Not to negate anything that has been said about selling youir lyric, legally, you don't "sell" your lyric, you "license it"

Even if you licensed it for 100% of future royalties, and completely give up your rights to future cash flows, you would still be named as the author, so it is still yours; it's just that you signed away certain or maybe even all rights to related compensation



If writing ever becomes work I think I'm going to have to stop