Songs for the soul: Lyrics help navigate collective trauma, researchers say

Tel Aviv [Israel], April 21 (ANI/ TPS): As Israel prepares to mark Memorial Day in the shadow of war, research released on Monday found that song lyrics serve as a powerful and specific tool for emotional coping, especially in times of collective trauma. The findings suggest that therapists can use song lyrics as tools in emotional regulation and grief processing.
The Hebrew University study, led by Professor Renana Peres and Adi Levy from the Business School, along with Professor Roni Granot from the Department of Musicology, examined over 2,800 songs that people identified as personally meaningful during the first COVID-19 lockdown. The research found a strong, consistent connection between the lyrical content of these songs and the emotional goals of listeners, such as easing loneliness, processing grief, or finding comfort.
The findings were published in the peer-reviewed Frontiers in Psychology journal.
"This research offers a new perspective on how people use music not just for entertainment, but as a meaningful tool for emotional self-regulation," said Granot. "As Memorial Day approaches, we are reminded that lyrics often give voice to emotions that are difficult to express--grief, remembrance, and resilience among them."
Unlike musical features such as tempo, key, or harmony, which showed no reliable link to emotional outcomes, the study found that lyrics with specific themes -- such as loss, life and death, belonging, and soul -- were frequently chosen by individuals experiencing sadness or seeking reflection. According to the researchers, this suggests that people connect to the words in songs in ways that mirror their internal emotional states.
"For example, someone feeling isolated might gravitate toward lyrics about connection or community," said Peres. "Whereas someone wrestling with grief might find solace in words that speak directly to loss or the fragility of life."
The implications of the findings go beyond academic insight. Therapists and music professionals can use them to support emotional regulation, grief processing, and deeper client engagement by selecting tracks that reflect themes like loss, belonging, or hope.
Streaming services might also enhance user well-being by incorporating lyrical analysis into mood-based recommendations. Additionally, organizers of memorial events could choose songs with resonant lyrics to create more meaningful, emotionally attuned experiences.
"This is the first large-scale empirical study to link lyrical content to emotional coping strategies," said Peres. "At a time when many are dealing with personal and collective trauma, understanding the emotional power of lyrics can help us better support mental health--both individually and as a society." (ANI/ TPS)