That is fine Butch but I remember the chords, it is the lyrics I have problems with .

Roger

Thats my problem as well, I can memorize chords for tunes, BUT, I need a sheet in front of me to have any hope of singing a tune.   The example I use is "I'll fly away", the chords are simple, but except for the chorus, the rest of the lyrics are not memorized.  I need to read the lyrics.

Roger

Top pros never bring music or notes onstage. If they don't know it, they don't play it.
I'm not a top pro but I have friends who, in my opinion, are. If I get onstage with them, I stick to tunes I know.                                              My fat book contains 400 plus tunes and I need it if I have to play more than the 50 or so tunes I remember well enough. I love to have access to all those tunes if I need to play requests and play a long evening alone. However, messing with a book can be frustrating and time consuming. Staring into a book instead of eyeballing the audience is unprofessional.
What if it is too dark to read or, heaven forbid, the book gets rained on?

Not totally true toots... Nowadays many "pros" are using teleprompters with their lyrics scrolling for every song. You notice how these folks have in-ear monitor systems AND floor monitors. The floor monitors are the teleprompters. Springsteen, Sting, Green Day, Elvis Costello, Paul McCartney, Dave Matthews, etc... and many, many more of the top pros are using these devices. They go by the thought process of " it's better to have 'em and not need 'em than to need 'em and not have 'em.

And as far as the issues of darkness and/or rain, I use a music stand light and have all of my music covered with clear plastic, no glow sheet protectors.

Top pros never bring music or notes onstage. If they don't know it, they don't play it.
I'm not a top pro but I have friends who, in my opinion, are. If I get onstage with them, I stick to tunes I know.                                              My fat book contains 400 plus tunes and I need it if I have to play more than the 50 or so tunes I remember well enough. I love to have access to all those tunes if I need to play requests and play a long evening alone. However, messing with a book can be frustrating and time consuming. Staring into a book instead of eyeballing the audience is unprofessional.
What if it is too dark to read or, heaven forbid, the book gets rained on?

Tuba is right on.  Although for most it's not practical or we wouldn't play but 5 songs, myself included.
That said, how you practice is how you learn.  So if you practice without the sheet you'll know the song that way and vice versa.  Memorization technique is to tie one word to a chord change. You'll be surprised that finishing the strum and saying the next word will let the whole sentence flow.

"Alison" by Slowdive
"Hotel California" by The Eagles
"Funk 49" by The James Gang
"Jezebel" By Sade
"Santa Claus is coming to town"

And I can only remember those while I'm not in front of any crowds or listeners.
Once that happens I lose it and fall back to playing everything in lead form.

=[
Dm

One of my favorite quotes from Albert Einstein.

“I never commit to memory anything that can easily be looked up in a book."

That's why I always carry my song book when I have my guitar - there's only so much room in this old brain of mine.

I like that topdown and it sure makes sense!

The more I play and the better I get I seem to be able to feel where the chord sequence/progression is going and it really feels good when you follow your instinct and get it right.

Still there are probably only 3 songs I would have the guts to play for someone without having my book in front of me.  I've even written 2 but still have my book there, like a kids comfort blanket I suppose.

When playing with other folks, a word said or an Artist's name will trigger old memories about songs I haven't played for a while. Last weekend Zurf would mention a song or artist and it triggered some old forgotten songs that I hadn't played in 20 years.

Stick a mic in my face however and all bets are off.  Something about having that electronic contraption in front of me shuts down my memory banks.

DE

I have a list of about 60 or seventy songs that I have learned at one time or another; but I only have about 35 or 40 "under my fingers" currently (I started lessons again recently, and some of my repertoire practice fell by the wayside).  I have binders full of the lyrics and chords, and as Butch8844 said, the problem is keeping them sorted.