I was raised hearing, learning, and usually understanding the words, but not really sympathizing with them. Later, I began learning the meanings and sympathizing with them. Even later, I realized that I was just falling into their trap, and that I really didn't sympathize with almost any of them. Lyrics are usually poorly written sentiments that could mean any sort of thing (unless you directly ask the writer what they meant, but then, people tend to lie or associate with what they would like for them to mean at different times), and usually, the writer means something that isn't conveyed well. Sometimes, they mean something that I would never want to say out loud or even think. Sometimes, they mean something beautiful that comes out in a way that I would never want to go on record as having said in such a way, because it is conveyed improperly. Very rarely are lyrics so well composed and presented that they convey their true meaning well to all who learn of the lyrics, and even more rarely are they something I would want to associate with. I've mostly given up on music to tell me anything, or even to entertain me. I try to use it as inspiration to make the world a better place, so I find myself listening to obnoxiously brutal music in the gangster rap, heavy metal, hardcore, punk, etc. genres. But, occasionally, there is a well-thought out, well-composed, and well-presented song that really strikes a chord with me, and I'll play it (usually to death, because it usually ends in meaning something other than I heard at first) over and over. There are a few exceptions to this rule I'm getting at, but for the most part, music is written by people "matured" at a younger age for purposes of entertainment... the young kids version of writers. And it shows. Nowadays I have a hard time listening to anything more than once, because of this hearing-disgusting-lyrics-clearly or not-understanding-what-they-mean or they-don't-know-what-they-mean problem, so I usually skip around through my music library and try to find the thing where I can't even hear the lyrics, but then I feel weird listening to something that could be telling me go do something horrible. The struggle. Also, most music is polluted with the desire to have many people hear it even though it isn't really presentable, because money and fame.
On the other hand, when I find music that I really, truly enjoy listening to, there's nothing like it. Music is amazing. I've just been drumming for so long that I tend to play rhythm while the front-people make a fool of themselves, and I'm tired of it I say! I demand for clean lyrics and vocals! Sure, it's art, but it's also writing, and it should be concise. That's my take, anyways.