What comes first. Music or lyrics?

[mikegee]

this might be or might not be unique, but i have walked past houses and heard wind chimes clanging in the breeze, and i hear a few interesting random melodies, and go home and work on em! hehe got a few decent ideas from bird calls too...

[EvanExempt]

I'd say that nowadays, at least as popular music is concerned... It seems that the quality of slick music produciton has ecliped much of what songwriting ever was or could have been. I think 50 cent, Or even Britney Speares have some interesting produciton tracks.... But I'd probably be less inclined to say I was "feelin'" anything they are saying.

As far as more elite forms of music are concerned, I think it depends a lot more on the focal point of the genre, the artist, and even the song itself.... ie. Kruder and Dorfmeister, Aphex Twin, Don Caballero....... Does this music even need lyrics? I think there are some great lyricist out there, though. Especially that guy from Def Leppard! That stuff is deep, yo!

[AaaSS]

Sometimes I feel like I'm not even the one writing the songs. I look back on the stuff that I've written and can't even remember my how my thought process worked during that time. Makes me think these songs are floating around above our heads and if we're in the right mindset we pick up on them before someone else. This would explain writing a song that sounds like nothing you've ever written or played. It's lame and makes me feel like the songs I write are fluke after fluke, but it's the way I see it.

[GearJunkie]

Totally. "Pour Some Sugar On Me" is this generation's "Imagine".

Def Leppard is just...well....BRILLIANT.

[lukedavo]

They go hand in hand from what Ive experienced, with the one ussually (music first) comes the motivation for the other. The music will inspire some type of feeling, which in turn creates a mood and a possible place to start writing lyrics. my $0.02

[MarlonBrandoCalrissian]

The singer in my band (who also writes most of the music) sings different lyrics each time (we think). He tends to write the lyrics in a very "stream of consciousness" sort of way while we're practicing the musical parts. When we play live he tends to change them around on a whim too - anyways, point being, we spend tons of time rehearsing/writing the music while the lyrics seem to get a "whatever" treatment.

[Professor Riffs]

Also, what about instrumental music? It will often give me more of a feeling, create more of an environment, what have you etc etc bla bla die, than any lyric could ever hope to.

[Nubus]

i think meandering melodies/rhythm are a give away that the lyrics came first. i've noticed a lot of traditional japanese songs are like that.

[Bellringer]

It's true, sometimes you will recognize a chord progression that has been beat into the ground it's been so overdone. These songs almost always seem like lyrics came first. Kind of like old traditional folksongs. People would get a melody in their head and just write local lyrics.
You know...It has worked for Weird Al and Puffy Diddy Daddy Ami Yumi. Just grab an irresistable tune and make up your own words. Genius.

[plishous]

I would have to say the song.It's the music for the vibes and next the lyrics that moves us