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Posting Lyrics PermaThread-include TITLES!!!

22 Aug 00 - 03:26 AM (#282206)
Subject: Posting Lyrics
From: Joe Offer

I think I'll call this a PermaThread (edited thread), and use it for guidelines on lyrics postings, as issues come up. Feel free to post messages to this thread, but be aware that information in this thread may be deleted or edited to make it serve as a permanent guide.
Lately, it seems that a misconception has arisen, and people have been avoiding the posting of lyrics for various reasons.
The official Mudcat lyrics posting policy is this: Post 'em!

Generally, if you have lyrics that somebody who visits Mudcat might like to have, you should post them here and not just post a link to their locations. Other sites may pass away, but we intend to keep this one going. If the lyrics are posted here, they'll show up in a Mudcat search - so they'll be very easy to find if somebody askes for them again. We do ask that you do a quick search of the database and Forum before you post lyrics - it's usually better if lyrics are posted only once.

Remember - links to lyrics are nice - but it's nicer to post the lyrics.
Here are the Standard Mudcat Lyrics Posting Instructions (as always, subject to change):
We'd love to have any folk lyrics you'd like to post at the Mudcat Cafe. All lyrics that are submitted stay in the forum, and people can find them using our search engines. Many of the lyrics are also "harvested" and included in the Digital Tradition Folk Song Database, which now has lyrics for some 8,500 songs (you can access the database in the blue DigiTrad search box you find on most Mudcat pages).
If you'd like to post a song, first check that database to see whether it's already there or not. The Mudcat FAQ has instructions for posting songs - the most important thing for format is to put a
line break in every line and in the blank lines between stanzas, so the words don't get all squashed together. Make sure you put the lyrics in a thread that has a title that's related to the song (like an ongoing thread that's collecting train songs, if that's appropriate; or a thread you start that has the song title as the title of the thread.). The SUBJECT line for the message with the lyrics should include this information:
LYRICS ADD: title of song here

Ideally, you should follow the Digital Tradition Format:
  • song title on the first line IN ALL CAPS
  • songwriter name (in parentheses) on the second line
  • skip a space
  • then the lyrics
  • then any notes
  • and then finish off with your initials
Yes, there are copyright questions, but we leave it to the operators of the Digital Tradition to deal with them. In the meantime, we ask people to feel free to post whatever lyrics they'd like in the Mudcat Forum - keeping in mind that we are primarily a folk and blues site.

-Joe Offer, Sacramento, California-

13 Feb 01 - 02:23 PM (#397206)
Subject: RE: Posting Lyrics
From: bluebird

Lyric add

ALL THESE STORIES ALL THESE TUNES

JOE LAWLER

13 Feb 01 - 02:31 PM (#397213)
Subject: RE: Posting Lyrics
From: MMario

yessir

13 Feb 01 - 02:36 PM (#397218)
Subject: RE: Posting Lyrics
From: Joe Offer

Hi, Bluebird - where are the lyrics? It's best to put them in a thread where they fit into the discussion. When you post lyrics, make sure the Subject title of your message says ADD: and the name of the song. If there's a thread going on a topic and you have lyrics that fit the topic, post the lyrics in that thread and just change the subject title of that message. Otherwise, find an existing thread that fits your lyrics, or start a new thread.

Oh, and be sure to search the database and Forum before posting lyrics. If we already have the lyrics, there's no use in posting them again.

Thanks.

-Joe Offer-

16 Jul 02 - 01:35 PM (#749017)
Subject: RE: Posting Lyrics
From: Polecat

Hi Joe offer Would this also allpy to songs written yourself? How about compositions in need of a tune?

Regards!

16 Jul 02 - 01:47 PM (#749030)
Subject: RE: Posting Lyrics
From: katlaughing

Hi, Joe, a darker text colour and larger type would make your first paragraph a lot easier to read.

Thanks,

kat
Hi, Kat - my first paragraph is what's known as "the fine print." It's a PermaThread caveat, and I usually post them in small teal print. It's not part of the essential content of the thread.
-Joe Offer-

19 Jun 03 - 07:19 PM (#969376)
Subject: RE: Posting Lyrics
From: GUEST,Wingfoot_the_Archer

Hey, where's the reply to what Polecat asked? I have a nice little song that I made, (a folk song in the making ;D ) but is it okay to post it? I'm sure it is, but I just wanted to make sure.
Thanks!
Wingfoot

19 Jun 03 - 08:21 PM (#969407)
Subject: RE: Posting Lyrics
From: George Seto - af221@chebucto.ns.ca

Yes, it is, Wingfoot.

Please include a copyright notice for your rights though.

19 Jun 03 - 08:29 PM (#969412)
Subject: RE: Posting Lyrics
From: Joe Offer

Sure, wingfoot - Just click on the Create a New thread link and select "Lyric ADD," and post away. If you are submitting several songs, you may want to put them all in the same thread, one song per message, with the message title changed to ADD: and the name of the song.

You're welcome to post all lyrics at the Mudcat Cafe, but folk and blues are the preferred genres. The Digital Tradition reviews lyrics posted here and selects some for addition to the database. Preference is given to traditional songs that are not already in our database, and especially songs that have tunes submitted. You can e-mail tunes to me and I'll make sure they get to the right place.

Newly-written songs don't usually make it into the Digital Tradition, but all lyrics submitted to Mudcat are available to anybody who wants to use our search engines. Those newly-written songs may also be accepted for the Mudcat Songbook.

--Joe Offer (click to e-mail)-

14 Oct 04 - 09:31 PM (#1297401)
Subject: RE: Posting Lyrics
From: GUEST,Little Mary Fagan and Leo Frank

would like the words to this Song Little Mary Fagan and Leo Frank

14 Oct 04 - 09:37 PM (#1297404)
Subject: RE: Posting Lyrics
From: Peace

Teal? Teal is a duck.

14 Oct 04 - 09:53 PM (#1297412)
Subject: RE: Posting Lyrics
From: The Fooles Troupe

When posting Lyrics, be sure to fold the piece of paper small enough to fit into the slot on your PC.

14 Oct 04 - 10:12 PM (#1297423)
Subject: RE: Posting Lyrics
From: GUEST

Now that two of our most prolific resident timewasters have thrown in their great thoughts, would someone like to add something helpful?

15 Oct 04 - 02:40 AM (#1297572)
Subject: RE: Posting Lyrics
From: Dead Horse

Yes GUEST, I will.
It would help if you were to realise that time wasting is a noble art, and the above are masters at it.
I usually only access this site in order to waste time, as anything else is a complete...er, waste of, er, em, time..........

28 Aug 23 - 05:04 PM (#4180173)
Subject: RE: Posting Lyrics PermaThread
From: Joe Offer

Hi, folks -
If you post lyrics, please post entire songs if you can, and include the songwriter name and the TITLE OF THE SONG IN ALLCAPS.

Thanks.

-Joe-

28 Aug 23 - 05:04 PM (#4187105)
Subject: RE: Posting Lyrics PermaThread
From: Joe Offer

Hi, folks -
If you post lyrics, please post entire songs if you can, and include the songwriter name and the TITLE OF THE SONG IN ALLCAPS.

Thanks.

-Joe-