lyric sheets

Songs on paper

Lyric sheets are printed or digital documents containing the words to songs.

They accompany album releases, appear in concert programs, or circulate among fans learning to sing along.

Unlike sheet music, lyric sheets typically omit musical notation—just the text: I spent hours studying the lyric sheets in my favorite albums.

Also called lyric books when bound.

Related

record collection · booklet · handwritten · handwritten notes · verses · chorus · poetry · music · singing · karaoke · sing along · word for word · memorize · scribbled · notebook · setlist · songwriter · manuscript

Categories
Opposites
textual vs. sonic components of music

lyric sheetsbacking tracks

Pre-recorded musical accompaniment

instrumentals · sheet music · musical score · musical scores · melody

verbal vs. wordless expression

lyric sheetsvocalise

Sing wordlessly

instrumental music · humming · scat singing

documented vs. undocumented lyrics

lyric sheetsoral tradition

Culture passed by speech

freestyling · ad-libs

Family

lyric, lyrics, lyrical, lyrically, lyricism, lyricist, lyre, sheet, sheets

Familiarity
Top 500,000
Profile
Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated G