THERE are a few subjects that have that "light blue touch paper and retire" effect when raised among a random group of people of any age. Everyone seems to love being asked about their favourite songs, which songs they listen to in certain moods, and which they know all the words of.

We often associate songs with reminiscence of an event or feeling. The combination of a memorable tune and words that seem to speak to us and even express our personal situation is incredibly potent.

Elvis Presley no doubt helped thousands of couples to fall in love when he sang:

Wise men say
Only fools rush in,
But I can't help
Falling in love with you...

And the Rolling Stones probably fed millions of fantasies with:

Brown Sugar,
How come you taste so good?

Couples talk about having "our song" – one that was around when they first romanced, and of all the popular tunes about at the time, it was that one which they played over and over again and maybe danced to in private.

One such song for my parents was Irving Berlin's 1938 What'll I Do? from the show Ragtime. The song became an instant radio, gramophone and dance-hall favourite, and sales of the sheet music with the lyrics meant everyone was soon singing the yearning lines:

What'll I do
When you are far away,
And I am blue,
What'll I do?

Many years later, we kids knew that when dad wafted into the kitchen singing those words, it was a matter of seconds before he'd grab mum by the waist and whisk her around the floor in a waltz. For them the song was loaded with meaning and memories, even if we kids were sniggering in embarrassment.

When songwriters put words to music it's usually because they've got something to say, whether we're talking about a protest song, a romantic ballad, a rock number or music and lyrics to tell story in a musical or opera.

Great words and music place you somewhere emotionally, whether that place is euphoric and energised, or wallowing in regret for lost love or wasted life. Without the words, the music probably wouldn't do the trick.

With all of this in mind, the National Year of Reading campaign canvassed 4,000 people aged 18-65 about the importance of song lyrics. About 90 per cent said they felt that knowing the lyrics helped them to appreciate the music.

More than half of interviewees said song lyrics had the power to change their mood and inspire memories, particularly in connection with relationships. According to the survey, song lyrics provide a strong narrative backdrop to our lives, providing meaning and even solace in times of sadness but also capable of heightening a whole range of other emotions.

Among the songs people cited as stirring up or reflecting their emotions were REM's Everybody Hurts (sad/depressed), I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston (being in love), Time to Say Goodbye by Sarah Brightman or Andrea Bocelli (bereavement, loss), Meatloaf's Bat Out of Hell (driving), Summertime by Ella Fitzgerald and Queen's Don't Stop Me Now (getting motivated).

Songwriters see the lyrics as crucial to their art form, yet these days fewer and fewer lyrics are supplied with CDs, and the lyrics provided by some discography websites are unreliable and unauthorised by the artists.

Reading the lyrics on the LP or CD sleeve used to be an important part of the enjoyment, but with the decline in CD sales, many people who love to know the words (and ponder their meaning) are forced to look on the web.

More than half of those questioned said they wanted lyrics to be made available with albums, and with songs downloaded from the internet. The rapper Mr Midas, who recently won best newcomer at the Urban Music Awards, said: "Reading lyrics heightens the musical experience. It gives you a bigger and better connection with the song and the artist. I want people to be able to experience my lyrics as well as my songs."

The response to song lyrics was much the same across the age range of those questioned. "It didn't matter if you were 18 or 65, the emotional importance of lyrics was completely consistent," said Honor Wilson Fletcher, director of the National Year of Reading, which is promoting song lyrics as an important part of everyone's reading experience.