Anyone else not care about the meanings of songs?

I tend that direction.

There are some great songs with really lame lyrics.

But songs where the lyrics stand out as poetic I notice more.

Probably because a lot of good songs have stupid lyrics. Haha!

I have trouble understanding lyrics in even the simplest songs. my brain only focuses on the instruments.

most of the time I cant understand what is being said.

I'm the same way. Even when I can recite the lyrics and they're terrible, I don't give a shite if the voice matches the music.

I wouldn't go so far as to say I don't care.

IMO most of the 'meaning' of a song is truly derived from each person listening, not the individual(s) who wrote it.

It totally depends on the vocal artist and the strength of their voice, and whether or not the lyrics or instrumentation is the focus of the song. Lyrics are less important for someone who is amazing vocally and uses it like you stated as an additional instrument to compliment the overall sound. Incorporating literary device/poetics into a song's lyrics on the other hand surely enhances it in its own right. And if you have both...

However, like you, I believe the overall sound is the most important aspect of a song more than it's original lyrical intent because the instrumentation is what really separates it from poetry and its 'meaning' is as subjective as whether or not the song is 'good/bad'. All that being said I don't mean to discount the artists' original meaning either.

A good example for me is "Wading in the Velvet Sea" by Phish. The lyrics are just atrocious...really, really, REALLY bad. That said, I fricking love the song.

Phish -- Wading In The Velvet Sea

Eh idk

Likemi love Jason Isbell and the Hold asteady and their lyrics are amazing

I alos Love DMB. And his lyrics are less important to me.

I generally believe a combination of mental pain and drugs have yielded the best rock and roll music over time. Hearing that in the lyrics is cool, getting a view into whatever the songwriter was going through at the time. I agree though that I listen to the guitars and drums and keyboard etc moreso than the words.

Most of the time, I'm more about music and the overall package. How the lyrics fit with the music does more for the overall package for me.

There are exceptions, though. Really out of place, stupid lyrics can kill a song for me. Some stuff, the lyrics really will enhance it for me.

A good example of the enhancement is Turnpule Troubadours Bird Hunters. I like the music, but the lyrics are also a fantastic story, and it doubles my overall enjoyment.

It really all depends. If the music and vocals are great, then the meaning of the song generally won't detract from that for me. If the lyrics are amateur to terrible (not the meaning, but the lyrics themselves... such as saying "baby" all the time) then I will tune out even the best of songs.

When the lyrics are stunning and even more so when the meaning is something strong, that elevates a song to perfection. It will make a good song great and a great song epic.

Take My Morning Jacket - Steam Engine for instance. This is a gorgeously constructed song, but the lyrics and meaning are so powerful that it makes it one of (and probably most) my favorite songs of all time.

To me, the lyrics are part of the music. Shitty/cheesy/slapdick lyrics will ruin a song for me any day of the week.