Question

What does an in-text citation look like for a song? What would the citation look like within the parentheses? Would it be similar to a poem where you put a dash to mark the end of each line (example/example)? Please provide an example of what such would look like in MLA format.

Answer 1

In MLA format, an in-text citation for a song includes the songwriter's last name and the page or verse number within parentheses.

Step-by-step explanation:

In MLA format, an in-text citation for a song would typically include the songwriter's last name and the page or verse number within parentheses. For example, if you are using lyrics from a song written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, the in-text citation would look like this: (Lennon and McCartney 15). Note that the names of the songwriters are listed in the same order as they appear in the source.

Answer 2

In-text citations for songs should include the songwriter(s) and the title of the song, as well as the performer(s) and the album or recording on which the song appears. The citation should be formatted in the same way as other sources, with the addition of the song title and performer(s).

Here is an example of an in-text citation for a song in MLA format:

According to Smith, "The Times They Are A-Changin'" (Dylan), the classic protest song by Bob Dylan, "became an anthem for a generation" (45).

In this example, Smith is the author of the source being cited, "The Times They Are A-Changin'" is the title of the song, Dylan is the songwriter, and "became an anthem for a generation" is the quote that is being cited.

As with other sources, the citation should also include a corresponding entry in the Works Cited page at the end of the paper, which would look like this:

Dylan, Bob. "The Times They Are A-Changin'." The Times They Are A-Changin', Columbia Records, 1964.

Note that the song title is in quotation marks, while the album or recording title is italicized.