I was wondering if there is any music that you find meaningful that has few or no lyrics. I really like orchestral music and feel like some of it is very meaningful even without lyrics in which I usually find meaning.
Meaning and Music Without Lyrics
- Thread starter vgmaster831
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I've always found this song from Final Fantasy X to be amazing
Also this song from FF XIII
For all it's faults FFXIII still had an awesome soundtrack as usual
Also this song from FF XIII
For all it's faults FFXIII still had an awesome soundtrack as usual
This song is one of my favorite instrumentals, even though I know deadmau5 may not have the most -ahem- "indie cred".
It just captures the feeling of city streets at like 3 A.M. Very peaceful, but contrasting and eerie.
It just captures the feeling of city streets at like 3 A.M. Very peaceful, but contrasting and eerie.
3 of the best, deepest and most meaningful albums ever created
all instrumental, unless you count the vocal samples in the second as lyrics
Anything done by Nobuo Uematsu fits this quite well.
He's a master of changing emotion in music.
But another one of my personal favorite is from FFX with it's main tune.
"Listen to my story. This may be our last chance.".
He's a master of changing emotion in music.
Obligatory You're not alone.
"Listen to my story. This may be our last chance.".
To Zanarkand.
Well, since a couple of people have already posted FFX music, thought I might as well too. The whole soundtrack has so much beauty and "meaning" about it.
To me, the music expresses beautifully Yuna's character: there's this sense of innocence and kindness about her, but at the same time she's strong-willed and resolute in the path she's chosen. At times, the music betrays a certain sadness within her, that she knows just what will come at the end of her journey, but she keeps pushing on because she know she must... she has to... to bring peace to Spira. She has a wonderful group of friends/guardians that stand by her all the way, that she can depend on; ultimately though, she knows she'll have to leave them once this is all over, and it quietly breaks her heart. Until that day comes, she's going to stay strong and make the most of the time she has.
...yeah, I got all that from a song. Obviously it makes more sense if you've played the game, but I feel the music fits it perfectly.
To me, the music expresses beautifully Yuna's character: there's this sense of innocence and kindness about her, but at the same time she's strong-willed and resolute in the path she's chosen. At times, the music betrays a certain sadness within her, that she knows just what will come at the end of her journey, but she keeps pushing on because she know she must... she has to... to bring peace to Spira. She has a wonderful group of friends/guardians that stand by her all the way, that she can depend on; ultimately though, she knows she'll have to leave them once this is all over, and it quietly breaks her heart. Until that day comes, she's going to stay strong and make the most of the time she has.
...yeah, I got all that from a song. Obviously it makes more sense if you've played the game, but I feel the music fits it perfectly.
Just out of interest, are you left handed?vgmaster831 said:
If so- there's a reason you find meaning in music without lyrics...
I want to call bullshit on this, but as I actually don't know anything about it, is there any evidence to back up your claims?Squilookle said:
OT:
There's plenty of music that can have meaning without lyrics, but my personal favourtie is when you have meaningful lyrics and meaningful instrumentation, (like for example, the guitar solo in this
Also if you've ever listened to music from a foreign country, you'll know you can get into it and understand it without really knowing what they're saying.
I see a lot of soundtrack work here. I would certainly hope Soundtracks have meaning to you, as they're generally used as part of a narrative. It's almost cheating.
Speaking of cheating, there's no lyrics to this one, but there are vocals.
Since we're on her, One other I've always gotten swept up in when I hear it.
I'm gonna cheat one more time. While this is an instrumental of a song with vocals AND from a soundtrack, I think it has meaning even separated from the lyrics and the song. Disagree if you want....
Speaking of cheating, there's no lyrics to this one, but there are vocals.
Since we're on her, One other I've always gotten swept up in when I hear it.
I'm gonna cheat one more time. While this is an instrumental of a song with vocals AND from a soundtrack, I think it has meaning even separated from the lyrics and the song. Disagree if you want....
If it was a party song, it didn't have meaning in the first place. That's...Kind of how it works.Vault101 said:
Not necessarily. I really doubt a non-English speaker could listen to "I know a man" by Jeffrey Gaines (the studio version) at least, and even get that it's a sad song, let alone the meaning. It's a bright, poppy, almost Beatles-esque track about a guy in a wheelchair:doggy go 7 said:
I wish I could link directly toan example of this phenomenon, but all the oens I've thought of aren't on Youtube.
