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Proper Formatting of Song Titles in Written Documents

Learn when to use italics and quotation marks to write clearly

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What to Know

Refer to the style guide specified by your employer, client, or teacher.
In the absence of a style guide, the general rule is to use quotation marks for song titles and italicize CD or album titles.
Don't use underlining in place of italics unless you are using a typewriter or writing titles by hand.

This article explains the proper formatting of song titles in written documents and includes examples.

How to Format Song Titles in Written Documents

For matters of style when punctuating and formatting titles of any kind, turn first to the style guide prescribed by your employer, client, or teacher. In the absence of a style guide, use the following guidelines:

Put quotation marks around song titles : For best appearance in professionally typeset material, use proper typographical quote marks and apostrophes ( curly quotes ).
Set CD/album titles in italics : In typeset material, watch out for fake italics . That's not a grammar rule but it is a good design and printing rule.
Do not use underlining (in place of italics) unless you're using a typewriter or writing titles by hand.

In desktop publishing and word processing software, create character styles to quickly format song titles and other types of titles used throughout a document.

Example References to Song Titles and Albums

Here are two examples of text that includes song titles and album titles:

Trace Adkins' first #1 single “(This Ain’t) No Thinkin’ Thing” is from his 1997 CD Dreamin’ Out Loud .
The title cut from Toby Keith’s How Do You Like Me Now? was the most-played country song of 2000. Other favorites from the same album include “You Shouldn’t Kiss Me Like That” and “Country Comes to Town.”

When the song/album is the same : In the second example, although “ How Do You Like Me Now? ” is the song title, it is also the album title and in that context is treated as the album title, using italics. It would be just as correct to write: My favorite song on the How Do You Like Me Now? album is “How Do You Like Me Now?”

Punctuation in titles : When a song title ends in a question mark, exclamation point, or other punctuation, that punctuation goes inside the quotation marks because it's part of the song title. The beginning portion of the Adkins song title in parentheses is contained in the quotation marks the same as the other part of the song title.

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AP Style Composition Titles

Home » AP Style » AP Style Composition Titles

The following guidelines are rules set out in the AP Stylebook for AP style book titles, computer game titles, AP Style movie titles, opera titles, play titles, poem titles, album titles, AP Style song titles, radio and television titles, and the titles of lectures, speeches, and work of art.

In AP Style, magazines names and titles are governed by their own rules. See AP Style Magazine Names .

How to Capitalize Composition Titles

Capitalize the principal words, including prepositions and conjunctions of four or more letters.

Capitalize an article (a, an, the) or words of fewer than four letters if it is the first or last word in the title.

Put quotation marks around the names of all of the aforementioned types of works except the Bible and books that are primarily catalogs or reference materials. Items of reference include almanacs, directories, dictionaries, encyclopedias, gazetteers, handbooks, and other such similar publications. You should not include quotations around such software titles such as Adobe Photoshop or Windows.

You should translate a foreign title into an English one unless the specific word is commonly known by its foreign name. There is one exception to this and that is for reviews of musical performances. In such instances, you should generally refer to the work in the language that it was sung in, so as to differentiate it for your reader. However, musical compositions in Slavic languages are always referred to in their English translations.

For other classical music titles, use quotation marks around the composition’s nicknames but not compositions that are identified by their sequence. For example,

Beethoven’s “New World Symphony,” but Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9.

Below are a number of examples for composition titles in AP Style,

AP Style Book Titles

“To Kill a Mockingbird”
“The Magician’s Nephew”
“Of Mice and Men”

AP Style Movie Titles

“Saving Private Ryan”
“Trouble With the Curve”
“The Dark Knight Rises”

AP Style Song Titles

“Stairway to Heaven”
“Good Vibrations

AP Style Videogame Titles

“Call of Duty”
“God of War”
“Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell”

AP Style Opera Titles

“A Night in the Chinese Opera”
“Nixon in China”
“The Lighthouse”

AP Style Play Titles

“The Sound of Music”
“The Book of Mormon”
“Fiddler on the Roof”

AP Style Poem Titles

“The Road Not Taken”
“A Pretty a Day”
“Seeker of Truth”

AP Style Album Titles

“Appetite for Destruction”
“And Justice for All”
“Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”

AP Style Television Titles

“How I Met Your Mother”
“The Tonight Show”
“Good Morning America”

AP Style Website Titles

Most websites and apps are capitalized without quotations. For example,

“Farmville” and similar computer games apps are an exception and should be in quotes.

For classical compositions, use quotation marks around the composition’s nicknames but not compositions identified by its sequence. For example,

Dvorak’s “New World Symphony.”
Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9.

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Do You Use Quotation Marks or Italics for Song and Album Titles?

by Liz Bureman | 40 comments

Are you making any playlists for the new year? I love music, and when I write about a song or album, I know when to use quotation marks and when to use italics. Do you? Are song titles italicized? Let's discuss.

I love music. I've been teaching myself to play guitar, and I can stumble my way through four or five songs without wanting to poke holes in my eardrums, but my main appreciation for music is when other people play it. I'm an avid Spotify user, and I take a lot of pride in my ability to make kickass playlists. One of my girlfriends has even given me the green light to create her hypothetical wedding reception playlist.

Not everyone writes out the titles of their favorite songs or music albums regularly, so it's no surprise I sometimes hear people ask, “Are song titles italicized?”

The answer is no.

Here's how it works:

Song Titles in Quotation Marks

Song titles are always surrounded by quotation marks, like *NSYNC's “Bye Bye Bye,” or “A Whole New World” from Disney's Aladdin .

Anytime you write out the title of a song, you'll put that song title in quotation marks according to standard grammar rules. Think of a song as a shorter work like a short story. Short story titles are always in quotation marks.

Album Titles in Italics

Musical album titles, on the other hand, are always italicized. For example, while I will openly admit to loving Journey's power ballad song “Faithfully,” I think pretty much every song on their Greatest Hits album should be sung at karaoke nights across the country.

When you write out an album title, you'll put it in italics.

It may help to remember that the music album is a longer work, like a novel. Titles of books are also written in italics in most major style guides.

Are Song Titles Italicized in Classical Music?

Classical music isn't typically arranged into an album, per se, but the general rule still applies. The shorter songs and movements would be in quotation marks. If it is a full length longer composition, like a full sonata, concerto, or opera then use italics for titles indicating the full work.

