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14 Songs That Use the Same, Hackneyed Rhyme
Even the greatest songwriters are capable of resorting to tired ol’ clichés
What do Dylan, Springsteen, Bono, Madonna, Jimi Hendrix, Michael Jackson, Jay Z, Kanye West, Annie Lennox, Ozzy Osbourne, Rick James, Rick Ocasek, Michael Hutchcence, Max Martin, Andreas Carlsson, and June Carter Cash have in common? Well, all of these legendary tunesmiths have resorted to one of the laziest, cliché rhymes known to the craft of songwriting.
Great song lyricists usually try to avoid cliché rhymes… You know, the kind we’ve heard a million times before and can’t help but anticipate long before they arrive at the ear. Professional songwriters call these “Moon-and-June rhymes” because, of course, moon and June have rhymed in literally thousands of sappy love songs.
But, in my opinion, another rhyme is just as hackneyed, possibly even more so.
Yep, my friends, I’m talkin’ ‘bout “fire and desire.”
Okay, yes, the rhyme works…
Like moon and June, the fire/desire pairing functions in certain song contexts… because sexual attraction (desire) is naturally associated with hotness and heat (fire). And, heaven knows, these two words roll easily off a singer’s tongue. So the rhyme does an adequate job…
