

Who writes the best lyrics and why?

I think Elvis Costello writes some amazing lyrics. I never really know what his songs are about, but the phrases he comes up with are really special. Half the fun of listening to Elvis is figuring out what he's talking about and letting the images he puts through in his lyrics sink into your mind.

Second place would go to Roy Orbison. I don't know if he wrote any of the songs he sang, but he sang them as if he did. His songs are full of poetry and very direct statements about love, life and loss.