Music and Lyrics

Our discussion in class on Wednesday about whether lyrics make the music or distract from the piece got me thinking and I came to the conclusion that there is are times when both occur as well as times when the lyrics, when creative enough can make the music pleasing as well as puzzling.
The example brought into class of Outkast’s song Hey Ya done both in the original version as well as an acoustic version are a great example of how lyrics can be interpreted differently when the music is changed. This point obviously shows that the music was distracting the listener from what the lyrics were actually about. The original was upbeat, annoying maybe, but it was uplifting. Then hearing the acoustic version, you actually hear the lyrics, listen to them, and mull them over in your mind for a bit. The lyrics take on a new somber meaning, a meaning that gets lost in the upbeat tempo of the original. By eliminate some of the extravagant music techniques in the original we are able to appreciate the meaning behind the lyrics more. Now whether or not that was the intention of the original artist may never be known, maybe they wanted the lyrics to be hidden. Maybe it was symbolic, like masking true feelings with a happier yet false image (perhaps I am reading too much into this one particular song). The fact remains that with the acoustic version it is the lyrics that is on display while in the original we are meant to be amazed by the actual instrumentation.
Whether or not music is more important that lyrics or the other way around is another point, a point in which I feel is relative to the particular piece of music. Since music is typically a way to convey a feeling or emotion, added to the fact that we are linguistic creatures, it is not surprising the adding lyrics to a musical composition can really drive a point that an artist is trying to make. Writing and adding the lyrics can even be therapeutic for the artist, a purging of emotions.
Sometimes adding lyrics to a song does not necessarily give the piece one definite meaning; sometimes the lyrics themselves can appear to be vague or even nonsensical. Being a fan of Nirvana and having an extensive knowledge of their work I know that even though all of their songs are lyrical, does not mean that the lyrics limit the possible interpretation of the song. For example one of their popular songs, Heart Shaped Box, has quite a few lines that seem to not make much if any sense and leave a wide berth for interpretation. The second verse of the song goes like this.


Meat-Eating orchids forgive no one just yet.
Cut myself on angel hair and baby's breath.
Broken hymen of your highness, I'm left black,
Throw down your umbilical noose so I can climb right back...


The lyrics are open enough to leave room for interpretation and make the song capable of meaning more things to more people. IT allows people to decide the meaning for themselves which is that much more remarkable in my opinion.
Lyrics serve different functions for different pieces of music. They can be the main focus or an added bonus, but my point is that one cannot decide which one is more important because in some cases they make the song and in others they break the song. It is not a clear black and white situation but remains in the endless realm of gray.

Question - Is your favorite song lyrical or instrumental? If it is a lyrical song, would it mean the same to you if the lyrics did not exist? Why or why not?