Music has no effect, only lyrics do?

Question

+This is a reference to the belief (by some in the ‘religious music’ communities) that lyrics alone are what matter to music – and that instrumentation, style and their sensations have no effect on the human body etc.

My questions:
+How then, can we explain how David (the Biblical David), with his harp playing, managed to soothe the ‘troubled spirit’ of King Saul (stress on ‘harp’ and ‘soothe’)?

+And what about Salome’s legendary Dance Of The Seven Veils. How could King Herod have been so enchanted by it - unless music and dance have some sort of power and effect on the body etc?

[Respect to all. I am only here to try to find out if ‘religious music’ communities have any beliefs in the effects of musical instrumentation and dance etc. on the human body (and emotion and mind etc.)]

Answer 1

It is a known, scientific fact that music "hath charms to soothe the savage breast" as one classical writer put it.

Music has been an integral part of worship since the beginning and still is. Music speaks to the soul, to the emotion. Lyrics speak to the mind. The Church was (is still I think) a great patron of the arts, including composers for centuries because of this. Messages can lie hidden in music and sometimes lyrics only confuse what you are meant to hear.

Answer 2

That is just ridiculous.



The words do matter very much but that is not always enough alone. If that were the case, why would anyone ever sing anything? If you took away the tune all you would have left is poetry. Someone felt it was necessary to add a tune to create a song.



Everything in nature has a tune. Animals respond to tune - birds sing to communicate, whales communicate with tune, our babies communicate with tune just to name a few. The wind can carry a tune, water can create a tune. Without it the world has very little.



The human language depends on tune to detect the meaning and emotions of words.



I know I'm not going into very much detail in my answer, but I can honestly say that whoever said that comment didn't think about that thoroughly.



I know that in Buddhism, chanting is practiced.



Even in the Bible it states:

Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the lord,

Ephesians 5:19.

Answer 3

No, music does have a psychosomatic effect on people. Strong beats are quite sexual and get people riled up. Soothing music calms people down. Music, even that without lyrics, works on your emotions. When I'm at work and they're playing that "screamo" cr*p on the radio, it makes me angry, because it's angry music. I hate having to listen to it - and I can't even understand the lyrics, so I know it's not the lyrics.

Answer 4

Don't know about that but I will say this;



When I hear orchestra music, you know, like the cool fight scenes from Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and all, I get teary eyed and I start getting pumped up with adrenaline. Even if it's just me listening to the music.

Answer 5

The religious tend to disapprove of any form of creative expression that doesn't directly reinforce their particular totalitarian, dogmatic belief system. That seems to me to be the most likely motivation for the idea you're referring to.

Answer 6

I am not buying that " has no effect". I believe that all music is from God, but lyrics are telling us more about the nature of the music and if it is for God or not.

Answer 7

I'm drawn more towards music than lyrics.



That's why I like experimental music.

Answer 8

Without the melody, there is a poem.