What's the correct way to quote song lyrics?
Do you attribute it to whomever wrong the lyrics, or to whom actually sings/speaks them? Or it is simpler/more correct to just use the name of the band/group?
What about a cover song? Can you quote the covering singer/group if you prefer them (for whatever reason), or must it always go back to the original singer/writer/group?
The context is irrelevant (to me); whether I want to use a quoted lyric as something to relate to my personality (yearbook quote, online profile, etc.), or if I needed to include it in something formal (research, presentation, etc.).
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The context does actually matter. For something informal, such as an amusing poster, you would put the group or singer. For example, "When I find myself in times of trouble Mother Mary comes to me ..." you would attribute to The Beatles. However, in other contexts you would want to attribute it to the writer, Paul McCartney.
Putting the name of a cover performer is quite acceptable in informal contexts, particularly if the cover version is more famous than the original.
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