grammar-geek's picture
grammar-geek March 20, 2014 - 3:49am

If a song title starts a sentence, which option below is correct? I know there are other options — one of those options being a rewording of the sentence — but how would we punctuate the sentence as is?

(1) "What's Going On?"’s  lyrics provided a channel for all of Marvin Gaye's sorrow and frustration.

(2) "What's Going On?"'s  lyrics provided a channel for all of Marvin Gaye's sorrow and frustration.

(3) "What's Going On?" 's  lyrics provided a channel for all of Marvin Gaye's sorrow and frustration.

(4) "What's Going On?'s"  lyrics provided a channel for all of Marvin Gaye's sorrow and frustration.

Thanks.

justwords's picture
justwords from suburb of Birmingham, AL is reading The Tomb, F. Paul Wilson; A Long Way Down, Nick Hornby March 20, 2014 - 7:06pm

If I were you, I'd just rephrase the statement, maybe:

The lyrics of "What's Going On?" provided a channel for all of Marvin Gaye's sorrow and frustration.

Or:

Writing the lyrics to "What's Going On?" provided a channel for all of Marvin Gaye's sorrow and frustration.

 

 

In answer to your question, I believe #3 is correct; double quotes for title, followed by a space, then a single apostrophe followed immediately by the s that creates the possessive case.

Thuggish's picture
Thuggish from Vegas is reading Day of the Jackal March 20, 2014 - 9:18pm

Italicize the song

justwords's picture
justwords from suburb of Birmingham, AL is reading The Tomb, F. Paul Wilson; A Long Way Down, Nick Hornby March 20, 2014 - 10:30pm

^

Yes, that would eliminate some of the confusion.