For example: The aria “Der Hölle Rache” is probably the most famous piece in Mozart's opera The Magic Flute .

Liz Bureman

Liz Bureman has a more-than-healthy interest in proper grammatical structure, accurate spelling, and the underappreciated semicolon. When she's not diagramming sentences and reading blogs about how terribly written the Twilight series is, she edits for the Write Practice, causes trouble in Denver, and plays guitar very slowly and poorly. You can follow her on Twitter (@epbure), where she tweets more about music of the mid-90s than writing.

40 Comments

It was blowing up a storm when we started to practice, but that don’t stop Effie. He thinks you gotta play no matter what. If the tornado sirens go off down in town and one of our old ladies calls to tell us so, he’ll say, “Ya’ll can go get in your fraidey holes if you want to. Me, I’m playing my fiddle.”

Well, you can’t go to the storm cellar with your tail between your legs, so we stay, me and Vander and Larry, even though Larry, who plays the washtub, lost his house in the tornado of ’96 and he shakes when the sky rumbles. And then Effie’ll start in on some song like “When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder,” just to put his spin on how things might turn out if a twister does find us.

So we’re playing, me on the bass, and we’re looking out the window, where you can see the sky turning the color of a two-day bruise, and Larry’s sweating and Vander’s got his eyes shut like he does when he plays mandolin, and Effie, truth be told, is a flat-out bully. So he’s getting the show list together and acting like everything’s business as usual.

“I think we should start with “Sitting On The Front Porch,” he says. Crowd pleaser, every time. And then, “Baby’s Little Shoes.” And then “Walking With Clementine” for the old folks. We’ll finish with “God Bless the U.S.A,” since the veteran’s home is bringing a bus.

Lightning is hitting closer, the sky like the Fourth of July. Larry’s done sat down, turned all pale as fresh milk. Larry’s a big man. He can’t button his overalls up all the way on the side, so when he doubles over and then falls out of the fold-up chair, none of us knows what to do.

“I ain’t doing mouth-to-mouth,” Effie says, while the rest of us are trying to right him.

Larry comes to soon enough, just as the hail starts.

“My new truck,” he says, and shakes his head. You know when people say you’re green at the gills? Well, Larry is.

All our trucks are parked outside, and all of ‘em are getting blasted. I see my old Dodge, the one I’ve had since May left me, the hail, big as cotton bols hitting it, and it makes me sick.

And then I remember Effie’s truck. His is in the carport. Well, sure it is, I think.

Vander, who preaches every other Sunday over in the Cavanaugh bottoms, says, “Shit fire,” and hits the wall. We are in the town hall of Rudy, a little Craftsman house donated by Mayor Giles Walker’s family when he passed, and the photos of the veterans shake when he does it.

The rain flashes down. Pounding everything, soaking through my back windshield that was shattered by the hail.

“Mercy sakes,” is all I can say.

Larry stands up, grabbing my arm to do it. He’s about as wide as he is tall, and he’s near about pulls me down.

“I’m off like a prom dress,” he says, “so don’t try to stop me.” And then he turns to Effie.

“You’re about as helpful as a boar with teats,” he says, you know that? You act like you’re the bread and butter of The Frog Bayou Boys.” He points to me. “But Columbus here, he might not play as good as you like, but he’s the one got the news folks out here to do that story calling us the best band in the River Valley. And he books every show, and when you get drunk, let’s just be honest here, when you get drunk, you can’t play worth shit.”

Effie came after Larry. Effie’s a little action figure of a man, but he fights mean, and it took Vander and me to stop him.

We were holding Effie by his scrawny arms, and he was kicking, his cowboy boots flying off the wood floor, so that we were mostly holding him up.

“You are a liar and a snake,” Larry Brammel. “A liar and a snake. You’re going to go straight to hell with gasoline drawers on, and when you do, I’ll play my fiddle on your grave.”

Vander stepped in. “Ya’ll cut it out. Nobody’s dying,” he said. “Effie,” he said, and pointed, “you and Larry need to quit showing your butts. That show on Saturday pays $100, plus they feed us. We ain’t had a show like that since we played that Red, White and Bluegrass gig for the rich ladies who wanted to dress up in thousand dollar boots and wear tight jeans and drink beer in front of their husbands.”

And then Vander bowed up, like I never seen him do before. “And Effie, we ain’t playing “Walking With Clementine.” The old folks can do without it for one dang night. I wrote my own song and I want to sing it. It’s called “She Broke My Heart And Stole My Wallet.” That’ll get ‘em going,” Vander said.

I’d known Vander thirty-two years, and that was the first I’d heard of his songwriting. His new girlfriend, the one who brought over the Mexican casserole when Vander’s wife died, was likely the inspiration for this new tune.

Word was, she was over in Branson now, hooked up with a cowboy singer who wore a Bolo tie and colored his hair.

Effie face was red. He looked hotter than blue blazes, like he might catch fire at any minute. And then he backed down, his shoulders falling. He looked at all of us, me and Larry and Vander, and then he said, “Fine, that’s fine with me. I been carrying you ya-hoos for way too long.”

Larry cuffed him on the arm, and then they shook hands, and the rain fell, and the thunder roared, but nobody moved for a minute.

Effie had a bottle in his fiddle case, and he went to get it. “Ain’t nobody driving till the rain stops,” he said. “And that includes you, Larry.”

And then we sat down, and passed the bottle until Vander started singing. “I loved a girl from Minnesota. Loved her with a passion true. And then stole my dad burn wallet, took it out and followed you. You must be a handsome cowboy. You must look like Johnny Cash. But when I find my little Cindy, I will tell her that she’s trash.”

We were laughing then. And Effie brought out his fiddle, and I picked up my bass, and Vander his mandolin. Larry drug out the washtub, and we got back at it, the Frog Bayou Boys, just as good as new.

Wow, Marla, if you’re not from those parts then you’ve got one wild imagination, girl! Well done, and then some. The phrasing, the way you used the anarchic terminology, and even the names were spot on, perfect. Beautiful!

Thank you, Yvette. I can’t take credit. I live with these people and these voices. It’s like music to me. We get teased A LOT but I wouldn’t trade the dialect or the cadence for anything.

I love this!!! The gig, the music, the attitudes. And the dialogue is genuine county-folk! Good work, Marla!

You’re so nice. I love the music we have in the South, the twangy, ball-your-eyes-out stuff that connects us all and makes us feel less alone. And I know men like these, I’ve heard them play, so writing this was easy.

