Transcribing music rolls to sheet music proposes an interesting
problem, but let us not forget that 99% of the popular music is really
wasted without the lyrics, unless it is a song that is popular enough
today to know what they were.

Additionally, I have often found that they add repeats to the music for
a piano-roll effect that aren't in the original music.  (One of my early
favorite rolls was "Oh Katharina", and it was repeated to death!).
Also, I've found many times that the person stamping the lyrics on the
roll simply isn't familiar with the placement--especially if the song
was not originally written in English and they can't really follow the
sheet music.

Case in point:  There is a lovely haunting melody, "Eili Eili" (I change
it to 'Eli, Eli'); a quick translation is My God, My God, why have you
forgotten me.  Two days ago, I played the Ampico version for the first
time -- it was on Israeli Memorial day and I thought it appropriate.
I simply couldn't follow the melody and figure out where they were
supposed to crowbar the word into place!  I also had the same problem
with HaTikvah, the Israeli national anthem.  (The piano roll preceded
the state of Israel by around 25 years!)  Here I know the lyrics and
still I found it difficult to follow the melody line with the correct
lyrics (let alone the translation!).

Eli Shahar