Hi Tootler

Ok, I will concede that although a line of text is technically inert, it is open to interpretation.

You have said "It's the last sentence that does it". If in fact it was the last sentence, I could agree that it could be assumed as petulance. However, in the original post it is not the last sentence and neither was it intended to be petulant.

In the open session I attend and occasionally MC, it is not unusual for people to sing or play some material that I also do. It is rare that it conforms to the arrangement that I use. However, I would not be so impolite as to tell them that their punctuation or phrasing was crap, even if it was.

As I see it, they are free as individuals to arrange and interpret a song any way they wish to do so. Even if I don't particularly like it.

If as you say, an inert line of text is open to interpretation then;

Murray said:

"I do so hate to be pedantic, but Commander Crabbe has got the punctuation badly wrong in his line from Raglan Road, notwithstanding the fact that most people mistakenly sing it the way he punctuated it."

1. Contrary to his statement, Murray, I believe, quite likes to be pedantic.
2. If I had written this, I wouldn't comment on another's punctuation or phrasing.

CET said:

Well, Cdr Crabbe, it seems to me that Murray has it right, and that your response is a bit petulant. If you sing the song the way you punctuated it, you are singing gibberish. Kavangh's work deserves the respect of getting the punctuation (and the meaning) right.

1. Again, if I had written this, I wouldn't comment on another's punctuation or phrasing.

May all your lottery wins be more than a tenner.

CC