I always like the lyrics first, the beat is just a bonus!! lol :)

The lyrics make the song... unless its an avenged sevenfold song then Synster Gates guitar solos make the songs

mainly tis the lyrics

I usually like a song because of it's lyrics

For me the MUSIC makes the song... like right now, I'm listening to Great Gig in the Sky -- flawless with no lyrics.

Lyrics. Which is one of the reasons I can't listen to 50 cent. Gag me. ^^

I think they're about equally important and value both, really. I wouldn't really want to take one without the other, given the choice--although, it's a good point that an instrumental song can be just as great or better than a tune with vocals! However, sometimes lyrics may be quite good...and yet they seem like words just strung together in a singing voice that almost anyone could do, and the song sounds just like any other, unmemorable and hard to distinguish from others...I've always really been impressed that people are able to come up with unique, original, catchy melodies because it seems so difficult. So many are used up already! XD Anyway, the beat/tune/melody is probably the first thing you usually notice...you can like that before even knowing all the words. Sometimes the lyrics can change your mind though, heh. As with 50 Cent...I'm not a rap fan in general anyhow...but yeah, if I like the lyrics or/and the beat, odds are I will like the song as a whole.