Compulsory Mechanical Licence
Sing it if you want to,
Cos I can’t even stop you.
Pay me my royalties,
Do with it as you please.
Just don’t go switching lyrics,
Or stray from the original.
Don’t change it up too much without permission –
Stay traditional.
But otherwise, it’s yours to sing –
It’s all of yours – cos here’s the thing –
It’s just one more addition to the public offering.
For once a song is out there,
Then it’s out there for ev’ryone –
It’s out there for evermore,
They’re all out there together.
Until I’m dead for three score ten
And then it’s all for free forever.
But until that day,
If the author gets their pay,
Then the artist gets to sing away.
Permission isn’t ours to grant,
And nobody tells anyone they can’t.
Rhyming Couplets 