May 22, 2011
Bowtown Blogs: Can you change the lyrics to a hit song?
by Kuba Suttles
Recently, I was helping one of my students prepare a song for an upcoming recital. She really liked a song but it had a line of lyric that she was not comfortable singing. Rather than not singing the song at all just because of a few words, I suggested changing those words to something that suited her.
This may seem like a non issue for some but for many, it can raise a question of legality or ethics. When performing someone else's song, are you allowed to make any changes? For the legal question, the answer is that for casual, private performances, it is OK to do anything at all when covering a song. A public performance may require permission from the author.
There has been much debate among songwriters and it seems that there is a split down the middle with those that feel a song is a finished work which should be respected to the letter, and others who feel that a song, once released to the world, will survive intact or evolve on it's own. It is easy to relate to those in the first group. You work hard to write exactly the right words. Why should anybody be allowed the change them?
My personal feeling is with the latter group. A song is something that you create and set free into the world. As long as plagiarism is not at issue and the author is given the credit and the royalties, all is well. Besides, how can you monitor every performance in every bar or coffee house around the world where musicians are having fun with your song. Some people will love your song just the way it is and do it justice. Some might hate it and make a parody of it. As for slight changes like gender allowance, why not?
