Many aspiring writers want to know whether or not they can use song lyrics in their manuscripts.

Why do so many writers want to include lyrics in their writing?

I think it’s because using lyrics is like taking a shortcut. The song conveys a feeling the writer wishes to convey. They want readers to pick up on that feeling and feel it themselves.

So, can you use song lyrics?

The short answer is NO. Unless the song is in the public domain, which takes much longer to happen than you’d think, you need to get permission to use song lyrics. Obtaining permission is usually prohibitively expensive.*

Here’s a Work-Around

I’ve come up with a work-around for this problem. When I want my characters to sing or listen to music, I think about what I’m trying to convey through the mention of this music, and I choose a song that conveys the message IN THE TITLE, not just the lyrics.

Titles aren’t protected under copyright.

You might be surprised to hear that, for the most part, titles can’t be copyrighted. EVEN BOOK TITLES. A quick search on Amazon reveals that there are multiple books with the same title as other books–even bestsellers. For example, there are multiple books titled “The Beach House.”

Mention the song title but don’t include lyrics

You can mention the song title in your novel. Choose a song that conveys the feeling or sentiment you want to get across in the title. This may require giving up on your first choice if the song title doesn’t establish mood. However, if the song is well-known by the general public, you may consider that your reader will get the feeling you want just by mentioning the song. The reader may see the title and immediately “hear” the song in their head if it’s popular enough.

You can take the shortcut, but consider this alternative

Instead of “taking the shortcut” by using a song to impart feelings, try conveying this feeling in other ways.

• Use deep point of view to convey what your character is feeling in the moment.
• Consider any physical markers of the feeling your character is experiencing and describe them as if you are in the character’s body, feeling those sensations. See “The Emotion Thesaurus” by Becca Puglisi and Angela Ackerman for examples.
• Use metaphors or atmosphere to reflect how your character is feeling. (Example: A character feels lonely, so you describe them watching a solitary bird flying across an empty sky. It’s just an example–don’t judge me.)

* “But [Bestselling Author] included lyrics in [Bestselling Novel]”

I’ve only seen bestselling novelists include lyrics, and that’s because they sell so many books, they or their publishers have the means to purchase the rights to do so. One example I can think of, off the top of my head, is Elin Hilderbrand and her book “28 Summers.” She uses music for the purpose of establishing setting/timeline at the beginning of each chapter.

Quotations? Italics?

The Chicago Manual of Style recommends using quotation marks for song titles and italics for larger works such as albums or plays.

Don’t sue me!

I’m not a lawyer. This is just my personal advice based on internet research. Seek professional advice to make sure you don’t get sued, and we’ll both be happy.