Great writing Marla. I agree with the others you really have that dialect (which I’m also familiar with) down pat.

Thank you, Mariaanne. Where are you from?

I live in Lynchburg Va now but was originally from Norfolk. The accent you are writing sounds like an Appalachian accent to me. Where are you from?

Mariaanne, I live in Lynchburg, too! We have two crit groups here and would love for you to join us. Email me at charmainetdavis at yahoo dot com.

Charmaine – I can’t believe it. Will you please email me? [email protected]. I’d love to join you. When and where do you meet?

I had a playlist for my wedding that included “One Day My Prince Will Come” and “If You Wish Upon a Star.” Since I’m still single, it’s “The Impossible Dream.”

It depends if you’re writing for American or British publications. In the US, song titles are always “Jumping Jack Flash” but in the UK they’re often ‘Midnight Rambler’. It’s caused me no end of headaches writing for both.

They punctuate dialogue differently in the UK too don’t they? I think the way they do it makes more sense actually but I don’t like to think about it too much or I get confused. I imagine it’s hard to write both ways.

Agreed. The UK punctuates more logically. I had points knocked off of college papers for employing that punctuation, & tried to defend it with no success. Ha! Punctuation Wars – my kind of rebellion!

I’m in the US. In high school, I got marked off for spelling aluminum as “aluminium.” The teacher actually asked if I was British.

Ten years later, I’d still argue I was technically correct.

sorry so long to reply. Yet, after recent happenings, I can only hope that we can just get back to debating language. God Bless us All. Thanks for replying Eric Foster!!

Does also apply to other works that have a part/whole relationship? I’m thinking specifically of “short stories” and The Collection They Come in or “poems” and Chap Books.

I can’t make any italics work in this application, so I’ll indicate italics with [i] at the beginning and at the end of each title I intend to be italicized.

My practice:

The state-of-the-art bus pitched only slightly with the dips and rolls of Interstate 35 — not like those death-traps they used to ride in the ’40s and ’50s — on the way up to Fort Worth and Billy Bob’s. He walked down the aisle toward his stateroom with the practiced sea-legs of an old salt, noticing that his harp-player, Mickey, had gone to sleep and was droolin’ in his lap.

“HEY MICK YOUR FLY’S OPEN!” he barked in that sargeant’s voice he could assume on a moment’s notice. Mickey jumped awake and then amiably shot him the bird. He laughed in his baritone voice and walked on into his quarters.

Billy Bob’s. Let’s see — that crowd likes the ’70s stuff off the concept albums, sprinkled ’round the edges with the early Nashville songs. Let’s do, let’s do — he got his legal pad and licked the point of his stubby pencil — Let’s do “Bloody Mary Mornin'” and “Walkin'” from [i]Phases and Stages[i]. Follow that with “Hello Walls” from [i]And then I Wrote[i]. He sat before the big window and watched the country roll by, remembering. Remembering.

The world was a different place when I got started. I’m an extrememly lucky man, he thought. All the close shaves — I could easily have gone the way of Hank. All the little one-horse planes I’ve flown in, I also could have had the same end as Jim Reeves, or Patsy, God love ‘er.

Gotta do “Crazy” tonight in honor of Patsy. That’s another’un offa [i]And Then I Wrote[i]. Sold that’un for fifty dollars when my kids needed shoes, and I’d do it again too.

He picked up the old spanish guitar with the hole in it where his right hand had worn through the wood over the decades, and began to strum it. Key of E. Began to sing just a little bit, soft and low: “In___ the twighlight glow I see__ her . . .” And then stopped. All those years. All those songs. All those changes. Phases and stages.

Yes, I’m lucky, it’s still hard to believe just how lucky.

Gotta find a spot for “Blue Eyes” tonight too. [i]Red-Headed Stranger[i].

Sometimes, he realized, I look in the mirror and that’s who I see.

Wow! I love this. The part about the hole in the guitar is gold. And I love your main character. I’d go hear him, in a heartbeat.

Thank you all for your kind comments. The piece is about Willie Nelson, I just didn’t name him. All of the album and song titles are real, as is the hole in his guitar; just look closely the next time you see him playing on tv and you’ll see it. I had a lot of fun writing this!

I’ve always been amused by Willie’s “holy” guitar. He’s such a kook.

I forgot DISQUS doesn’t allow italics. Sorry about that John. Way to make it work 🙂

That was really well done John. It’s kind of sad to hear him thinking about old times but he seems to be a pretty happy guy overall. I like the hole in the guitar too as well as the guy drooling in his sleep. Gross but probably about right.

Good article. Quick and to the point. Thanks!

Not kickass playlists if they have Journey in them lol…

It will really depend on how are you going to use those kind of quotations in your writing but I what I have observed, this kind of thing was being used by most writing especially if when they emphasized a title on their writing.

I was going to ask about the title of a composition and the movements but after reading the program magazine I realized that italics are used for both.

I think I have been doing that correctly. I was worried.

Her hand twisted the edge of her shirt as the smell of sawdust filled the air. The crowd’s noises dimmed, her heart beat louder in her ears and her palms dampened as she climbed the stage stairs. Though she had practiced long hours she was nervous anticipating singing “China Girl” from John Cougar Mellancamp’s, (italics American Fool italics), album.

You should try djing. It’s easy if you can already make a good playlist. If you’re already a good selector, all you have to do is pre-cue the next song in your headphones then drop it on the 1. Really easy stuff. You can buy the app, djay, for ios devices and log in with your spotify account for access to your playlists and stuff. We need more female djs.

My first concert experience was of one that I would not easily forget, it was Summer Jam hosted by Hot 97. The concert had a majority of middle class rappers playing their hot singles. I came there for a select few: 50 Cent, Fabolous and Young Thug. The other performing artists were mainly for the female demographic, like Fetty Wap and Ty Dolla $ign. What I really enjoyed about this concert is they did not only play songs from this current generation, they reached out to other generations as well. The biggest example of this is seeing 50 Cent preform. He played hits from his Get Rich or Die Tryin’ album all the way up to his recent The Kanan Mixtape. I was going ballistic when I heard him preform a new track “I’m the Man” and decided to take us back to 2003 with “In da Club” immediately after. The artists I came for did not disappoint.

And if you are writing dialogue, I do not recall seeing two double quotation marks at end of dialogue. Maybe I am wrong. For instance, “Baby, you know I love Ted’s “Stranglehold,”” he fired back. I have seen a single followed by a double quotation at end of dialogue after the comma or period. So maybe that’s why the King’s English prefers single over double?

