mmm Whatcha Say?

I've been a musician most of my life. I love love love music. I sang by myself in sacrament meeting for the first time when I was four. In high school, I performed in St. Mark's Basilica in Venice and Carnegie Hall in New York.

I'm a sucker for a powerful melody, but I often have to find a cover because I don't like the original performer's voice. Case and point: "Wonderwall" by Oasis. It's a gorgeous song and the words make me smile. However, Liam Gallagher has one of the most grating voices I've ever heard. I can't listen to the song because my quest for the ultimate cover has so far been in vain. Ben Folds made it easy by releasing an album called "Ben Folds Presents: University A Cappella!"

While a good melody draws me in, THE most important part of a song has always been the lyrics. I've had to get rid of a lot of good songs because they were only good until I listened to the words. It's why I can never watch RENT again. Some songs I can't listen to because the lyrics are just dumb, like "You're Beautiful" by James Blunt.

Songs like Nickelback's "Rockstar," Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl," and Usher's "Yeah!" have no place in decent society. If people really took the time to care about lyrics, I honestly believe the world would be a better place.

It really bugs me when people intentionally ignore the lyrics of a song because of a beat or melody. Music is so powerful, and I only want it influencing me for good. I had to learn this the hard way at the Nickelback concert I went to before I left for Rexburg. I'm not proud of the way I acted that night. And while going to the David Archuleta concert tonight would probably be a positive experience, I don't like his music enough to go by myself. I'm trying to scalp my ticket.

Any takers?