The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #42500   Message #2027962
Posted By: Joe Offer
17-Apr-07 - 01:48 PM
Thread Name: Lyrics Correction: Joy of Living (Ewan MacColl)
Subject: Corrections to the Digital Tradition
Well, I think we have a ways to go. I've seen a draft compilation of the next DT. Some of the mistakes in this song were corrected, but not all. In the thead Snuffy referred to, there are two "corrected" versions of the lyrics, and they disagree (not that these are two threads combined into one, so the people who posted lyrics hadn't seen each other's versions). It often happens that there are glaring mistakes in lyrics that are submitted as corrections, and I'm not sure what good people think that's going to do. If you submit corrections, please try to make absolutely sure what you have is correct. If at all possible, refer to a credible printed source, and state the name of your source in your post. If you've transcribed lyrics or a tune by ear, say so. If you copied lyrics from another Website, tell where you got it. If you doubt the quality of the transcription you've posted, say so (I admit that I sometimes post sloppy transcriptions in response to requests for pop songs, but I usually try to say so when I post). Documentation of source and the level of credibility of the lyrics, is often as posting the lyrics themselves. Be sure to put DT Correction: title of song in the title of your message, so the harvesters know that this is a correction and not a new submission. And when you post lyrics, try to ensure that they haven't already been posted.

I think I'm going to try to verify lyrics postings when I can, and add a notation of verification if I am assured the lyrics posted are correct. I've done that in the DTStudy threads, but we have lots more songs to study.

I'll see what I can do to work out something with Dick and Susan to ensure that our corrections are correct when we correct them....

-Joe-