This saved my essay. Thanks Liz!

Dear Liz, I was looking for some advice about quote/italics for song/movie/book titles and got totally side-tracked by your Journey reference. When I rule the world, I promise you will get your wish. Journey will be piped directly into people’s heads so they can all become happier and more well rounded. Tee Hee. Keep up the good work. 😉

The Excavators play Brady Wilkenson’s 8th Birthday Bash!

This past Saturday afternoon was Brady Wilkensen’s birthday party, and he could think of no better live entertainment than his father’s heavy metal band, The Excavators. When Brady suggested the idea, his dad felt honored, albeit unsure whether the mothers of his son’s 8-year-old classmates and friends would appreciate the lyrical content of his band’s hits, especially “Rotting Flesh” and “Glory Hole” off their latest album (i) In it for the Lingue Hall. (i)

Instead of becoming the third grade parents’ worst nightmare, Mr. Wilkensen figured he’d tone things down quite a bit to become more palatable to the kids and their discerning parents. He got the members of the Excavators together, sure, but instead of “Rock My Grave,” the afternoon’s selections included “Punk Rock Teacher” and “All My Friends Headbang” off their pseudo EP (i) Songs for the Peanut Gallery (i).

The party was to be held at Bringadown Hall, in a posh country club in the suburb where Brady and his family resided. Mr. Wilkenson figured that his band had better revamp their look for this gig as well. Instead of their usual studs and leather, the Excavators came to the party dressed in red t-shirts, jeans, and letter jackets that evoked high school in the ’70s.

The band decided to even craft some improv tunes on the subject of the party’s goings-on and present them to Brady and his guests at the end of the show. “Pizza on my Face, What a Disgrace!” did so well among Brady’s friends that the Excavators decided to include it on their upcoming album, (i) Smells like Burnt Crust (i).

Rather than the utter disgust that would have been sure to follow had the band performed its signature material, (i) Songs for the Peanut Gallery (i) was lauded by parents and children alike as a “too-cool-for-school crowd pleaser.”

Brady bragged from that day forward that he had the coolest dad in town, and his 8th birthday party became the epitome of birthday bash success in the eyes of the entirety of Willten Elementary School’s student body, whether they’d attended the party or heard about it from a friend-of-a-friend’s brother.

“Whew,” Mr. Wilkenson said to his wife when the party was over, “that was a good call!”

Thanks Liz, good info!

Here’s my sentence in question: “They just ran out the back door singing it to the tune of ‘Row, Row, Row Your Boat’.” It is dialog, and according to what I’m reading, I should use double quotes around the song and at the end of the sentence. Correct?

thanks for the help!

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How to cite a single song or track reference

Concert season is in full swing, and music artists seem to be dropping a new single every week. If you want to write about the audial gems you listen to in your day-to-day, you have come to the right place.

It doesn’t matter if you are grooving to a jazz-inspired track on William Shatner’s latest album Bill or still trying to recover from the myriad of emotions evoked by the 27 tracks on Ye’s (the artist formerly known as Kanye West) Donda , APA Style can help you cite the melodic works you love in your paper or manuscript. In this post, you will learn how to cite a single song or track reference.

In general, each APA Style reference has an author element, date element, title element, and source element . For a song or track reference, the author of the work is usually the recording artist, which may be an individual or group. If a music artist prefers to use their first name and surname, then follow the APA guideline to invert the author’s name as “Surname, First Initial” in your reference (e.g., “Smith, S.” for singer and songwriter “Sam Smith”).

If the music artist chooses to go by only one name (e.g., “Beyoncé”), a group name (e.g., “Franz Ferdinand”), an inseparable multipart name (e.g., “Lady Gaga”), an initialism (e.g., “MNEK”), or some other name variation, write their name as shown on the work. If the work you are citing features another artist, place the featured artist’s name (again, formatted as “Surname, First Initial” or exactly as their name is spelled on the work) in parentheses after the main artist’s name, preceded by the word “featuring,” as shown in the BTS and Megan Thee Stallion reference example later in this post.

Therefore, in your song or track reference, write the name of the recording artist in the author element (if it’s a classical work, write the name of the composer), and place the date the work was published in parentheses in the date element. Include the title of the work in sentence case and standard nonitalic type, and describe the type of audio work in square brackets—for example, “[Song]”—in the title element of the reference.

After the title of the work, its bracketed description, and the ending period, write the word “On” in standard nonitalic type, followed by the title of the associated album in italic sentence case. In the source element of the reference, provide the name(s) of the artist’s music label(s), separating multiple music labels with semicolons—as shown in the following example.

Song with an associated album, with multiple music labels

Coldplay & BTS. (2021). My universe [Song]. On Music of the spheres . Parlophone; Atlantic.

Parenthetical citation: (Coldplay & BTS, 2021)
Narrative citation: Coldplay and BTS (2021)

If the song or track has no associated album, omit that part of the reference, as shown in the next example. If the song or track is a remix of the original version, place the word “Remix” in parentheses after the title but before the bracketed description—also shown in the next example.

Song without an associated album

BTS (featuring Megan Thee Stallion). (2021). Butter (Remix) [Song]. BigHit Music.

Parenthetical citation: (BTS, 2021)
Narrative citation: BTS (2021)

What if you want to cite a song or track that has been rerecorded by another artist?

Because song references provide information about the recording artist, who is not always the same person or people who wrote the lyrics and/or the melody, you don’t need to research the history of a song in order to cite it; just cite the version you heard. Thus, there is no need to include the date the original work was published or the name of the original recording artist in your reference.

For example:

Song or track recorded by an artist other than the original artist

Smith, A. (2015). I put a spell on you [Song]. On Nina revisited: A tribute to Nina Simone. Legacy.

Parenthetical citation: (Smith, 2015)
Narrative citation: Smith (2015)

One exception to this guideline is classical music, where the work’s original author is usually well-documented. For classical music, credit the original source by providing the year the work was originally published at the end of the reference in parentheses, preceded by the words “Original work published.” Both the original publication date and the date of the rerecorded work appear in the in-text citations, with the earlier year first, separated with a slash. These guidelines are shown in the following reference and in-text citations.

