Not all lyrics are labeled as lyrics and since most lyrics are considered copyrighted property it is challenging to come up with unique lyrics, quote lyrics, or use familiar lyrics in any given workpieces.
In Canada, lyric copyright is tied to music copyright and becomes protected by the music laws the moment the lyrics to a song are born, including the melodic elements which may accompany the lyrics.
What is a lyric?
Note that not all sentences or phrases are lyrics. Generic sentence combinations and phrases which are common use might not be considered lyrics but simply phrases that can be heard commonly in a typical sentence. (John Iovine, 2020)
Freedom of use:
It is publically known to all that you cannot use someone else’s copyrighted work. Especially such work as lyrics or even the way those lyrics are pronounced could itself be subjected to copyright claims.
Not all copyright claims are in fact dangerous or some turn false in some cases still it is best to never use anyone else’s lyrics except when you’re quoting them in your analysis or comment on their piece of work. Being respectful of someone else’s property is important, but we all must recognize that to enhance and evolve creativity we need to allow more freedom in the use of copyrighted material since its restriction limits creativity and that is my personal opinion.
Scary facts:
What happens upon breaking the copyright law?
Scare 1: Willful infringement for profit may be subject to a criminal investigation.
Scare 2: The person with the copyright protection can file a lawsuit against you with the relevant federal body such as the Canadian Intellectual Property Office or your local federal government agency.
Scare 3: If you have violated someone’s copyright, you may be liable for statutory damages.
(Claire Gillespie, J.D., April 18, 2018)
The proper way:
If you plan to use any commercial sound in your program, podcast, or website and your project begins to take off, it’s time to contact your local licensing body especially when that podcast is beginning to catch attention and potentially benefit income while containing copyright elements.
In the case of Canada, The Society of Composers and Music Publishers of Canada is the address for musically related content, also known as SOCAN and Re: Sound which is now Entadem are two societies joined together to simplify the music licensing process. (Re: Sound, 07.02.19)