Yahoo offers the “real” lyrics

Find the real lyrics to songs on the web

From experience, I can tell you that finding accurate lyrics on the web is actually quite hard. The vast majority of lyrics you find seem to be submitted by listeners. I don’t think I have ever come across lyrics of mine that are 100% accurate. Someone making a mistake is no big deal. But many lyrics sites seem to be using the same sources. So the mistakes are multiplied every time a new site appears. Now Yahoo is offering users the opportunity to get the “real” lyrics to a vast catalogue.

The news was not unexpected, as it was already announced that Yahoo – reputedly the n° 1 music destination on the web (I must visit it some time myself) – had been in discussions with a company called Gracenote that compiles music information. The idea is that users will now be offered lyrics when they search for music, and the lyrics will also be available from the artist pages. How does it differ from the rest of the material out there?

Lyrics From the publishers

For one thing, the lyrics seem to actually come from the publishers themselves. Being narcissistic, I did a quick search for a minor hit of mine (in Europe), “Nothing Like the Rain” by 2 Unlimited. It differs only by a word or two from what I have sitting on my computer, and that could easily be minor typing errors anywhere along the line.

My big personal gripe with most lyric sites is that they never ever credit the writers. Imagine a site for guitar solos that forgets to say who plays the thing. The Yahoo site mentions the writers, although in this case it doesn’t specify who the lyricist is (me!). But that is due to the fact that we signed everything from that period in three.

Imagine a site for guitar solos that forgets to say who plays the thing

Michael Leahy

The only downside for the moment is that the lyrics cannot be cut and pasted. So I’m not too sure how people are supposed to use them. Just remember them like the singers, I presume!

So globally, I give the system a thumbs up. I hear that iTunes is also interested in offering something similar.

Meanwhile, to check out the lyrics to “Nothing Like the Rain” on A-Lyric.com, click here.