Music Lyrics, Effects of

Music lyrics encompass a variety of themes such as love, death, work, fun, substance use, politics, and so on. Song lyrics can also be abstract or explicit. In fact, much of the criticism that some songs receive focuses on the content of the lyrics, particularly those that contain sex- or violence-oriented material. Concerned critics contend that negative music lyrics can influence youth attitudes, values, and behaviors. However, the extent to which song lyrics are influential depends, first and foremost, on the individual's ability to comprehend the lyrics they hear.

Researchers have examined comprehension of lyrics by asking adolescents to report their interpretation of certain lyrics and then comparing their interpretations with the true meaning as defined by experts. A summary of this research suggests that most [Page 598]adolescents do not fully comprehend the definitive or true meaning of song lyrics. Given these findings, the role of memory is an important consideration. The ability to accurately recall specific lyrics will impact one's ability to reflect on and comprehend the meaning of a song. Studies have addressed this by having adolescents listen to a song and then report on its meaning or read a transcript of the lyrics before interpreting the music. These studies suggest that when lyrics are heard, they are not as easily or accurately remembered or interpreted as when the lyrics are read. Because information can be reviewed if necessary, reading lyrics can help facilitate memory acquisition and increase the information available for interpretation and more accurate comprehension. Unless a song is heard repeatedly, it is unlikely that an adolescent will fully retain the content of the lyrics.

Background characteristics of youth help explain why differences in comprehension of song lyrics have emerged. Compared to adolescents and college students, young children are likely to interpret song lyrics more literally. Cognitive developmental research has consistently found that young children tend to think concretely and to develop abstract thinking abilities only as they grow older. The interpretation and meaning of song lyrics also differ as a function of social class, race, and gender; that is, adolescents who come from similar backgrounds and have similar experiences are likely to interpret lyrics in roughly the same manner. Altogether, the current research suggests that children differ from adolescents in music comprehension based on their cognitive abilities. Moreover, lyric comprehension differs, depending on adolescent demographics.

The comprehension of song lyrics is complex and dynamic. Based on schema theory, adolescents are not blank slates; rather, they comprehend lyrics using their own unique set of experiences. These experiences help form the basis of an individual's schemas (simple mental representations of complex events), which play a relevant role in interpreting new information. Life's daily distractions make it difficult for us to partake in deep processing of song lyrics. Such distractions can elevate cognitive load, thus increasing the likelihood that people will rely on existing schemas or any available cues to interpret lyrics. In essence, when conditions make it difficult for adolescents to deeply process music lyrics (e.g., at parties, listening to iPOD while doing other activities), their preexisting schemas or any available cues in the song will influence their interpretation of the lyrics. For example, a preadolescent boy who is dancing with someone he is attracted to might hear the lyrics, “say you'll be there” (by the Spice Girls) and easily misinterpret the song to mean that boys should always be there for their girlfriends, when in fact, the song lyrics imply casual, no-strings-attached sex.

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