Legal Question in Intellectual Property in California

Re: song lyrics

Have one of your fictional characters write some original lyrics. Then you can quote them.

Re: song lyrics

good evening

you have to write some original lyrics out of the characters you have portrayed

Re: song lyrics

if you quote song lyrics, you must obtain permission ( a license ) from the Music Publishing company that controls the copyright for the song in question.

This is often merely a matter of asking for permission...

Check the liner notes from the album containing the song and contact the publisher with your request. If you already have a publisher lined up for your book, they may be able to help... otherwise, contact a lawyer experienced in this area (like myself) for help with this.