Stone Cold Rhymin’
Background: Now you may have read the title of this blog and thought, “There’s absolutely no rhyme or reason for it!” My friend, Mark, who is not a songwriter, but an appreciator of music, asked me when I was going to be writing about rhyme schemes. Mark suggested it and I thought it was a great idea. So I will be breaking down the rhyme schemes of four different songs, and how they affect the rest of the song, melodically and structurally.
Alternate Rhyme (ABAB)--In this rhyme scheme, every other line rhymes: The first line rhymes with the third line, while the second line rhymes with the fourth line.
Example: “Sara” by Bob Dylan
Lyrically: This is an apology song to Dylan’s ex-wife, Sara. It should be noted that the verses use the ABAB rhyme scheme, while the chorus uses an AABB rhyme scheme (where the first line rhymes with the second, and the third and fourth lines rhyme with each other). To me, this is an incredibly effective technique for what the song is trying to say: The verses are all the memories. Dylan did not ramble in the way he did with “Like a Rolling Stone,” and the tension of not knowing where he’s going to rhyme in the verses helps us feel the sadness he’s feeling. Even though the rhymes are the point in this blog, I have to also point out one of my favorite lines in the 5th chorus:
Sara, Sara, Scorpio Sphinx in a Calico Dress
Sara, Sara, you must forgive my unworthiness
Also, never be afraid to reference your other songs in future songs. Dylan does this when he mentions “Staying up late at the Chelsea hotel, writing ‘Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands’ for you.”
Melodically: Dylan wrote this song in a minor key (Em) to imply the sadness of the lyrics. Over the refrain, The bass line goes from G, C, to D, the D, C, to E over the chords on the guitar of G, Am, to Bm, then D, to C to Em. This adds interest as the bass is prominent in this production carrying the tonality of the song, but with the guitar you have Am/G and Bm/D which is a major 7th chord sound. However, a wandering is still present with the minor chords on the guitar. Interesting production to add to the lyrical emotion.
Structurally: At the beginning of this blog, I mentioned how the rhyme scheme affects the rest of the song. The hopelessness of the verses make it sound like he’s wandering around aimlessly, so the chorus could have gone in a blaming direction, asking Sara why she had to leave him. Instead, it takes the form of almost groveling. The chorus is a necessary component, as it ties together just how much he blew it. If that apology had been overly complicated (using the same rhyme scheme as the verses), it wouldn’t have worked nearly as well. Contrast that with “Idiot Wind,” which uses the same rhyme scheme throughout the song, and it’s just much more powerful to utilize this rhyme scheme. Thematically, using the verse, chorus, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, chorus format is very effective for the message being conveyed: All these memories, followed by the apology.
“Sara” is embedded below
2. AABAAB Rhyme Scheme–In this rhyme scheme, the first two lines rhyme, then you have a standalone line. Then you have two more lines that rhyme, followed by another line that rhymes with the standalone rhyme from earlier.
Example: “All I Wanted Was a Car” by Brad Paisley
Lyrically: This song deals with an adolescent’s dream of getting his first car and how hard he worked for it. Interestingly, it uses a similar formula to “Like a Rolling Stone” in that the last line of the pre-chorus leads into the hook (in this case, the title), of “All I wanted was a car.”
“Then there was Herschel
He did commercials
And he was gonna be a movie star
But all I wanted was a car”
“My parents, they were stunned
How this former lazy bum
Suddenly was workin’ so hard
But all I wanted was a car”
“When I caught their momma's eye
In that old thing I used to drive
Never dreamed it take me this far
All I wanted was a car”
Like “Sara”, this song doesn’t stick to one rhyme scheme, but rather uses different ones for each part of the song: the verses use AABAAB, the chorus uses the AAAA rhyme scheme, and the bridge uses ABAAB.
Melodically: This, to me, is the perfect lead track. In part, that’s because it leads off Brad’s album, 5th Gear, but also because it’s incredibly catchy, with lots of stops and starts, effective for the song in question. The rhyme scheme for the verses suits the jumpiness of the lyrics mentioned above. The song is in the key of F major and predominantly moves between the F (I), Bb (IV), and C (V) chords with a bit of swing giving the song a crossover feel between rock and country. However, the rhythm is supported by a fiddle and pedal steel guitar keeping that county roots feel.
Structurally: This song uses a verse, pre-chorus, verse, pre-chorus, chorus, solo, bridge, verse, pre-chorus, chorus, chorus format. At the end of each pre-chorus comes the hook, which differs this song structurally from something like “Dream On,” by Aerosmith, “Don’t Stop Believin’,” by Journey, or “Hold My Hand,” by Hootie and the Blowfish, all of which use pre-choruses that attach to other verses, without giving away the title.
“All I Wanted Was a Car” is embedded below, as are “Dream On,” “Don’t Stop Believin’,” and “Hold My Hand” so you can compare structures.
3. AABB Rhyme Scheme – In this rhyme scheme, the first two lines rhyme with each other, and the last two lines rhyme with each other.
“Monday Morning Church” Performed by Alan Jackson (written by Erin Enderlin and Brent Baxter)
Lyrically: The lyrics were written by Brent Baxter, and based on a line his mom used. The melody was written by Erin Enderlin, who had just lost a friend in a car accident, and related deeply to the lyrics. In a previous blog, I talked about how when you use a metaphor, sometimes you don’t want to be fixated on it for the whole song, as it would begin to lose its meaning. Here, the song opens up with a stanza rich with religious undertones.
