Why does the vocalist get all the credit?

[Glademaster_v1legacy]

You cannot communicate proper emotion through instruments as they do not speak any human language, you can only interpret emotion.

Maybe I am reading it wrongly but that sentence doesn't make much sense to me. Anyway instruments can convey emotion try watching Bambi without the sound because at least for me it really takes the joy out of the scenes and the weight out of his mum's death. Although this is usually used to describe music telling a story Word Painting is what it is called when music does what you say it can't.

For example in Bohemian Rhapsody the flanged crash symbol near the start is supposed to be the wind, the bell tree effect on the guitar is a shiver down a spine and the drums signify thunder and lighting. While those are relatively simple examples there are slightly more complicated ones.

In Romeo and Juliet Fantasy overture the "Strife theme" has many rushing quavers and various other techniques to symbolise the conflict and anger between the families. This can be present even in non orchestras but I suppose without a small bit of music theory or having this being taught to you most people wouldn't really notice this stuff too much.

But without any back ground knowledge of a song or its composer's feelings, an instrumental piece is not about anything, it is just a broad overview of many possible emotions.

Lyrics give context and let the listener relate to something.


I want you to listen to those two songs again (or for the first time if you didnt) in my original reply...
-Try to relate a past experience or specific emotion to the instrumental.
-then do the same for the one with Lyrics.

Yes and those are really bad examples for me as I know those songs and their background anyway so this won't help your case. I am point out that someone who has knowledge of music can hear things like Word painting where music does convey this. No the average listener needs lyric the trained on doesn't.

To take an example of something a trained person might hear is a certain phrase in German music that is in Bach's Cantata Jesu Der du Miene Seele. In one of the movements I forget which one there is a relatively famous or often used phrase that symbolises happiness in German folk music. Stuff like this is universal and if you are trained to hear it music does not need lyrics and instrumental music will be just as rich as music with lyrics.

 

[Hosker]

You cannot communicate proper emotion through instruments as they do not speak any human language, you can only interpret emotion.

Spoiler: For example...

In this song, you cannot pull any emotional or any other connection from the music.
It is a brilliant piece, but there is nothing for us as human beings to relate to.

In this song, you can clearly understand what kind of emotion is being projected.
Because it has lyrics, and we can understand him.

I'd easily argue that you're wrong. I'd say that, more often than not, there is much more emotion in instruments, broadly speaking. This applies especially to piano.

On-topic: it's because the vocals are nearly always the focus of the songs.

I'll say exactly what I said to the other guy.

I want you to listen to those two songs again (or for the first time if you didnt) in my original reply...
-Try to relate a past experience or specific emotion to the instrumental.
-then do the same for the one with Lyrics

I think this might actually have more to do with how well an individual relates to words or music. I personally relate much better to the music than to any lyrics, and usually end up feeling that many songs would be better off without their words. That's just me, however. You (EightGaugeHippo) might just be the kind of person who relates better to lyrics. I think it works both ways. =)

Alright, I guess.
But, muse me, what emotion or past experience did you associate with the instrumental song that you didn't with the one with Lyrics.

What justnotcricket said is just about correct: it's pretty subjective. However I will say that all music has a tone - it makes you feel something, whether there are lyrics there or not. Describing the tone and thus how it makes you feel is often difficult, and cannot do the song justice even if you do. But just because you can' describe exactly what you're feeling with words, doesn't mean it's not there, or in full force. Your example wasn't the best, as the instrumental is indeed not exactly brimming with emotion, but it's there.

 

[raankh]

Well, it's long since been established that the bassist gets all the babes, so I guess it's ok that the singer gets something.

The keyboardist though, he gets nothing.