When writing a research paper, it is important to properly format song titles according to the style guide you are using. The Modern Language Association (MLA) style guide is commonly used in the humanities and provides guidelines for formatting song titles within the text of a paper. Understanding when and how to italicize song titles is an essential part of adhering to MLA style requirements.
General Rules
In MLA style, song titles are always formatted in italics when referenced within the text of a paper. This applies whether you are referring to an entire album, a single song, or an individual track. For example:
Beyoncé’s album Lemonade was critically acclaimed upon its release in 2016.
The song Hey Jude by the Beatles spent 9 weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1968.
Track 5 is an underrated song on the album 1989 by Taylor Swift.
As these examples show, no quotation marks are used around song titles in MLA style. Italicizing the title highlights it as the name of a creative work without the need for quotation marks.
In-Text Citations
When directly quoting lyrics or referring to specific parts of a song within the text, a parenthetical in-text citation is needed. The basic structure is to put the artist’s last name in parentheses followed by a comma and then the page number, if available. For example:
Beyoncé asks the question “Who the hell do you think I am?” in the song “Don’t Hurt Yourself” to emphasize her anger and betrayal (Knowles, 12).
Since most song lyrics do not have page numbers, simply putting the artist’s last name in parentheses without a page number is also acceptable:
The lyrics “With the birds I’ll share this lonely view” reflect a sense of isolation in the Beatles song “Eleanor Rigby” (Lennon).
If the artist’s name is mentioned in the text itself, just put the page number or nothing at all in parentheses:
According to Knowles (12), the line “This is your final warning” represents a threat to an unfaithful partner.
As these examples demonstrate, the in-text citation allows the reader to easily see which artist and song the quoted material is coming from.
Works Cited
At the end of the paper, full publication details for each song referenced must be included in the Works Cited list. The general format is:
Artist Last Name, First Name. “Song Title.” Album Title, Record Label, Year.
For example:
Knowles, Beyoncé. “Don’t Hurt Yourself.” Lemonade, Parkwood Entertainment, 2016.
Lennon, John. “Eleanor Rigby.” Revolver, Parlophone, 1966.
Swift, Taylor. “Track 5.” 1989, Big Machine Records, 2014.
Note that the song title is in quotation marks here, while the album title remains in italics. Listing the artist’s name reversed as Last Name, First Name is also standard bibliographic form in MLA style.
Tables, Figures, and Examples
Here is an example table summarizing the key rules for formatting song titles in MLA style:
| Element | Formatting |
|---|---|
| Song title within text | Italicize |
| Album title within text | Italicize |
| In-text citation | Artist last name in parentheses |
| Works Cited entry | “Song Title” in italics for album |
And here is a visual example of how to format a song title in MLA style:
As shown in Figure 1, the song title “Hey Jude” appears in italics, while the surrounding text is in regular font.
Common Mistakes
Some common mistakes when formatting song titles in MLA style include:
– Putting song titles in quotation marks instead of italics
– Forgetting to include the artist’s name in in-text citations
– Listing the song title first instead of the artist’s name in the Works Cited
– Including initials instead of the author’s full first name in the Works Cited
– Neglecting to properly reverse the artist’s name to Last Name, First Name format
Being aware of these errors can help you successfully apply the MLA guidelines for song titles as you compose your paper.
FAQs
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about formatting song titles in MLA style:
How do I format a song title in a research paper?
In MLA style, song titles are always italicized when referenced within the text of a paper. Do not use quotation marks around song titles.
Are album titles italicized or quoted in MLA?
Album titles are formatted in italics in MLA style, just like song titles. Neither should be enclosed in quotation marks.
How do I cite song lyrics?
To cite lyrics in MLA, include the artist’s last name in parentheses after quoting 1-3 key words from the lyrics in your text. Add page numbers if available. Full details should also be included in the Works Cited list.
What if I don’t know the writer of a song?
For songs with unknown writers, replace the author name with the song title in italics for in-text citations and the Works Cited entry.
Do I need permission to quote song lyrics?
Quoting a few lines for scholarly analysis falls under fair use, but substantial quotations may require permission from the publisher. Always credit appropriately.
Key Takeaways
– In MLA style, song titles are formatted in italics within the text of a paper. No quotation marks are used.
– Album titles are also italicized.
– Include the artist’s last name in parentheses when directly quoting lyrics in the text.
– Full publication details should be included in the Works Cited list with the song title in quotes and the album in italics.
– Proper crediting and formatting of song titles as creative works is an important part of adhering to MLA guidelines.
Conclusion
In summary, properly formatting song titles and album names according to the Modern Language Association’s style guidelines is critical when citing musical works in a research paper. By always italicizing song and album titles and including proper in-text citations and Works Cited details, you can effectively incorporate lyrical references into a well-formatted MLA paper. Keeping these key rules in mind will ensure you correctly handle song titles and credits to musical works.