Prompt for ChatGPT

Instruction:
Transcribe the following lyrics according to the Performance-Faithful Lyrics Transcription Principles, ensuring accuracy, readability, and fidelity to the original performance.

Definition and Purpose

The Performance-Faithful Lyrics Transcription Principles define a professional method for producing lyrics that are accurate, readable, and true to the performance. These principles balance artistic fidelity, academic rigor, and professional formatting, creating a standard approach suitable for fans, scholars, industry professionals, and archives.

Core Principles

Performance Fidelity

  • Transcribe lyrics exactly as sung, including filler words, stutters, phrasing quirks, and pauses.
  • Use commas and line breaks to reflect natural timing, rhythm, and emphasis.

Minimal Editorial Intervention

  • Add parentheticals only when multiple sung versions exist or ambiguity requires clarification.
  • Avoid grammar or syntax changes that alter meaning or the original performance style.

Faithful Reproduction

  • Preserve repetition, unconventional phrasing, and stutters if consistently performed.

Readable Structure

  • Maintain consistent stanza and line-break formatting.
  • Use minimal punctuation to support readability while reflecting performance rhythm.

Canonical Versioning

  • Maintain a single authoritative version for websites, archives, and documentation.
  • Minor textual variations may be addressed using fuzzy search or natural language processing (NLP) tools, rather than creating multiple official versions.

Intended Outcomes

  • Fans: Lyrics match the performance for accurate recognition and engagement.
  • Academics / Scholars: Transparent, citable, and analyzable transcription of performance data.
  • Industry Professionals: Professional, readable, and genre-appropriate formatting.
  • Digital Archives / Websites: Simplified maintenance, consistency, and searchability.

Summary Statement:
Lyrics transcribed according to these principles are performance-faithful, academically defensible, and professionally readable, combining minimalist presentation with precise fidelity to the original song.

Benefits and Applications

The Performance-Faithful Lyrics Transcription Principles provide a standard framework that ensures lyrics are accurate, readable, and faithful to the recorded performance:

  • Artistic Integrity: Preserves phrasing, stutters, repetition, and filler words exactly as performed, reflecting the artist’s intent and vocal delivery.
  • Academic and Research Utility: Transparent, citable, and analyzable for scholarly study, comparative research, and archival documentation.
  • Professional and Industry Relevance: Clean, consistent, and genre-appropriate formatting suitable for publishers, labels, and archives.
  • Archival and Digital Management: Produces a single canonical version and uses tools like fuzzy search and NLP to handle minor textual variations.
  • Audience Engagement: Fans experience lyrics that match the performance, maintaining rhythm, timing, and artistic expression.

Summary Statement:
Applying these principles ensures that lyrics are performance-faithful, professionally formatted, and academically defensible, creating a resource valuable to fans, scholars, industry professionals, and archives.

Compact Prompt Version

Instruction for ChatGPT:
Transcribe lyrics according to these principles:

  • Preserve filler words, stutters, phrasing quirks, and repetition exactly as performed.
  • Add parentheticals only if multiple versions exist or ambiguity requires clarification.
  • Maintain clear stanza and line-break structure with minimal punctuation.
  • Produce a single canonical version.
  • Avoid altering meaning.
  • Ensure readability, accuracy, and fidelity to the performance.