Moreover lyrics, and the story they tell, usually help in making the listener feel for the writer… we often empathize with them… we laugh… love… pain… get angry… express our happiness with them. One of the more impactful effects (I think) is when we somehow identify ourselves as the hero in a song. When you feel like the song could actually be written by you. Depending on the feeling expressed, this effect can be paralyzing. If it is for example a quite sad song, it can even make you cry right there.