Nerdology • Taking 5: Song Lyrics

Taking 5: Song Lyrics

I’ve spent the better part of an hour just now trying to find the lyrics for two albums I just purchased. I should clarify. I found the lyrics. That’s not the problem. The problem is trying to find a version of the lyrics that I can copy and paste into my iTunes so said lyrics can appear on my portable music plying device of choice (in this case it’s the iPhone).

In the old days of physical media lyrics were usually provided folded up in the casette tape case or in the CD booklet and the first few times I listened to an album I would read the lyrics along with the music. It’s just what I did. This was also in the days of Pearl Jam, Nirvana and a slough of bad annunciators. But it’s a habit I still have and one I wish to continue.

Fast forward to today. I just purchased (yes purchased, because that’s what I do) Frightened Rabbit’s 2008 album The Might Organ Fight (it’s phenomenal btw). I want to drop the lyrics into the iTunes information so when I sync it to my phone I can have the lyrics with me and read along when I’m on the subway. The problem is all of the lyric sites are powered by Gracenote. A javascript (or some sort of) plugin that prevents users from highlighting and copying the text.

But why? What is the point of preventing the copying of song lyrics? The Gracenote site says they are partnered with the 80 music publishers including the “Big 4.” It suddenly makes perfect sense in its unlogic. The music industry is terrified of everything. They are terrified of anything they can’t control including people having song lyrics. I don’t know why they don’t want you copying song lyrics, but clearly they don’t.

What do they think people are going to do with them if song lyrics are made easily accessible? Are lyrics as yearbook quotes damaging the music industry in some way that I have been unable to figure out?

I used to scrawl Led Zeppelin and Green Day lyrics in my note books in Junior High and High School… I will still jot down pieces of lyrics on paper when I’m supposed to be taking notes. Learning the lyrics to songs gets me more invested in music and makes me buy more albums. Being able to have the lyrics on my iPod is even more convenient than carrying around a folded up booklet and makes it even more likely that I learn the lyrics and buy more albums.

And at the end of the day that’s what everyone wants… to buy more music. Wise up music industry. Let me have my lyrics. It’s doing nothing but helping you.