Classical song or track

Beethoven, L. van. (2012). Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major [Song recorded by Staatskapelle Dresden]. On Beethoven: Complete symphonies. Brilliant Classics. (Original work published 1804)

Parenthetical citation: (Beethoven, 1804/2012)
Narrative citation: Beethoven (1804/2012)

Include a URL in your reference if that location is the only means of retrieval of the song or track (e.g., for artists who provide music in only one location, such as SoundCloud or on their website).

More information on references for audio works can be found in Section 10.13 in the Publication Manual and Section 10.11 in the Concise Guide to APA Style .

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Arts and Entertainment

How to Quote a Song in a Paper (with Formatting & Examples)

Last Updated: April 29, 2024 References

This article was co-authored by Marissa Levis and by wikiHow staff writer, Jennifer Mueller, JD . Marissa Levis is an English Teacher in the Morris County Vocational School District. She previously worked as an English director at a tutoring center that caters to students in elementary and middle school. She is an expert in creating a curriculum that helps students advance their skills in secondary-level English, focusing on MLA formatting, reading comprehension, writing skills, editing and proofreading, literary analysis, standardized test preparation, and journalism topics. Marissa received her Master of Arts in Teaching from Fairleigh Dickinson University. There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 320,130 times.

Depending on the type of paper you're writing, you may need to use a song as a reference – either a specific recording, or the composition of the song itself. The format of your citation will be somewhat different depending on whether you are using Modern Language Association (MLA) style, American Psychological Association (APA) style, or the format in the Chicago Manual of Style. You'll also need a brief, in-text citation to point the reader to the more complete citation at the end of your work. [1] X Research source

Step 1 Use the name of the performer to cite recordings.

The performer could be a single individual or a band. If you're using the name of a single person, use "last name, first name" format.
For example: Knowles-Carter, Beyoncé.

Step 2 Use the name of the composer for compositions.

If there are multiple writers, list them all in the order they appear in the copyright information for the song. If the song has lyrics, there may be both a composer and a lyricist.
For example: Knowles-Carter, Beyoncé and James Blake.

For example: Knowles-Carter, Beyoncé and James Blake. "Freedom."

Step 4 Include publication or recording information.

For example: Knowles-Carter, Beyoncé and James Blake. "Freedom." Lemonade , Parkwood Entertainment, 2016.

Step 5 List the format and method of access.

For example: Knowles-Carter, Beyoncé and James Blake. "Freedom." Lemonade , Parkwood Entertainment, 2016. Online, www.beyonce.com/album/lemonade-visual-album/, accessed January 9, 2017.

Step 6 Provide the name of the artist or composer for in-text citations.

Use the name you used in your full citation. Just use the first or primary name if there is more than one artist in the full citation. Include the title or a title phrase if you're citing more than one work by that artist.
For example: (Knowles-Carter, "Freedom")

Step 1 Start with the name of the songwriter or composer.

For example: Knowles-Carter, B., & Blake, J.
If there are multiple writers and their roles are identified, you can put these in parentheses after their names. For example: Knowles-Carter, B. (Lyricist), & Blake, J. (Composer).

For example: Knowles-Carter, B., & Blake, J. (2016).

You also may want to include the name of the performing artist if they are known by a stage name or are otherwise not immediately identifiable by their last name.
For example: Knowles-Carter, B., & Blake, J. (2016). Freedom [Recorded by Beyoncé].

Step 4 Provide the name of the album and medium.

For example: Knowles-Carter, B., & Blake, J. (2016). Freedom. On Lemonade [CD].

Step 5 List publication or recording information.

Include state or country information if the city is not well-known. Otherwise, simply include the name of the city.
For example: Knowles-Carter, B., & Blake, J. (2016). Freedom. On Lemonade [CD]. New York City: Parkwood Entertainment (2016).

Step 6 Use the songwriter, copyright year, and track number for in-text citations.

For example: (Knowles-Carter & Blake, 2016, track 10)

Using Chicago Style

For example: Knowles-Carter, Beyoncé, and James Blake.

For example: Knowles-Carter, Beyoncé, and James Blake. Freedom .
If the performer of the song is someone different from the songwriters, include this information immediately after the title of the song or album by listing their first name and last name.
If the performer is more important than the songwriter or composer, you may want to list their name first. Use your best judgment depending on the focus of your paper.

Step 3 Provide publication or recording information.

If you can't find the recording number on the physical copy of the recording itself, look on www.discogs.com. Make sure you have the listing for the same recording as the one you're referencing.
For example: Knowles-Carter, Beyoncé, and James Blake. Freedom . On Lemonade . Parkwood Entertainment, 88985336822, 2016. [11] X Research source

Step 4 List the format and access information.

For example: For example: Knowles-Carter, Beyoncé, and James Blake. Freedom . On Lemonade . Parkwood Entertainment, 88985336822, 2016, CD.

Step 5 Use author-date style for parenthetical citations.

For example: (Knowles-Carter 2016).
To provide a pinpoint citation to a specific song, include the track number. For example: (Knowles-Carter 2016, track 10).

Community Q&A

If you're using Chicago style, list audio recordings separately in a discography that is separate from your main bibliography. [14] X Research source Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
When you access music online, you may have difficulty finding the information you need for your citation. Try looking up the song on a website such as www.discogs.com, which will have publication information. [15] X Research source Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

Expert Interview

Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about citations, check out our in-depth interview with Marissa Levis .

↑ http://pitt.libguides.com/citationhelp
↑ https://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/2011/12/how-to-cite-recorded-music-in-apa-style.html
↑ http://www.ubishops.ca/wp-content/uploads/APAguide6thofficial.pdf
↑ http://libguides.depauw.edu/c.php?g=73436&p=472435
↑ https://www.discogs.com/Beyoncé-Lemonade/release/8486714
↑ http://www.press.uchicago.edu/books/turabian/turabian_citationguide.html
↑ http://www.easybib.com/guides/citation-guides/chicago-turabian/how-to-cite-a-musical-recording-chicago-turabian/

About This Article

To cite a song using APA, start by putting the last name of the songwriter or composer, followed by their initials. Then, add the copyright year in parenthesis, and the title of the song. Next, start a new sentence with the word “on,” followed by the italicized name of the album and the medium you heard it on. End the citation with the location, the name of the recording company, and the recording year. For more information on citing songs, including in-text citations for MLA and Chicago style, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How do I format a quotation of song lyrics?

Format a quotation of song lyrics the same way you would format a quotation of poetry. If the quotation consists of fewer than four lines, run it into the text, placing quotation marks around the lines and separating the lines from each other with a forward slash with a space on either side of it.

