[quote="GoldenRhino"][quote="h2orowe"][quote="Blank"]I listen to Japanese music because I like how poetic the language is.[/quote]
Was that serious? If so, is English not poetic? Or any other language? How the hell do you even KNOW it's poetic, when you don't speak it? Do you mean it sounds poetic? And if so, explain why it does? ;p Three hundred words or less.[/quote]

ya'll just got trolled, h2o. [/quote]

Poetic is definitely the wrong word. Maybe "emotional."

[quote="omnistry"][quote="GoldenRhino"][quote="h2orowe"][quote="Blank"]I listen to Japanese music because I like how poetic the language is.[/quote]
Was that serious? If so, is English not poetic? Or any other language? How the hell do you even KNOW it's poetic, when you don't speak it? Do you mean it sounds poetic? And if so, explain why it does? ;p Three hundred words or less.[/quote]

ya'll just got trolled, h2o. [/quote]

Poetic is definitely the wrong word. Maybe "emotional."[/quote]

holy shit.

I've heard plenty of beautifully composed, emotionally powerful songs in English. I'd say it's just that Japanese uses different expressions/metaphors than English, and has a different rhythm to it. They're both good.

[quote="Marekenshin"]I've heard plenty of beautifully composed, emotionally powerful songs in English. I'd say it's just that Japanese uses different expressions/metaphors than English, and has a different rhythm to it. They're both good.[/quote]

Unwarranted correction/reprimanding/clarifying there, bro. In times like this, we just have to stand back in horror, mouths agape, with a "you've...GOT to be kidding me" expression.
+ +

[quote="GoldenRhino"][quote="Marekenshin"]I've heard plenty of beautifully composed, emotionally powerful songs in English. I'd say it's just that Japanese uses different expressions/metaphors than English, and has a different rhythm to it. They're both good.[/quote]

Unwarranted correction/reprimanding/clarifying there, bro. In times like this, we just have to stand back in horror, mouths agape, with a "you've...GOT to be kidding me" expression.
+ + [/quote]

lolol. I don't even know what to say here.

Rather than really saying anything, I'll just twirl my wrist and say, "Proceed."

I guess technically... well... lol, I don't know what to say on that. I will say I've heard plenty of Japanese songs that have completely straightforwards lyrics. I guess I kind of get what you were trying to say, a lot of the lyrics in Japanese pop and rock songs are generally indirect while a lot of English pop and rock songs are direct... lol

Thinking about it, it really is more some-timey lol.

[quote="Bell02"]a lot of the lyrics in Japanese pop and rock songs are generally indirect while a lot of English pop and rock songs are direct... lol[/quote]

My God. Mare. I think you were right - this might actually take some explaining.

Japanese and English are flexible enough so that neither language has a greater tendency to sound "poetic" or "emotional". People are in control of that, not language. You and omnistry are taking your limited scope of music written in Japanese and English and trying to apply it to the languages as a whole. That's completely ridiculous.

For every "claim" you make, for instance "I think a lot of Sawao's lyrics are very poetic and emotional therefore Japanese is superior", I will counter with a contrasting example every time. The band TOKIO, song, "Sorafune". Simple, straight forward, pretty boring.

I can't believe I'm actually typing this post. Mare is right in that there are difference in rhythm and sound. Sometimes the nature of Japanese makes lyrics that would sound awkward in English completely normal. That's a valid difference. But to attribute words like "poetic" and "emotional" to an entire language is just ludicrous.

[quote="GoldenRhino"]It's just Ludacris.[/quote]

[img]http://img2.timeinc.net/people/i/2007/specials/grammy07/show/arrivals/ludacris.jpg[/img]

YO HOMIEZ WUT UP IN DIS THRED

Mad props, Mare.

Flaming aside, Japanese does lend itself better to songwriting. More rhymes.

Kimi nooooo
koto wooooo
aishiteruyooooo
OH YEAH

AI WO MOTTO
AI WO MOTTO

With all the wos, darous, yos, kotos, and aa sous, I'm surprised Japanese don't burst into song during daily conversation. Then it truly would be a land of magic~~~~kudesai~~~~

Just wait, my friend. You'll be surprised at how it feels to live in a virtual musical when you go to GLORIOUS NIPPON~

cant wait 2 meet naruto in person

All in all, I think GR is correct. However, I was going to mention a few things, concerning rhyme and such. Rhyming is more versatile in English, and requires technique/skill. I mean, in Japanese, pick any two words and they have perhaps a 20% chance of "rhyming," if you even bother. Rhyme therefore cannot play a significant role in the art of Japanese poetry.

One must also consider cadence/meter/etc. In English, words are much more restrictive in syllabic emphasis, and therefore it plays a major role in the art of the English language. In Japanese, it is much less artful, in that respect.

Surely, there are other linguistic techniques that are valued in Japanese. However, I would wager that any English-speaker who is judging the Japanese language, such as Blank and omnistry, doesn't know jack about them, and is instead irrelevantly applying English-language values of art.

It is very possible that knowing Japanese, or even having Japanese as your [i]first[/i] language (or becoming familiar enough with it until you "think" in Japanese, which I'd wager nearly no JSLer does) is necessary to understand such things.

I obviously can't know for sure, but if I had to bet, I would bet on English as being the most poetic, emotional, and versatile language in the world, if only because it is perhaps the most developed language.