MLA Guide: Songs, Lyrics

Works Cited

Puccini, Giacomo. La Boheme. Perf. Luciano Pavarotti, Mirella Freni, Rolando Panerai, and Elizabeth Harwood.
         Berliner Philharmoniker and Chor der Deutschen 
         Oper Berlin. Cond. Herbert von Karajan. 
         Rec. Oct. 1972. London. 1987.

Simon, Paul. "Me and Julio Down by the School Yard."
         Concert in the Park. Warner Bros., 1991.

Note that the name of a specific song is enclosed within quotation marks; the name of an album or collection is underlined or italicized (but do not underline or italicize the name of a musical piece that is identified by number or key, as in Symphony no. 8 in F. op. 45. If it is relevant, you can add the recording date before the name of the manufacturer. 

If you are not using a compact disc, insert the medium just before the name of the recording company: Audiocassette, Audiotape (reel-to-reel), LP (long-playing vinyl disc), etc. (followed by a period, but neither italicized nor underlined). If you do not know the date of the piece's manufacture, insert n.d., for "no date" (but neither italicized nor underlined) instead.

In-Text Citation

In his lyrics for "Me and Julio Down by the School Yard," Simon has mixed his earlier flippant qualities with an earnest social statement (Simon).

Librettos, Liner Notes, Booklets

Works Cited

Weaver, William. "Puccini's Perenially Youthful Opera."
          Booklet. La Boheme. By Giacomo Puccini. 
          London. 1972.

In-Text Citation

"Puccini may very well have known of Leoncavallo's project in advance, but by the time of their stormy meeting, his own Boheme was definitely in progress" (Weaver).