...the thin brown girl in white choir robe standing high against the organ pipes, transformed by music. I could not understand the words, but only the mood, sorrowful, vague and ethereal, of the singing. It throbbed with nostalgia, regret and repentance, and I sat with a lump in my throat as she sank slowly down. - Invisible Man, Ralph Ellison
People are generally surprised when I mention that when it comes to how I feel about a song the lyrics are usually the least important part of the reason; it's always seemed obvious to me that what makes great music the beautiful magic it is lies in the ability for its emotional impact and feeling to not only transcend any language of literal understanding but to render it completely unnecessary. It's why people will always love classical music, and it's why a band like The Ramones can be huge in Brazil even if a lot of the the fans don't really understand the words.
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