“You left your Bible on the dresser, so I put it in the drawer
‘Cause I can’t seem to talk to God without yelling anymore
And when I sit at your piano, I almost hear those hymns
The keys are just collecting dust, but I can’t close the lid”
Although the lyrics to “Sara” take on a sad, wistful tone, there is a sense of tension that needs to get out with that song, hence why the rhyme scheme works so well. In “Monday Morning Church,” the lyrics are just flat out sad, so having the AABB rhyme scheme, which is prevalent throughout all parts of the song, expresses that unchanging sadness.
Melodically: This song contains violin and piano, as well as very light drums and a pedal steel guitar. In the Alan Jackson recording is in the key of E, and the chords in the first half of the verse are E, A, E/G#, F#m, Bsus4 to B, then in the second half of the verse E, F#m, E/G#, A, Bsus4 to B. In the key of E, F#m is the ii chord which is alternated with the IV chord A. Both the F#m ii chord and the A IV chords function as subdominant in the key of E. B is the dominant V chord, which ends the section in the verse, but the Bsus4 (V suspended 4th) chord adds to the feeling of loss by adding ambiguity in the melody. This is supported by the slow tempo of the song which sets a somber tone to match the lyrics and the rhyme scheme.
Structurally: This song follows a verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus, ending format. The ending is the first line: “You left your Bible on the dresser, so I put it in the drawer”. Of note, not finishing the line the way it did in the first verse bugged me at first, but the whole point of this song is to express frustration over a lack of closure, so it makes sense that this song lacks closure too.
“Monday Morning Church” is linked below:
Alan Jackson version:
Erin Enderlin version:
4. AABBA Rhyme Scheme (AKA Limerick Meter)--In this rhyme scheme, the first two lines rhyme with each other, then the next two lines rhyme with each other. The last line then rhymes with the first one.
“Acela” by Fountains of Wayne
Notes:
Typically, I try not to talk about the same group in two consecutive blogs, but I also wanted this one to contain a set of songs that got me paying attention to rhyme schemes, not just listening to the songs for the aesthetic experience.
I have extensive experience with limerick meters. When rhyming in songs, it’s always important to pay attention to where the syllable stress falls. In my experience writing limericks, it’s especially hard to rhyme with names that have first syllable stress. The simple, but faced-paced lyrics of “Acela” makes the limerick meter work.
Lyrically: This song is about a guy who’s trying to reconnect with a lost love on the Acela train, which runs up and down the east coast. If you’re looking to bulk up on all things about the East Coast, give Fountains of Wayne a listen. Although there are some assonance rhymes (such as “Headed to Massachusetts,” it still follows the limerick cadence very closely throughout the verse and pre-chorus/chorus. For example, in the pre-chorus/hook, it says:
“And it’s entertaining
By New Haven
Once you’ve had yourself a drink or two
Shot to hell on the Acela
Tell me, baby, where the hell are you”
(Also of note: the way he says, “Hell” makes it rhyme with “Acel”, and if not for the catchiness, I’d be a little bit more offended by him not singing “entertainin’” and “New Haven”.)
The bridge is slightly irregular with its rhyme scheme, as the first line is a standalone. From there, it uses ABBA in the first part (where the first and last lines rhyme with each other, and the middle two lines rhyme with each other), while the second part to the bridge, uses an AAAA rhyme scheme, seen below:
Pt. 1
“When they called, ‘all aboard’
You were nowhere, to be found
Though you swore,
You were sure
You’d come with me, out of town”
Pt 2
“And I looked, in all the stores
I looked in, Hudson News
Searched for, any sign of you
But you had not. left any clues
I was so confused,
What was I, supposed to do?”
Melodically: This song is very much a 2011 rock song with an uptempo, catchy guitar, light drums, heavy bass, and piano complementing. Lead electric guitar comes in to fill throughout the song as well, including some distorted power chords during the bridge. The song is in C major and moves between the C (I) chord and the F (IV) chord for the verse except for the end of the last line that goes to the G (V) chord.
Structurally: This song follows a verse/refrain, verse/refrain, bridge, verse/refrain/refrain structure. The first part of the refrain repeats melodically, but with different lyrics after each verse. The bridge comes in after the second verse/hook, which is necessary. Though this is a very catchy song, it’s very repetitive, like a train’s motion, so it needed something to break up the monotony. In my analysis of “Action Hero” by Fountains of Wayne (which was also written by Adam Schlesinger), I mentioned how Adam was a master at knowing the moment. This included genre, the project he was working on, and also things like rhyme scheme and structure within songs. Although this song probably would have been fine without a bridge, since it’s so catchy, he knew it needed something to change it up for the listener. The bridge ends with a very dissonant chord on the second guitar that doesn’t provide closure, which leads perfectly into a solo, followed by the last verse. It’s just a masterfully crafted song.
“Acela” is embedded below. For a fuller glimpse of Adam’s prowess as a songwriter, go back to my last blog about Character Development, where you can hear a full slate of what made him so fabulous.
In my next blog, I will revisit something I touched on briefly in my analysis of “River” by Joni Mitchell: Writing on Assignment.
