Organisers of a club I used to attend all read the words of every song. One regular reckons he knows hundreds of songs. No he doesn't. He doesn't 'know' any of them. He just performs them. He reads the words and chord-shapes.

I am aware that memory fades as we get older. Mine does. I have even woken up in the middle of a song and not known what song I was singing, let alone what the next line is! But I will fight off the temptation to read the words. I will rehearse the songs until I think I know them well enough to perform them in public (again). There was a time when I could hold about fifty songs in my head out of about 200. It's down to about twenty now. So I try to rotate the sing-able list now and again.

It is said that musicianship and deliberate use of the memory helps to fight off dementia. Use it or lose it. But if you do habitually read the words, then you are unlikely to pick up any guest bookings. You are more likely to remain a humble floor singer.