Bob Dylan famously sang that “[t]he answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind / The answer is blowin’ in the wind.” Work Cited Dylan, Bob. “Blowin’ in the Wind.” Bob Dylan , 2018, www.bobdylan.com/songs/blowin-wind/.

If the quotation consists of four or more lines, set the quoted lines apart from the text as an extract.

In “Blowin’ in the Wind,” Bob Dylan asks: How many roads must a man walk down Before you call him a man? Yes, ’n’ how many seas must a white dove sail Before she sleeps in the sand?

Dylan, Bob. “Blowin’ in the Wind.” Bob Dylan , 2018, www.bobdylan.com/songs/blowin-wind/.

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Writing Tips

How to Cite a Song or Album in MLA Referencing

3-minute read

7th April 2021

If you write about music in your work, you might have to cite a recording. But how do you cite a song or album in MLA referencing ? This post will explain the basics.

To cite a song or album in MLA referencing , simply give the artist’s last name or the band’s name in brackets in the relevant part of the text:

Her latest album has a strong environmental theme (Sturgeon).

“Wildlife in America” (Shearwater) comments on US culture.

And to cite a specific part of a song, you can add a timestamp :

The middle eight in “Air and Light” (Sturgeon 2:14–2:29) is truly haunting.

In the above citation, for example, we are citing a section that runs from 2 minutes 14 seconds to 2 minutes 29 seconds into the song.

Musical Recordings in an MLA Works Cited List

All references contain certain core elements in MLA style. And for a musical recording, each entry should include some or all of the following:

Artist or band name – For individual artists, give their surname first, followed by their first name (e.g., Young, Neil). For artists who don’t follow this naming convention (e.g., U2 or Lady Gaga), just use the full name they are known by.
Song title – If you are citing a specific song, give the title in quotation marks.
Album title – Give the name of the album you are citing (or that the song you are citing comes from) in italics.
Version – If relevant, include information on the version of the song next (e.g., if there are different versions of a song on different albums).
Publication details – The name of the publisher (i.e., the record label that released the album or song) and the year the recording was released.
URL – If you accessed the recording online, include the URL. For songs accessed via a streaming platform, give the platform name in italics.
Format – If it is relevant to your work, you can optionally add the format of the recording at the end of your reference (e.g., CD, vinyl, MP3).

You won’t always need all of this! For many references, the artist’s name, song and/or album title, the publisher, and the year of publication will be enough. But whatever you cite, make sure to include enough information in the Works Cited list to guide readers to the exact version of the recording you have used.

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Example References

Below, you can see example references for an album, a song on an album, an album accessed via a streaming platform, and a single song accessed online:

Talk Talk. The Colour of Spring , EMI, 1986.

Song on an Album

Shearwater. “Animals in America.” Jet Plane and Oxbow , Subpop, 2016.

Album on a Streaming Service

Sturgeon, Jenny. The Living Mountain , Hudson Records, 2020. Spotify , https://open.spotify.com/album/7Kt6kaJ8dGIo6cngVA7dcB

Single Song Online

Benin City. “Freaking You Out.” Bandcamp , https://benincity.bandcamp.com/track/freaking-you-out

Make sure to add a hanging indent for each line after the first in all references.

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Crafting Song Titles and Artist Names: A Guide for Writers

A pen and paper with correctly formatted song titles and artist names, symbolizing the topic of writing song titles and artist names in this blog post.

When writing about music, accurately presenting song titles and artist names is essential for clarity and professionalism.

Table of Contents

Formatting Song Titles

Capitalization rules.

Song titles should follow specific capitalization rules, typically capitalizing the principal words. Learn how to format song titles correctly to maintain consistency and readability.

Quotation Marks or Italics?

Discover when to use quotation marks and when to italicize song titles in your writing, depending on the citation style or context.

Artist Names

Handling individual artists.

Learn how to write the names of solo artists correctly, including their stage names and real names, and when to include additional information.

Collaborative Artists

Understand how to credit multiple artists in songwriting collaborations and feature songs accurately.

Song Titles in Text

Incorporating song titles.

Explore methods for seamlessly incorporating song titles into your writing, ensuring they fit within the flow of your content.

Citing Song Titles

Citation styles.

Get an overview of common citation styles like APA, MLA, and Chicago and how they differ in citing song titles in academic or professional writing.

Real-World Examples

Analyzing song references.

Analyze real-world examples of how song titles and artist names are written in various contexts, from articles to essays.

Summarize the key takeaways from this guide, emphasizing the importance of accurate song title and artist name presentation.

Frequently Asked Questions: Writing Song Titles and Artist Names

The choice between italics and quotation marks depends on the citation style you're using or the context of your writing. In general, italics are often used for longer works (albums, movies), while quotation marks are suitable for shorter works (songs, articles). Always check the specific guidelines of the style you're following.

Song titles within a sentence should typically be enclosed in quotation marks and follow capitalization rules (e.g., "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen is a classic rock anthem). Ensure the title seamlessly integrates into the sentence's structure.

When including song titles in titles or headings, use appropriate capitalization and formatting based on your style guide. It's common to use title case (capitalizing principal words) for titles and headings.

Individual artists' names, including stage names and real names, should be written following standard capitalization rules. If an artist has a stage name, it can be presented as "Stage Name (Real Name)" on the first mention.

When crediting multiple artists or songwriters, ensure that each contributor is acknowledged. List their names as per the standard format, separating them with commas and using "and" before the final contributor's name (e.g., "Song Title" by Artist A, Artist B, and Artist C).

Citing song titles in academic or professional writing depends on the citation style you're using (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago). Each style has specific guidelines for formatting citations. Refer to the relevant style guide for detailed instructions on citing songs.

While it's generally best to use the full song title on the first mention, subsequent mentions can use abbreviations or shortened versions as long as it doesn't compromise clarity. Ensure that readers can easily identify the song being referred to.

Some song titles may intentionally use unconventional capitalization or formatting for artistic or branding reasons. In such cases, follow the artist's intended presentation while maintaining consistency within your writing.

Including song lyrics in your writing may require permission from the copyright holder. If you have permission, format song lyrics as block quotes with appropriate citation, following the guidelines of your chosen citation style.

