Formerly, I would've answered "no" to this question. Yet last night I learned that a teenager not too far from where I live was listening to a song called "Suicide" ...then killed himself.

While we may not realized we're influenced by it, it's entirely possible (and given the way the mind works, even probable) that it influences our subconscious.

What's your take on the matter?

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"Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend."
- Proverbs 27:17

Catalog of Electronic Components - Complete IC data sheets
National Electrical Code® (NEC®) Online - Legal requirements for wiring projects.

Some of the more easily-influenced, yes. I wouldn't consider myself too easily-influenced by music.

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"LC Tusken: the idiot is the person who follows the idiot and your not following me your insulting me your following the path of a idiot so that makes you the idiot"
NMGOH || Jack Chick preaches it

I think lyrics play a minor role, but I think that the overall musical feeling you get from a song gives more of an overall emotional impression.

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please *

Do lyrics influence my thoughts? No, not likely. To me, music is a great stress remover, if that counts as influenced thinking.

Actually, after rereading Schming's post, I realized that if any part of the lyrics affect a person's thinking, it would be the tone more than the words.

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I am Darth Slaw.
The Dark Lord of the Sith,
And part of the Nightfire mod team

[This message has been edited by Darth Slaw (edited March 12, 2004).]

Exactly, like take Song 2 by Blur, (it's that poppy Woohoo song for those of you who dont know), insert line "I'm gonna shoot everyone in the head" in between the woohoos in the chorus. Everyone would still think it's a happy go lucky song.

Take Street Spirit by Radiohead. Insert line "Love your grandma" in the chorus. It would still be a sad song.

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please *

If lyrics would influence me, I'd be a dead satanist by now.

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Map-Review | Digital Core | The Matrix: Unplugged

Farewell, MaDaVentor. In our hearts, you'll always live on.

are you trying to say you're something other than that gothicX?

But really... if you're naive, or feel compelled to follow the lyrics, then you're stupi.... I mean you'll be influenced by them.

I'd say human thinking influences lyrics , and to a certain extent... a lot of people may listen to lyrics and take in completely the wrong message.

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Drugs & Stupidity, Tons of it.

This article made an interesting statement:

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"Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend."
- Proverbs 27:17

Catalog of Electronic Components - Complete IC data sheets
National Electrical Code® (NEC®) Online - Legal requirements for wiring projects.

Music can effect someone's brain and alter moods in good and bad ways, but effects will vary from person to person.
It's likely that this teenager wanted to kill himself and used the song to build up his nerve.

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All you need is love.

I think music can affect your mood. If you listen to a slow song, you tend to become more relaxed. If you listen to a fast intense song, you tend to be more excitable.

Anyway, it was shown in the lawsuit against Judiast Priest that "subliminal messages" can't influence someone to do something unless they already have the inclination to do it. I would assume the same holds true for non-subliminal messages.

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"The only way to behave to a woman is to make love to her, if she is pretty, and to someone else, if she is plain."--The Importance of Being Earnest

The music I listen to influences me to write my own lyrics. Nothing more really. My sig fits well with this thread hah.

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[="They say music can alter moods and talk to you, but can it load a gun for you and cock it too?" - Eminem=]

Massassian since: March 12, 2001

[This message has been edited by Sol (edited March 14, 2004).]

"They say music can talk to you, but can it load a gun and cock it too?"

Music influences your mood. If you're feeling suicidal and you listen to a song that makes you depressed, that's your own fault, not the artist's. People just naturally try to put the blame on someone else rather than accepting responsibility for their own faults. What are we gonna do? Ban all music that has a sombre atmosphere? Ban violence on TV? Ban videogames? I'd rather die than live in a world so desaturated.


[haha! didn't even notice sol's sig ]
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When bread becomes toast, it can never go back to being bread again.

[This message has been edited by Flexor (edited March 14, 2004).]