On the relative importance of lyrics

The topic of lyrics and how much of a factor they are in liking a song or an artist has come up in a few threads recently, but I feel like the topic deserves its own thread.

In one of the album of the month threads, Matt M said this:

This is the way I generally process lyrics as well. There are exceptions, usually of the singer-songwriter variety, like Tom Waits, Dylan, John Prine, etc. But even with that type of artist, if the music doesn't grab me, I won't stick with it.

For me, it even goes way beyond the first few listens. There are songs I've listened to and loved for years where I couldn't give you any more than the chorus off the top of my head. This propensity to tune out the words also makes it hard for me to appreciate some hip-hop, unless the production is really interesting. It's why I like stuff like Deltron 3030 so much.

This all got me into a lot of trouble when I was making mix tapes and CDs for my wife when we first started dating. She'd ask me why I was putting all of these depressing songs about death, breakups, and the apocalypse on them. I had no clue.

I also have a high tolerance for goofy and/or inscrutable lyrics. See: The Breeders. Paradoxically, the main reason I never got the love for Duran Duran back in the 1980s was because I hated their lyrics and thought they made no sense. It sounded like they just threw together a bunch of unrelated sentences that just happened to rhyme. Maybe it had something to do with how high the lyrics were in the mix, I don't know. Hypocrisy!

Is there anyone here besides Matt and me in the music-first club? For those of you who fall into a more lyric-centric camp: do you listen to much instrumental music? Do you play instruments yourself?** Do you like bands like Sigur Ros? Can good music overcome shitty lyrics?

**I played alto saxophone from 6th grade through 12th grade, and a little bass guitar in college. I'm also curious about musical training and how people value lyrics, and wondering if this will be a common thread for people like me.

See, I'll agree with Bendrix, especially with the Afghan Whigs example. But it's a complete mystery to me why, say, a Built To Spill or Talking Heads song's lyrics will stick in my head and resonate, while others don't. At a guess, there's usually some alchemy to the mix, the melody, and the singer's voice and delivery that makes it lodge in there.

Also: Phil wins, again.

trite: eh, I can deal with it unless it's REALLY over the top.
smug, self-important: B-But I love Jarvis Cocker!
sexist: depends on context, but usually turns me off.