Yahoo launches online song-lyric database (Most sites publish words w/o permission from owners

MSNBC / AP ^ | Aprile 24, 2007 | Michael Liedtke

[Stoat]

SAN FRANCISCO - Yahoo Inc. is expanding its online music section to include the lyrics of 400,000 songs, hoping to strike a chord with Web surfers looking for a more reliable alternative to Internet sites that publish the words without the permission of the copyright owners.

The Sunnyvale-based company is touting the free service to be unveiled Tuesday as the Web’s largest legally licensed database of lyrics.

“It fills a huge, gaping hole out there,” said Ian Rogers, general manager of Yahoo music.
Song lyrics have been available through scores of other Web sites for years, but most of those destinations are technically breaking the law by posting the words without the approval of the publishers and writers that own the rights.

[Stoat]

My apologies for the heavy, forced editing of the article.  Please click on the link to read the full text.

In addition to inaccuracies, I've noticed that some current lyric sites are overly intrusive, activating my firewall with various alerts. It will be great if this will in fact be an honest and "clean" site...let's hope that it will actually be all that it is purported to be.

[Stoat]

FR Rock and Roll Ping :-)

[Stoat]

Bob Dylan Ping :-)

[Stoat]

Rockin’ 80’s Ping :-)

[jdm]

Here's one for you:

da-da-da-da-da-da
hey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
da-da-da-da-da-da
hey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Any guesses?




























Yep, Gary Glitter!

[Stoat]

Classical Music Ping :-)

(It remains to be seen how much in the way of classical music lyrics will be included, but it will be something worth watching for all music lovers)

[Stoat]

Yep, Gary Glitter!

Hopefully there will not be an overabundance of convicted criminals' lyrics at that site    :-)

[Stoat]

Gen-X ping :-)

[Stoat]

General Interest Ping :-)

[Stoat]

Yahoo Lyrics site:

Yahoo! Music - Lyrics

[Tainan]

“Louie, Louie”...?

[sitetest]

Dear Stoat,

Tbanks!

Classical Music Ping List ping!

If you want on or off this list, let me know via FR e-mail.

Thanks,

sitetest

[Artemis Webb]

“It will be great if this will in fact be an honest and “clean” site...let’s hope that it will actually be all that it is purported to be.”

As much as I hate Yahoo’s political bent they are usually pretty honest and responsible as far as privacy/security issues go.

I’m glad they are doing this frankly. I’ve done a 180 in recent years on the issue of creative and intellectual property so I’m happy to see them taking a more legal route.

[ZGuy]

I would just like to see a site where they have quality-control and the lyrics are accurate. For probably 30% or so of the songs I’ve needed lyrics to, I’ve found errors.

[supercat]

I wonder if the site will offer any translations for lyrics in languages other than English? Even when a song is available in multiple languages, the different versions are often substantially rewritten and can be missing much of the original meaning. For example, from Les Miserables, the Original French Concept Album has:

I had dreamed of another life,
but life has shot down my dreams,
as one stifles the last cries
of an animal that one slaughters.

I had dreamed of a heart so big
that mine could within it find a place
but my first "Prince Charming"
was the assassin of my childhood.

The English version has:

I dreamed a dream in time gone by,
when hope was high and life worth living.
I dreamed that love would never die;
I dreamed that God would be forgiving.

Then I was young and unafraid,
and dreams were made and used and wasted.
There was no ransom to be paid;
no song unsung, no wine untasted.

Nothing particularly wrong with the English text, but it's interesting to see the original which is quite different.

[stainlessbanner]

But does it include doug’s lyrics?

[doug from upland]

Speaking of which, check out the ALEC BALDWIN, ROSIE, and MOOSLIMS IN LONDON MP3s.

http://www.evfind.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13&Itemid=2

[Stoat]

“Louie, Louie”...?

Sadly, it appears that this cerebral classic has not been included as yet.  Only two Kingsmen songs are shown with lyrics:

The Kingsmen Lyrics on Yahoo! Music

 

Select a song to view lyrics

	Money (That's What I Want)
	Shout

Of course many other artists have attempted to cover the original, and the lyrics may be posted under those artists, but I would urge caution in trusting anyone other than the original composers :-)

Particularly in the matter of such a highly technical song as Louie Louie, accuracy is essential   :-)

[Stoat]

Dear Stoat,

Tbanks!

You're quite welcome, and thank you for pinging your list  :-)

I hope that you and your list members will find the site useful.

Dear Stoat,

Tbanks!

[Stoat]

As much as I hate Yahoo’s political bent they are usually pretty honest and responsible as far as privacy/security issues go.

That's been my past experience as well; and with the minimal use I've given the lyrics site so far, it seems a bit clunky on the design side but so far nothing suggests that it's being malicious in any way.

I’m glad they are doing this frankly. I’ve done a 180 in recent years on the issue of creative and intellectual property so I’m happy to see them taking a more legal route.

Since I have recording musicians in the family, I've always wanted their interests protected.  It's a tremendous temptation, however, with the ease of copyright infringement that the internet and associated technologies provide balanced against the high cost of music on CD.  I can easily understand why kids with only a few dollars a week in allowance as income would be tempted.

As much as I hate Yahoo’s political bent they are usually pretty honest and responsible as far as privacy/security issues go.

That's been my past experience as well; and with the minimal use I've given the lyrics site so far, it seems a bit clunky on the design side but so far nothing suggests that it's being malicious in any way.

I’m glad they are doing this frankly. I’ve done a 180 in recent years on the issue of creative and intellectual property so I’m happy to see them taking a more legal route.