Why not use a lyric sheet? If pianists and symphony orchestras and such can look at music, I don't see why folkies can't have a lyric sheet.

I sang "Up the Noran Water" (from the Jean Redpath album, "A Fine Song for Singing") unaccompanied at an open mike -- a place much more used to barely-acoustic C&W and soul-searching 19yo angst-ridden singer-songwriters, and it was very well received.

Alex