English

Pronunciation

/ˈliɹ.ɪks/

Noun

lyrics

1. The words to a song.
2. Plural of lyric

Lyrics (in singular form Lyric) are a set of words that accompany music, either by speaking or singing. The word 'Lyric' derives from the Greek word for a song sung by the lyre, "lyrikos".

The word lyric came to be used for the "words of a song"; this meaning was recorded in 1829. The common plural (perhaps because of the association between the plurals 'lyrics' and 'words'), predominates contemporary usage. Use of the singular form 'lyric' remains grammatically acceptable, yet is considered erroneous in referring to a singular song word as a 'lyric'. The sung words of a song are called "lyrics".

See also

• Libretto, the name used for the text of traditional music forms like opera
• Online lyrics databases

References