How to Quote Song Lyrics in an Essay: Easy Ways to Quote Lyrics
To cite the lyrics in Modern Language Association format, write the artists’ name in parentheses, such as (Led Zeppelin), followed by the ending punctuation. To cite in American Psychological Association format, include the artist, copyright date and track number in parentheses, such as (Led Zeppelin, 1971, track 1). Note the comma between the artist and year and between the year and track number.
Include the details of the recording in your works cited or references page. In MLA format, include the artist’s name, song title, album name, name of the recording manufacturer, publication date and the sound recording medium, for example:The Beatles. “Coda” Coda: The U. S. Album (italicized). Capitol, 1982. CD.
Citing this recording in APA style is slightly different, so follow the example:Led Zeppelin. (2014). Coda. On Coda: The U. S. Album (italicize the album name) [CD]. Los Angeles: Capitol (Recorded 1982).
How to Quote a Song in an Essay
If you cite transcribed lyrics from a website, provide a description in the Title of Source element. The description can include the title of the song, which should be styled in quotation marks. Then provide the name of the website, publication information for the site, and the URL of the web page:
To cite written song lyrics, you should make note of the following pieces of information:
1. Singer’s name
2. Songwriter’s name
3. Title of the song (and subtitle, if there is one)
4. Title of the album (and subtitle, if there is one)
5. Album’s Edition (if there is one)
6. Track number
7. Publisher
8. Year of publication
9. Website or Database where the lyrics were found
10. URL
11. The names of any other contributors
When incorporating lyrics into an essay, put the lyrics inside quotation marks. Short quotations can be integrated into a sentence, such as, “In the song ‘Stairway to Heaven,’ the Led Zeppelin sing…” followed by the lyrics in quotation marks. Long quotations, or those that are four lines or longer, need to be set off in a block quote, where you indent the entire quote from the paragraph above it.
I personally like the block quote for lyrics, a la 1984. However, when available, I would ask the author why they made that decision (an option I usually had in editing class, and sometime proofreading class, though you may not). Sometimes writing is more than just the words, but a visual. A block quote places a large amount of importance to the words. This can be good if you want the message to be picked up by the reader immediately, but the author may be trying to plant a seed that's not meant to grow in the reader's mind yet, and may need the lyrics to be visually underwhelming. Of course, the copy in front of you should offer clues to that intent, especially if you have the entire piece.
Whats the correct way to quote song lyrics
I know this is more for an essay-type of format rather than dialogue or narration, but I agree that having slashes in dialogue doesn't seem right. I regularly use for little problems like this.
How to Cite a Song in APA, MLA or Chicago | EasyBib
You may use a restricted part of the song if it is a research paper, but there is still a need to know the rules of quoting on the reference page or in the in-text citations.
how to quote song lyrics in an essay
As for the long quote song lyrics and those that have four lines or are a bit longer, they should be put in the block quotation where you use the indentation of the whole quote from the above paragraph.
How to Quote Song Lyrics in an Essay Correctly
In order to make citations of the song lyrics in Modern Language Association format, simply write the name of the artist in parentheses and finish the citation with the needed punctuation.
How to Quote Song Lyrics in APA
If you cite song lyrics from a CD you listened to, follow the : list the name of the performer or band as the author, the name of the song as the title of the source, the name of the album as the title of the container, the publisher, and the date. In the final supplemental element you have the option to list the format, if you think that information would be relevant for readers:
How to Cite Poetry, Song Lyrics, & Plays in MLA Style
Nevertheless, it’s still important to check out various techniques in order to make sure that you know exactly how to do everything correctly with citing music lyrics.
How to cite a single song or track reference
Lyrics are one of the most effective tools in an essay to express certain feelings, thoughts, and ideas. You may decide to cite lyrics if you see that the author of a song has created a great line that expresses your point perfectly.