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Home / Blog / Mastering the Art of How to Quote a Song in an Essay

Mastering the Art of How to Quote a Song in an Essay

Jennifer Livingstone

Introduction

In the realm of academic writing, the ability to effectively how to quote a song in an essay plays a pivotal role in enriching your text, offering depth and a unique perspective to your argument. Whether it’s how to quote a song lyric in an essay to underscore a point, evoke an emotional response, or how to quote a song title in an essay to reference cultural context, the integration of musical elements can significantly enhance the reader’s engagement with your work. This guide aims to demystify the process, providing a clear set of guidelines for accurately citing songs within your essays. From the nuances of incorporating lyrics to the technicalities of referencing song titles, understanding these principles ensures that your academic writing not only adheres to the highest standards of scholarly integrity but also captures the essence of the musical pieces that influence and inspire your thoughts.

Understanding the Purpose of Quoting a Song

Quoting a song in an academic essay serves several key purposes, each enhancing the depth and breadth of your analysis. Learning how to quote a song in an essay allows you to bolster your arguments or themes with the emotional power or cultural resonance of music. When you master how to quote a song lyric in an essay, you tap into a rich vein of emotional and intellectual material, providing vivid evidence or illustrative examples that support your claims in a uniquely compelling way. Furthermore, understanding how to quote a song title in an essay goes beyond mere citation; it invites readers to consider the cultural or historical significance of the song, connecting your work to broader dialogues within society. This approach not only enriches your essay but also positions your arguments within a larger cultural and historical context, demonstrating the multifaceted impact of music on human experience.

Preparing to Quote a Song

Before incorporating a musical piece into your essay, it’s imperative to navigate the intricacies of how to quote a song in an essay with precision. The initial step involves meticulously identifying the relevant portion of the song that aligns with your discussion or argument. This selection process is critical as it ensures that the excerpt directly contributes to reinforcing your thesis or enriching your analysis.

Contextualizing the song for your audience is another vital aspect. When deliberating on how to quote a song lyric in an essay, providing background about the song or artist can offer valuable insight into its intended message or cultural impact, making your argument more persuasive. This context helps bridge any gaps between the reader’s knowledge and the significance of the lyrics within your essay’s framework.

Furthermore, the adherence to formatting guidelines, such as how to quote a song in an essay MLA, underscores the importance of academic integrity while lending credibility to your work. Whether you’re quoting a song lyric or citing its title, following the Modern Language Association (MLA) guidelines ensures that your citations are properly structured and recognized.

Ultimately, ensuring that each quote supports your essay’s thesis or main idea is paramount. This careful integration of how to quote song lyrics in an essay not only enhances your argumentation but also enriches the reader’s understanding, making your essay a more compelling and informative read.

Guidelines for Quoting a Song

When incorporating music into your writing, understanding how to quote a song in an essay MLA format is crucial for maintaining academic integrity. Begin by italicizing song titles and capitalizing the initial letters of each word. Artist names should be presented in their standard form. For in-text citations, include the artist’s last name and the song title in parentheses. For instance: (Bowie, “Space Oddity”).

In the Works Cited page, the entry should list the artist’s name, the title of the song in italics, the album name as the container, followed by publication details and the format. An example would look like: Bowie, David. “Space Oddity.” David Bowie, 1969, CD.

Adhering to these guidelines ensures that how to quote a song in an essay aligns with MLA standards, providing a clear and concise method for referencing songs in your scholarly work.

In APA format, quoting a song involves specific guidelines that ensure clarity and consistency across academic writing. When addressing how to quote a song in an essay or how to quote a song lyric in an essay using APA style, start by presenting song titles in sentence case, using quotation marks. Artist names should be written in full, without alterations.

For in-text citations, include the artist’s last name and the year of the song’s release in parentheses, for example: (Dylan, 1963). If quoting lyrics, also include a timestamp to indicate the exact part of the song, like (Dylan, 1963, 1:15).

In the References list, the entry should format as follows: Artist’s Last Name, First Initial. (Year). Song title [Song]. On Album Title. Publisher. For example: Dylan, B. (1963). Blowin’ in the Wind [Song]. On The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan. Columbia.

Adhering to these APA guidelines ensures your citations are properly formatted, offering a clear reference for readers to follow when you quote a song or its lyrics in an essay.

Chicago Style

When employing Chicago style in your essay, the approach to how to quote a song in an essay or how to quote a song lyric in an essay integrates a nuanced citation method. Song titles should be quoted, with artist names presented in their full form without alterations.

For footnote or endnote citations, you format them by including the artist’s name, song title in quotation marks, album name in italics, year of release, and format type. An example would look like: 1. Artist Name, “Song Title,” Album Name, Year, Format.

In the bibliography, the entry should be arranged as follows: Artist’s Last Name, First Name. “Song Title.” Album Name. Year. Format. For instance: Dylan, Bob. “Blowin’ in the Wind.” The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan. 1963. CD.

This Chicago style formatting ensures that quoting a song or its lyrics in your essay is clear, precise, and adheres to academic standards, providing a structured way for readers to locate the original source material.

Incorporating Song Quotes in Your Essay

Incorporating song quotes into your essay requires a seamless approach to ensure the text flows naturally. When how to quote a song in an essay or how to quote a song lyric in an essay, using signal phrases such as “According to [Artist Name]” or “[Artist Name] sings” can smoothly introduce the quote into your narrative. This method not only credits the original artist but also prepares the reader for the integration of external content.

After presenting the quote, it’s crucial to delve into its significance within your analysis. Discuss how the lyrics or the title enhance your argument, contribute to thematic development, or illuminate the subject matter from a unique perspective. This step is vital in demonstrating the relevance of the song quote to your essay’s broader discussion, thereby enriching the reader’s understanding and engagement with your work.

By thoughtfully integrating song quotes and articulating their importance, you bridge the gap between musical expression and academic analysis, offering a richer, more textured exploration of your essay’s themes.

Legal and Ethical Considerations

Navigating the legal and ethical landscape is paramount when how to quote a song in an essay or how to quote song lyrics in an essay. Understanding copyright laws is crucial to ensure that your use of song lyrics respects the intellectual property rights of artists and songwriters. When considering how to quote a song lyric in an essay or how to quote lyrics from a song in an essay, it’s important to adhere to the principles of fair use. This doctrine allows for the use of copyrighted material under certain conditions, such as for commentary, criticism, or educational purposes.

