I am all for Ewan's method of taping bits of paper to instruments with key words of song lyrics. I have done that for a number of years. For me it has been more of a problem of connecting song titles with their lyrics. I used to simply write out a song list and post it where I could see it. More than once though, I found that on stage I would read the song title but to save my life could not remember how the song began! Lyric fragments, judiciously posted, have ever since saved the day.

As for memorizing lyrics from written copy I can only say that in years past (before the advent of hydraulic cueing devices) I scratched a number of my records trying to transcribe lyrics. More recently I ruined a few cassettes by fast-forwarding/rapid rewinding, etc., to accomplish the same thing. I am ALWAYS grateful to find a ready source for lyrics. Like nearly all of us, it was this feature of the Mudcat which brought me here in the first place.

Having the written text helps me immensely in learning a song. Often I do not possess a recording of a particular song so written lyrics are all I have to work from. If I can remember the melody then it is simply a matter of repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition...!