How Do I Remember Song Lyrics?
8 Comments Published by Camron Ware - Visual Worshiper October 19th, 2009 in Visual WorshipLately I’ve been wondering how to best remember lyrics to songs. I know each person remembers and learns a different way; but I’m trying to figure out if it’s SEEING the words; HEARING the words; REPEATING the words…etc….
I have found that when I drive in my car, I sing along to the songs (let’s say…it’s a U2 song) and I ‘remember’ all the songs. Now, take the actual song away. Can I repeat the whole song just by memory? Usually not for me. For example; at the U2 show, I was able to sing the words along with the band – but mainly because I was singing WITH them. Put me alone in a room and I probably couldn’t even say the lyrics to a song.
This made me wonder about worship lyrics. For conversation’s sake, let’s compare being in a church service to driving in my car. The music is playing and there are other people singing the words. Except now I can SEE the words too! (Ya know, on those screen things) So, that should be even better right?
Well; I have found that when I can see the words; I simply read them, but don’t actually remember them. I mean that’s just much easier! It gets the job done.
But I want more than that – I want to know the whole song by heart. For me, the best way to remember lyrics is by saying or singing them by myself, with no other people ‘helping’ me. It’s like I have to own them myself, and take charge in putting them in my mind. Then, I feel like I can on a whim, bust out and say or sing or type the whole song. I guess I have to memorize it first…then be able move past memorization to heart-felt.
And so, of course, this leads me to wonder if lyrics projected on a screen REALLY help people KNOW the songs in a worship service, or just provide an easy way to sing along, and make it comfortable for the newcomer. 
Thoughts?
I often find myself glancing at the words and then looking at the people leading in worship. This helfs me to think about what I am sining. I am also a worship VJ, but don’t always get the privilege to play with the toys. I usually look at a whole phrase and then sing it without looking at the screen. VJ’s make this possible and make it work by only using at the most 2 lines of text on a screen at a time. Otherwise don’t project the lyrics at all.
hmmm, I too find it easier to remember the words when the music is playing.
but when there is an option to read the words (like when projected) then it is harder to remember – lazy brains
yet I feel that is necessary to project the words up to help the newcomers and the regulars; keeps the heads up and besides the projected words and background enhance the experience as well.
Does it distract from worship -I don’t think so
Do you have to know the words? not off by heart I don’t thinks so, but I think that its necessary to know what you are singing to be really engaged in worship – otherwise it’s just words
There have been times where I felt like moving to a completely black screen was the best move. People were experiencing God in worship, and the words weren’t necessary. But as soon as I took them off the screen, my bosses would freak out (“where are the words, people need to see the words!”). I find that I am more connected in worship when I know the words (or at least most of them) and only occasionally have to glance at the screen.
Yea, Aaron I know what you mean about your boss freaking out. It happened to me last Sunday when our program crashed. He was like, (in front of the whole church, before the song) and said where are the words, Brian you got those words back there. It made me look like an idiot.
@Brian – ugh…sorry man; I know how that feels. It helps to tell those who do that how it makes you feel, even if they are frustrated in the moment. Nothing you couldn’t have done; and it’s not like you did not prepare.
yeah Brian, that freaking sucks. Love how pastors build us up in front of everyone like that. wow.
i think the Church needs to be freaked out… they need to be shaken…. their foundation upheaved…. their…OUR paradigm SHIFTED.
we follow our man-made rituals …. WHY? b/c that’s the way it’s always been done. That’s our answer to the question “WHY” and it’s NOT GOOD ENOUGH… not for me.
We as americans have constructed a box in what we feel is “worship” … it’s safe and easy. it does not offend. it doesn’t poke and prod at our flesh….
it’s not revival… it’s an emotional experience.
we are blindly following without understanding the bigger picture…..we have put corporate worship in a box.
i have been in plenty of worship settings where there are no words projected (or passed out) at all. and it’s beautiful… and the people sang louder and more passionate than i have ever seen before.
what about the newcomers? well, what about them! let them soak it all in. it’s not about them anyway. it shouldn’t be. it’s about our “family” meeting together. and newcomers naturally should enter into community via relationships…not our gatherings.
let me put it this way… do you invite strangers to your family meal? or do you build a relationship first, THEN invite them?
uggh… i;m going off on a tangent. it’s what i do best i guess.
sometimes lyrics can be good… but when you project them, people, please treat it like art and not information. and let’s face it, we all know the lyrics to “how great is our god” so why the heck project them for the 100th time?
great post Camron…. once again, you’re asking questions that no one is asking. thank you.
i’m there with you man.
There definitely is a weird thing going on with lyrics on screen.
Like if it’s a hymn I don’t know, I need the words to simply sing along. The lyrics are mandatory. But so many of our worship songs are pretty simple & you can close your eyes and it’s not hard to sing along.
I simply don’t get how people can stare at simple lyrics in worship repeatedly(like for years) and not let go and worship, close your eyes, smile, express worship, whatever? It’s like because it’s on the screens we’re habitually trained to wait for something to happen. Or we’re too afraid to consider expressing ourselves so we missile-lock on the screen. Maybe it’s a form of cultural nervousness or fear or lack of personal freedom? ???
As I worship vj I try to time it with the singer/ band for sure to sync the song but also I know some new folks truly don’t know the song…??? Ultimately if it’s not worship — then that sucks! Unfortunately a performance mentality is often preoccupied with the nuances of production over the flow and movement of the Spirit in worship. Still it’s worth all the goofiness to worship God as a visual participant. The dialogue should continue or perhaps we will numb out our corporate church bodies even more…
As to U2 concert, half their gig is to sing along and it’s frigging awesome. You lose yourself with thousands you barely know. What could be better at our churches than to lose yourself in worship to God!!! I believe we are desperate to worship, just the venues are so few… let’s passionately devote our talents and hearts toward such ends.
– oh yeah and end early enough to clear the parking lot for the next service… … … … …
@Dan: Exactly! Why are we so hooked on always having lyrics up?!