Talk:Lord of the Dance (hymn)

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[edit] Removal of copyright template

Reverted to a recent copy WITHOUT the full lyrics, and what is shown I believe to be "fair use". Clearly this would've been a better decision the entire time? Thepinksuicidallemming 03:52, 10 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] More on use of lyrics

I don't feel that there is any legal issue in quoting one verse in direct comparison to another work, also quoted. This, IMO, is definitely fair use.

However, the entire lyrics are also quoted. This is probably a copyright violation...

Sidefall 14:48, 27 May 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Fair use of lyrics

I am not entirely sure of my ground here, but it seems to me that a quotation from a larger work in this context qualifies as "fair use" under US copyright law. Wiki policy is here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_use This explains: "The first factor questions whether the use under consideration helps fulfill the intention of copyright law to stimulate creativity for the enrichment of the general public, or whether it aims to only "supersede the objects" of the original for reasons of, say, personal profit. In order to justify the use as fair, one must demonstrate how it either advances knowledge or the progress of the arts through the addition of something new." In this case the advancement of knowledge is achieved by the comparison of Carter's lyrics with the quote from the traditional carol "Tomorrow shall be my dancing day". It would not be possible to achieve the comparison without something to compare it with. Tyrenius 13:57, 29 January 2006 (UTC)

I think it would be a more compelling case for fair use if there were a direct comparison of the lyrics to the lyrics of "Tomorrow shall be my dancing day", which are not quoted here. Also, my understanding of fair use is that only a small proportion of the text can be repeated; quoting one of the five verses and the refrain may be too much. I think if you pick one or two lines and compare those directly with lines from "Tomorrow shall be my dancing day", that would fall under fair use. --Angr 14:12, 29 January 2006 (UTC)

I have made an observation on the comparison and added more from the original. I hope this meets the criteria. Tyrenius 02:44, 4 February 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Dubious paragraph removed

I removed the following paragraph:

As with many religious-themed folk songs, there is debate as to whether the song was originally composed with Christian themes, or if it was adapted from an older, pagan tune. This second viewpoint has been expressed in the Hellblazer story Lord of the Dance by Garth Ennis, in which the eponymous character claims that the song is an ancient Yule tune and provides what are believed by many to be the original lyrics, such as substituting 'and I danced through the nights of revelry and mirth' for 'and Bethlehem's where I had my birth'.

I don't think there is genuine debate about this. The *tune* originated with "Simple Gifts", which has totally different words. The lyrics, having been written in 1963, don't have their origins lost in the mists of time. Carter could have been inspired by another text with pagan origins, but there should be documentation of this beyond a comic book.

It is of course true that a lot of Christian traditions and symbolism do have pagan origins. But if there is an interesting story about the origins of these lyrics they need to be documented. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Mark Foskey (talk • contribs) 17:23, 23 March 2008 (UTC)

The removed text seems to be something between hearsay and a hoax! Definitely deserved to go unless there's verification from an authoritative source Sidefall (talk) 17:43, 7 May 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Query

I'm sure I once read something saying that Sydney Carter composed Lord of the Dance as a protest song against the dull formality of church services. Can anyone find a source? Sidefall (talk) 17:43, 7 May 2008 (UTC)