music or lyrics? which does it for you first?

Case in point - Basement Jaxx's new "Good Luck". What sold me on the song was the chorus hook - the way the Bellrays singer belts out "Good luck! Good luck in your new bed!" - it's a great, venomous line and the delivery's really angry. Now in terms of scansion she could have been singing "Apples! Come and buy some apples!" - it would still have been a great hook in a great track, but the mood would be different (and I think it would be less great). So part of me is still listening for lyrics - they don't even have to make sense, just sound good together as words (eg "House Of Jealous Lovers" - awesome phrase, great title, sounds good yelled, essentially a blank meaning-wise).

Yeah totally. That sums up the way in which I appreciate most hip hop lyrics, the aural aesthetic properties of it. Which isn't to say that I never pay attention to the meaning, but I've listened to tracks for years, could recite almost all the words, and still couldn't tell you what he/she was actually talking about.

This is just about a pitch-perfect (... d'oh!) reflection of my own feelings. If I am into the song, the production, the beat, the riff, a vocal performance, fierce piano chops... or any comination of said musical qualities, it passes with me. Great lyrics, should I even put in the effort to listen to them (seriously, I've been known to listen to a song forty times without knowing what the words are), are just icing on the cake.

"Good Luck" is a nice example of such an icing-ed cake.

what catches me first depends on what the song is putting forth, but i think they both catch up with each other in the end and make for a good song or not. i also don't think shite lyrics (that you can actually make out and have to hear every time) can ever be redeemed. oh wait, but i love t-rex. damn. is this like one of those looks or personality questions?