Originally Posted by Mark Kaufman
Awesome to see you again, Michael!

I think every song should be taken seriously. Whatever it is meant to be needs to be seriously considered and ensured by the writer. This means an offhand, frivolous piece should have an offhand, frivolous nature, and the writer should seriously ensure that everything about it is offhand and frivolous.

So if the rhyme you decide is right for the song happens to be an identity rhyme, and you've seriously considered it, then you are right to use it, and anyone who deems it wrong is a bonehead.

Listen, some writing sucks, and some doesn't. I know you have the intelligence to distinguish between the two. Every songwriting rule you decide to embrace has the ability to hinder your progress, block your flow, nail you to the floor, turn you into a quivering ball of fear and succeed in making you sound boring.

I say write for the song, not the Imagination Police. If it turns out it is just right, but has some element that prevents it from a pitch, either change that bit or don't pitch it...but intercourse those rules while engaged in the act of creation, or you'll find yourself dithering over every single decision.



I totally agree with everything you say.

Yet...

My point is still...

You and I and Z Mulls and Lynn and Big Jim and Donna and most of those who have posted here have earned the right to write anyway we please. We are confident enough in what we are doing to not need any "rules"--written or unwritten, or "shop talk" about this type of rhyme or that type...GRANTED...

Is it so for younger inexperienced writers?
Is "too much freedom" a good thing, when one is starting out, or lacking confidence?
Is there no value to say, teaching songwriting "as if" there were rules, as sifted from common usage, so one can give fledgeling students more than the chaotic feeling that accompanies, "write whatever you feel..." ... ?


I was talking towards...what seems to be an error or gap in literature about songwriting, and identity rhymes in particular, and the literature seems to say that feminine rhymes are NEVER of the type where a one syllable word is the last, unaccented syllable, the examples given are always two or more syllables. This oversight can lead some (younger, inexperienced writers) to view legitimate double, triple, and quadruple rhymes, as if they were of the unwanted, identity rhyme variety.

The only boy who could ever reach me
The only boy who could ever teach me

What are you doing the rest of your life
North and south and east and west of your life

Those are double rhymes and quadruple rhymes, respectively. My point is, it is an easy mistake to make, if you are a younger or inexperienced writer, to look at that, and say to yourself "bad identity rhymes" because there is no literature that talks about, how the ear enjoys an identity rhyme at the end of two lines, if it is set up with one or more preceding (perfect or near) rhyming, stressed syllables.

LOL...You have to admit, I'm consistent...

Good to hear from you. I've always admired your work, you know that... smile

Mike

Last edited by Michael Zaneski; 04/13/12 05:53 PM.
Fate doesn't hang on a wrong or right choice
Fortune depends on the tone of your voice

-The Divine Comedy (Neil Hannon)
from the song "Songs of Love"
from the album "Casanova" (1996)