The question can be asked, how important is the message of a song? Before you say very important… Ask yourself, how many songs do you casually listen to without consideration of the content? Let’s take a short look at how important content is for songs.

Many people would agree that the content of the song is what makes a song either great or fluff. However, we can all think of dozens of songs that have stood the test of time that would be considered… Fluff content. Not all songs need to dive deep into the psyche of the human experience. Sometimes a song can become an instant hit without having any meaning at all. This often has to do with a song being released at just the right time, or a song being associated with a particular event or emotion. Who still wants to party like its 1999… Probably most people who were born in the early 80s and before. That is because the fluff content of the song is overpowered by the associated emotions tied to the song.

In contrast, some songs hit chords in our fundamental thought process. Songs that are based on ideology can trigger very strong attachments and emotional responses. For me, “Amazing Grace” will always bring a tear to my eyes because I’ve played it at family funerals… In fact I can hardly finish the song. Songs about ideology can become major parts of people’s lives. Unlike fluff songs, people will often hang on every word in these songs. If you are going to write a song about ideology, make sure every word is carefully placed. You can really inspire or offend folks with how you make these songs.

So… How important is content? Well, if you’re writing about ideology content will be the most important part of the entire production. However, the one thing all great music has in common is the emotional attachment. Sometimes a fluff song, published at just the right time can be more impactful than the greatest  ideological song published at the wrong time. The only magical combination that can be said is; pay attention to what you publish and when you publish it. Just because you have a great song it doesn’t mean you should publish it right away…