Viewing Thread:
"Why Music?"

Ok, I've just got back in from almost 5hrs rehearsing with my band and now I'm checking this forum before I sleep.
There has been a lot of "fav lyrics" and "fav bands" threads lately, which have made interesting reading. But what I want to know is this:
Why do you listen to music?
What is it that makes you want to listen to music?

For me, it's a lot of things.
I grew up with it being played constantly in my house, I learned to love The Beatles, The Doors, Led Zepplin, Captain Beefheart - I thought that was what everybody did.
But my sister doesn't listen to music.
I cannot get my head around that.

I can't remember the last time I watched television, but I know that I would be climbing the walls if I didn't have music.

It's a release for me. I constantly have tunes on, car in the morning on the way to work and on the way home, stereo goes on when I get in and Winamp rocking my PC whenever I'm on it.
Most of the time that I am awake and not at work, I am surrounded by music.
I choose to spend my freetime making music with friends and playing to people.

It keeps me going, helps me when I need to be creative, soothes me when the day fills me with static noise, cheers me up when I feel down, makes me smile when I'm happy.
I'm constantly doing cds and tapes for mates, borrowing from people, listening the radio, I can't walk past a music store without going in and browsing.

Obsessive? Maybe, but I find it so much more engaging than tv.
(This isn't a music vs tv thread, so relax)

I want to know why you listen to it, do you have it as background noise? Does it help you through times, remind you of experiences?
It can't just be me that has to have music constantly surrounding me can it?

Here is a short story of my life with music.

I am 15 and as a small child I remember my father playing the likes of Queen, Led Zepplin, The Beatles etc. Being small I did not understand music and what bands they were but remember the sounds... sometimes liking them sometimes telling my dad to turn it off so I could watch cartoons.

When I became older and heard these 'sounds' I feel in love with them... mainly it was memories of being a child, finding out what this music was and by who and learned to love the music done with these people.

During primary school I would be into this music while my fellow classmates would be into 'The Spice Girls' or some other pop crap... my friend who I am still good friends with today would talk about The beatles and such and really grow up together with the same taste in music.

This was a problem for me really liking those bands as they were all in the past and the present (about 1995) and the only decent bands in that time were Oasis and Radiohead although I had not stumbled accross Radiohead at that time... so I grew up with oasis and my dad's old songs.

Then came I would say 1997-98 when I found the music I love today such as Radiohead, Manics, GreenDay and the likes and suddenly all my new mates had grown out of that crap pop stuff and I could now share my music taste.

What I am really saying is I grew up with great music but for a period I was not into music as all that was out was pop and I did not know what to do as my roots were with proper music... now in the present there has been a revolution in the music scene... pop is dying and proper music is taking control plus nu-metal... I hate it but hey its better than pop... so there is my emm story :D

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On the subject of mucis in my life... I am addicted to it. I wake up with music on... I get dressed with music on... I sing in the shower... I eat with music on... I watch music on TV... I talk with mates about music... I spent my money on music... I spend my spare time learning guitar and writing lyrics... I fall asleep with music on and I wake up with music on... ah reapeating myself.

Music is a massive part of my life and if it were taking away from me I would feel as if I had lost a limb.

What upsets me is when a band you like gets critised or a track that is proper music only gets do 20 in the chart and the most of songs that get in top 10 are mince pop stuff...

Long life music and all who sail in her

Exactly.
I have bands that I listen to that are just good old fun.
Iron Butterfly, Faith no More, Clutch.

Just good to listen to, no meaning, pure enjoyment.

Your Honour wrote:
> Ok, but songs don't HAVE to "strike something deep within
> you" to be good.


I know that, Blink 182 don't sing stuff that means anything to me, but I ust love there music, that's why they're my favourite band.

I've just got back from lunch and read what I wrote, it does come across a bit strong. Sorry.

Going back to your original point, I agree, I can live without telly, but not without music/radio. I don't know why that is. It's weird, but true.

Whoa there Cowboy -

I asked why you listen to music, for whatever reason is fine.
I havent popped at anyone for listening to anything, or for the reasons they gave.

YH listens to tunes because he likes them.
I listen because I like them and I have to have music.

We all have different reasons, nobody's right and nobody's wrong.

This is the point of my thread, to just see why

Meka_Dragon wrote:
Though I
> supposeit's more 'getting enjoyment from' than meaning but hey you
> get what I mean!

I think thats exaclty it. If I get enjoyment from what I listen to, for whatever reason, then whats the problem?

Some people must get enjoyment from listening to Steps etc, so whats wrong with that? Just because it's not my cup of tea...

Some people get their enjoyment from music in different ways, and also depending what mood they're in. Thats why I'm surprised some people only like one sort of music. As I've said earlier in the thread, I like a number of different types of music, an depending what mood I'm in dictates, what I listen to.

But the thing is, they do mean something to you: You can put them on to relax to.

That's all they need to mean sometimes!

Though I supposeit's more 'getting enjoyment from' than meaning but hey you get what I mean!

Ok, but songs don't HAVE to "strike something deep within you" to be good.

I like the Fun Lovin' Criminals, the album 100% Columbian is great to put on when you get in from the pub or whatever, and just relax.

One of my mates said they were crap. I asked why she thought this, her reply was "The songs don't mean anything."

So what? Do they have to mean something? Can't I just enjoy them because they relax me?

Becuase SOME songs actually mean something to me. Oasis - Aquiesce is the best example of this. The chorus strikes something deep in me, and the song is so true to the relationship between me, my brothers and my sister.

Others from bands like Hear'say just tick me off becuase they're not singing about something they care about. They're singing about the stereotypical "Love".

Fair enough.