Best practices include quoting only the necessary amount of lyrics to support your argument or analysis and always providing appropriate attribution to the original artist. Furthermore, when quoting song lyrics or titles, ensure your usage falls within the guidelines of fair use by contributing original commentary or analysis that transforms the original work in a meaningful way.

By adhering to these legal and ethical considerations, you can ethically incorporate song quotes into your academic writing, enriching your essays while respecting the rights of creators.

In conclusion, mastering how to quote a song in an essay, how to quote a song lyric in an essay, how to quote song lyrics in an essay, and how to quote lyrics from a song in an essay is a valuable skill that enhances your academic writing. We’ve explored the importance of selecting relevant song portions, properly formatting citations across different styles, and the significance of integrating these quotes smoothly into your analysis. Remember, quoting songs not only enriches your essays by providing a diverse range of expressions and cultural references but also deepens the exploration of your topic.

I encourage you to utilize song quotes thoughtfully within your essays. This approach not only demonstrates your ability to engage with a variety of sources but also invites a deeper understanding and appreciation of the intricate ways in which music and text can intersect to reveal profound insights. Let the power of music amplify the impact of your words , and may your essays resonate with the richness and depth that song quotes can provide.

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Developing Phonemic Awareness: Everything You Need to Know

School transition tips for learners with autism: everything you need to know, context clues: everything you need to know, best first aid kits: a comprehensive guide, teaching writing in kindergarten: everything you need to know, haiti names new prime minister to try to lead country out of crisis, israel pushes into rafah as displaced palestinians search for safety, gazan officials say a strike killed 21 in al-mawasi, pope apologizes after reports that he used an anti-gay slur, growing pressure on western nations to expand the range of weaponry provided to ukraine has been escalating as the conflict with russia continues. leaders and military officials are increasingly debating the possibility of allowing ukraine to employ western-supplied weapons to carry out strikes against targets on russian territory. the crux of the argument for allowing ukraine such offensive capabilities is grounded in the desire to create a significant deterrent effect. proponents argue that enabling ukraine to strike back at russia could force moscow to reconsider its strategy and potentially lead to a de-escalation of hostilities. opponents, however, warn of the risks associated with such a move. escalation dominance, wherein one side’s increase in capabilities leads to an arms race, poses a serious concern. there is also fear that enabling ukraine to strike inside russia might provoke a strong retaliation, not just against ukraine but potentially involving western nations more directly in the conflict. the debate involves complex strategic calculations. on one hand, there’s a moral and strategic impetus to support ukraine in defending its sovereignty and territorial integrity. on the other hand, there’s a need for caution and consideration of long-term regional stability and global security. as discussions continue without definitive conclusions, it is clear that decisions made today will have lasting implications for international norms and future geopolitical conflicts. the international community awaits further developments while contemplating the far-reaching consequences of this critical juncture in east-west relations., proper formatting of song titles in written documents.

Music enthusiasts are often confused about how to format song titles properly in written documents such as essays, research papers, and articles. While some people might think that formatting song titles is not essential, it is a crucial element in writing that can change the meaning or context of a song. The following guidelines will help you correctly format song titles in written documents.

1. Capitalization:

The first letter of every word in a song title should be capitalized, except for articles, conjunctions, and prepositions that are shorter than four letters.

Example: “Sweet Child O’ Mine” by Guns N’ Roses.

2. Italicize:

Song titles should be italicized when they appear in a written document, such as when they appear in a sentence or a paragraph. The only exception to this rule is when the document is handwritten.

Example: “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen is one of the most popular rock songs of all time.

3. Quotation Marks:

When a song title is part of a larger work, such as an album, an opera, or musical theater, use quotation marks to distinguish the song title from the rest of the work. Example: “Don’t Stop Believin'” is a song from the album, “Escape” by Journey.

4. Punctuation:

When referencing a song title, place a comma before and after the title.

Example: The song, “Time After Time,” was a hit for Cyndi Lauper.

5. Acronyms:

If the title of the song consists of an acronym, all letters must be capitalized, and the acronym should also be placed in quotation marks.

Example: “YMCA” by the Village People.

In conclusion, proper formatting of song titles in written documents is crucial in expressing the correct information to the reader. Failure to adhere to these guidelines may result in misinterpretation of song titles and changing the context of the song. By following these simple guidelines, music lovers, students, and authors can confidently format song titles in written documents.

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Song Analysis Essay Examples

A song analysis essay examples is a form of literary analysis that delves into the meaning, symbolism, and artistic elements of a song’s lyrics and composition. The purpose of such an essay is to explore the deeper layers of a song’s message, uncover its thematic implications, and provide insights into the emotions and ideas it conveys. Through careful examination, song analysis essays provide readers with a richer appreciation for the artistry of music and its ability to evoke powerful emotions.

Exploration of Lyrics and Themes

One of the primary goals of a song analysis essay is to explore the lyrics and themes of the song in-depth. This involves dissecting the words, metaphors, and narrative elements used by the songwriter to convey a specific message or tell a story. Essays of this nature aim to uncover the underlying emotions and ideas behind the song’s words.

Song analysis essays also focus on the musical elements of the composition, including melody, rhythm, harmony, and instrumentation. These essays explore how these elements contribute to the mood and atmosphere of the song, enhancing the overall impact of the message being conveyed.

Many songs incorporate symbolism to convey deeper meanings. Song analysis essays aim to interpret and decode the symbolic language used by the songwriter. This can involve analyzing recurring motifs, imagery, and metaphors to understand their significance and how they contribute to the song’s overall meaning.

Tips for Writing a Song Analysis Essay

Choose a Song: Select a song that resonates with you and has layers of meaning to explore. Thesis Statement: Begin with a clear thesis that outlines the main themes and elements you will analyze. Lyric Analysis: Examine the lyrics closely, paying attention to word choices, figurative language, and narrative structure. Musical Analysis: Discuss the musical elements and how they contribute to the emotional impact of the song. Context: Consider the historical, cultural, and personal context that might influence the song’s meaning. Supporting Evidence: Use quotes from the song’s lyrics and reference musical elements as evidence for your analysis. Interpretation: Offer your own interpretation of the song’s meaning, supported by your analysis. Conclusion: Summarize your findings and discuss the broader implications of the song’s themes.

A song analysis essay serves as a way to appreciate the artistry and depth of songs beyond their surface level. By analyzing lyrics, themes, and musical elements, these essays provide insights into the emotions, ideas, and experiences that music can convey, making the listening experience more meaningful and thought-provoking.

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