The soundtrack to Ace Combat 4, 5, and Zero all have different effects. 5 tends to be more sorrowful (as anyone who remembers playing the game will tell you, fits with the whole theme of that game), whereas the soundtrack for Zero is uplifting, moving, and extremely patriotic.vgmaster831 said:
Ace Combat 5 had the whole "War is wrong and you should feel bad about participating in it" feel, and it does it way better than you can ever imagine, or has been done since. [The whole war was staged between two super powers, with the side you are playing as (Osea an United States analog) portrayed as a victim of Yuktobanian (A Russian analog) aggression. The truth is that a third party started the war (Belka, a Germany analog) so they could reclaim their former glory by causing the two nations responsible for their defeat to destroy each other. The way this is revealed is so shocking that it is actually depressing, especially considering that your mentor and flight leader is presumed lost on the first mission, then one of the main characters dies during an attack on your nation's capital which threatens thousands, possibly millions of citizens. In the final fight of the Yuktobania/Osea war, friend turns on friend as part of the Yuktobanian president calls for both sides to lay down their arms while standing next to the Osean President. Then you join teams with fellow Osean's and Yuktobanian's who fly into Belka to destroy the SOLG control station, which controls a Satellite that drops Nukes.]
Ace Combat Zero takes place fifteen years prior to the Events of Ace Combat 5, with Usea as the Nation where the war takes place, starting with it's liberation, then eventually the fall of Belka, and finally the final showdown with your former wingman who is leading a terrorist group that is bent on removing all governments from power.
The former has a lot of sad songs as battle after battle turns the tide of the war against humanity in general, as the whole war is fought across an ocean that neither side really manages to cross and successfully establish a beach head.
The latter is more triumphant as the evil Belkan Empire is brought to it's knees by the heroes. 4 also has the same feel as you are overcoming a stronger, better armed nation that has launched a war of aggression.
I am 100% certain that pop songs are not what he was referring to. I love Russian folk music, but the only words I know in Russian are swears and how to order a beer. Folk music is universal, and yes, language of origin is irrelevant to the tone that conveys a song's meaning.Zachary Amaranth said:
I'm not exactly sure what you mean by "meaning". As in a particular message? Oh, whatever, this just gives me an excuse to link this here. I mean, when you have music that makes you feel like you're watching Lord of the Rings for the first time every time you listen to it, who needs lyrics?
Honestly, I have trouble seeing meaning behind most songs with lyrics. They just don't do anything for me.
But as far as instrumentals go, I can think of at least a dozen or so that stir feelings within when I hear them (it's usually a particular part of them, like the Binary Sunset theme in the Star Wars soundtrack) - here's a few:
- The Fallout 3 main theme [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hl5xbFXrFU4] - that song just says "wasteland" so well
- Deus Ex Human Revolution's main theme [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiN6t7K7txw] (Icarus) - mystery, intrigue and sci-fi
And of course, you can't talk about sci-fi themes without mentioning Mass Effect (any of the songs really, even the map screen).
- Mass Effect 3's "An End Once And For All" [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5JvbD2Zc9I] - a sad but epic score to accompany the tragedies in ME3's ending, and the Normandy's final push
And if you REALLY want to go back to the good stuff, the original soundtrack for The DIG:
- "Mission to the Asteroid" [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GVGWWR4HYU] - pretty much the epitome of wonder and discovery and all that sci-fi goodness
And finally, because five is a nice number...
- LOTR's "Concerning Hobbits" [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pGaz_qN0cw] - LOTR has some great themes, but this nifty little score just says "perfect, tidy little village life"
Those are mostly game soundtracks (because I mostly play games) but other classical pieces are equally deserving of recognition. I'll just let someone else do them the honour.
But as far as instrumentals go, I can think of at least a dozen or so that stir feelings within when I hear them (it's usually a particular part of them, like the Binary Sunset theme in the Star Wars soundtrack) - here's a few:
- The Fallout 3 main theme [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hl5xbFXrFU4] - that song just says "wasteland" so well
- Deus Ex Human Revolution's main theme [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiN6t7K7txw] (Icarus) - mystery, intrigue and sci-fi
And of course, you can't talk about sci-fi themes without mentioning Mass Effect (any of the songs really, even the map screen).
- Mass Effect 3's "An End Once And For All" [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5JvbD2Zc9I] - a sad but epic score to accompany the tragedies in ME3's ending, and the Normandy's final push
And if you REALLY want to go back to the good stuff, the original soundtrack for The DIG:
- "Mission to the Asteroid" [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GVGWWR4HYU] - pretty much the epitome of wonder and discovery and all that sci-fi goodness
And finally, because five is a nice number...
- LOTR's "Concerning Hobbits" [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pGaz_qN0cw] - LOTR has some great themes, but this nifty little score just says "perfect, tidy little village life"
Those are mostly game soundtracks (because I mostly play games) but other classical pieces are equally deserving of recognition. I'll just let someone else do them the honour.