I suppose because I was once paid good money as a performer, I still feel I need to give good value, so I never sing from words anyway. No issue with those that do, just not me.

Interesting point above about asking if can be construed as arrogance to sing from memory. I'd' be buggered then. I even stand to sing (and play) where everybody else sits, (in order to read their books on cookery book stands.)

I was once asked to sing Goodnight Irene at a singaround. No problem I reckoned I could recall enough words plus wing it. The person who asked for someone to sing it looked closely at the chords I used for the first verse then spent the rest of the time writing them onto their words sheet.

So much so that they never heard me sing "Sometimes I have a great notion, to burn the shithouse down."

Mind you, the other year I paid £130.00 for a concert by The London Symphony Orchestra. Nobody complained about them having a score in front of them ;-)