I am a sucker for quotes. Whether they're one-liners from "Anchorman" being shouted across The Badger Herald office or more serious ones written in books or on posters, I can't get enough. I'm one of those people who write down the really good ones and tape them to the wall near the computer. My Facebook profile is full of wise words I've stumbled across. It never ceases to amaze me that I can stumble across the immortal words of someone else and actually feel like those words encapsulate something (or everything) that I'm feeling.

Those are the moments I get a kick out of, and I recently had one of them when I stumbled across a passage from Neil Gaiman's novel, Anansi Boys. He writes, "Songs remain. They last. The right song can turn an emperor into a laughingstock, can bring down dynasties. A song can last long after the events and the people in it are dust and dreams and gone. That's the power of songs."

That's the power of songs. As soon as I read it, I knew it'd become one of my favorites and has been on the back of an Urban Outfitters receipt in my wallet ever since. Aside from being well written, this grouping of words is unarguably true and something I'd like to explore within this column.

Why is music such a staple in the world's culture? What is it about a grouping of notes and the addition of some often prolific words that has the power to inspire us, make us cry or remind us of that particularly crazy Saturday night? Is it a song's lyrics? Its rhythm? Its melody? Read on.

This semester I decided to dive into the world of creative writing, signing up for an introductory course that was supposed to give me an overview of the world of writing short fiction and poetry. I loved the short fiction section, but having recently started the poetry part of the course, I'm having second thoughts about the whole endeavor. It's not that I don't appreciate poetry — I do, really — but tackling poetry is a difficult and daunting task. When presented with the assignment of having to write a poem of my own, I immediately went to my music collection for inspiration. Because really, who's more poetic than Bob Dylan or Sufjan Stevens or — thanks to a recent introduction — Andrew Bird? The answer, in my opinion, is no one.

Take Bird's "Sovay" for example: "I was getting ready to be a threat / I was getting set for my / accidental suicide / the kind where no one dies / no one looks too surprised / then you realize / that you're riding on a para-success of a heavy-handed metaphor / and a feeling like you've been here before …" — poetry in motion, people.

Or look at the lyrics to Stevens' "Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, Illinois" (hell, even the title sounds poetic): "When the revenant came down / We couldn't imagine what it was / In the spirit of three stars / The alien thing that took its form / Then to Lebanon / Oh God / The flashing at night, the sirens grow and grow / Oh, history involved itself / Mysterious shade that took its form / Or what it was, incarnation / Three stars / Delivering signs and dusting from their eyes."

Now, I have no idea what the aforementioned lines mean, but I do know that there's something about the way the lyrics are arranged and the way they're sung in Stevens' quietly strong voice that makes the song stick with me long after it's finished playing. Neither "Sovay" nor "Concerning the UFO Sighting …" boasts particularly catchy melodies or tunes to which you can sing along, but that doesn't matter.

Just as we tend to overlook a lot of what most would say are questionable vocals, we love Bob Dylan for his amazing lyrical insight and depth. Sure, he's kind of raspy on "Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands," but have you listened to the words Dylan sings? Nothing but good. Speaking of Dylan, it's no secret that the musician is notorious for writing songs featuring social commentary and other important messages. Songs are vehicles through which ideas, assertions and beliefs are communicated throughout society.

Lyrics take universal themes and feelings and articulate them in relatable ways that we can understand — that's part of the reason why songs are so long lasting and effective. Similarly, the rhythm and melody of a piece of music can have the same powerful effect on us. Catering to our more visceral sense, a song's rhythm or melody can profoundly affect the way we move or the way our bodies feel.

Massive Attack's "Teardrop" has a driving beat beneath delicate vocals that always makes me feel stronger when I hear it. I was first introduced to the song, and the band, during an acting workshop focused on movement. While doing tai chi, yoga and other movement exercises, Massive Attack was throbbing away in the background, providing the perfect backdrop for the techniques taught by the class.

Melodies can push our bodies to work harder — I can always run farther when I'm listening to a mix of Green Day, Panic! At the Disco and OutKast — or they can slow us down with the soothing tunes of Iron & Wine or Norah Jones.

It's no surprise that music is said to have such strong effects on the people who listen to it. Whether it's through the poetic arrangement or important messages of lyrics or the energizing or calming effect of melody and rhythm, songs are a stronger force than most people recognize.

Laura Stanelle is a sophomore planning to major in journalism. She can be reached for question or comment at [email protected].