How to write "Non-Rhyming" Songs

[bwalker]

How do you write songs that seem to have no rhyming scheme whatsoever?

 

Let me re-word that...

 

What is catchy about the songs that make it big that don't seem to have any particular rhyme scheme?

 

I happened to listen to "Mr. Jones" by Counting Crows on the way home yesterday, and it seems like he basically puts a melody to a paragraph that was written. The song was awesome when it came out, and it's still getting radio play. What's the secret?

 

I'm sure there is other songs like this too, so I'm hoping that this thread doesn't focus on "Mr. Jones".

[discount star]

My number one rule when I write lyrics is to not rhyme for the sake of rhyming. To me, lyrics tend to sound trite when written that way. I like to write in a paragraph form, which you stated about Mr. Jones. I think you should say what needs to be said. If it happens that you come up with a rhyme to drive the point home...great. But when I don't write in verse or rhyme, it really pushes me to have a better delivery while singing. I think the reason for this is cause I don't have that cushion of a rhyme sitting at the end of a line. It forces me to sing with more feeling and come up with a cooler way to say that last word that doesn't rhyme. Does this make sense to you? I hope it helps.

[LDF]

It's the melody! As long as it has a catchy melody it'll work...

Dave Matthews does this all the time. He hardly ever rhymes.

[mmmiddle]

I naturally rhyme when I'm writing a song but I always do it in a way that isn't so obvious. What do you think about this option?

 

For instance:

 

Everybody knows my name

but they don't know who I am

and they don't care.

And they all try to be cool

only ask me how are you

and they don't care.

 

Name / Am, Cool / You are all off-rhymes and they are broken up by the non-rhyming line "And they don't care."

 

Here's another one:

I woke up this morning

Took a look outside

The clouds they were parting

To let the sun shine, shine, shine, shine

 

outside / shine are a rhyme but they are far apart (this song is sung slow) and only used to build up to the next part.

[mmmiddle]

By the way, I think the Mr. Jones song does use a kind of rhyming scheme like I'm talking about:

 

Mr. Jones and me

Tell each other fairy tales and we

Stare at the beautiful women

She's looking at you

Oh no no she's looking at me

Smiling through the bright light

Comin' through in stereo

When everybody loves you

You can never be lonely

 

"you" and "stereo" . . .

"me" / "we" / "lonely"

[Fido]

Personally, I believe "Non-Rhyming" is an overglamorized ability - it's much harder to rhyme while advancing or reinforcing the subject of the song than it is to not rhyme because there is that extra variable, Rhyming, to juggle. I used to have the impression that it was the lack of rhymes that made certain lyrics great when what it really was was just good writing. No more. A good line is a good line is a good line, whether it rhymes or not, imo.

 

However, if you wish to develop a Non-Rhyming ability you can try rewriting some of the rhyming songs you've written as an exercise. Just go through them and remove all the lines that rhyme and try saying them in a different way while still remaining loyal to the subject matter and the ideas you've expressed in the song. Then compare the two songs - Non-Rhyming and Rhyming - and determine for yourself which one sounds better to you. Or try it in reverse and turn Non-Rhyming song into rhyming ones. My guess is, all other variables being equal, you'll choose the rhyming one. Also try imagining (or even rewriting) the Non-Rhyming songs of artists whose songs you are impressed by. If there were a way you (or they) could add rhymes while remaining loyal to the song's subject/story without trivializing it, would it ruin the song or enhance it?

 

I have to admit though, there are many lines in songs that don't rhyme but still sound extremely good; mostly, however, as single line choruses, tags, outros, or refrains or whatever. But I tend to give them credit as good lines because of just plain delivery and not necessarily because they didn't rhyme. Sometimes you need a Non-Rhyming line at the end of a section of verse or music like a knot at the end of a rope. It sounds more finished that way.

[Fido]

 

Originally posted by mmmiddle By the way, I think the Mr. Jones song does use a kind of rhyming scheme like I'm talking about: Mr. Jones and me Tell each other fairy tales and we Stare at the beautiful women She's looking at you Oh no no she's looking at me Smiling through the bright light Comin' through in stereo When everybody loves you You can never be lonely "you" and "stereo" . . . "me" / "we" / "lonely"

 

 

Here is also a verse that rhymes(not verbatum):

 

"I wanna be a lion

Everybody wanna pass as cats

Yea, we wanna be big, big stars

But we got different reasons for that"

[BryanMichael]

I agree with Fido mostly.

That is the 'art" of lyric writing- to advance the narrative in a prose like form. I like non-rhyming stuff too as a matter of form,

but things like "Mr. Jones" have ALOT of rhythm going on and "internal rhymes" were syllables land in rhyme places-

Check out Eminem for perfect examples of what I'm talking about- he gets the sound-alike (but not perfect rhyme) syllables to land on the beat just right.

[solitaire]

I think I know what you mean. The thing about a non-rhyming song is the melody keeps growing and taking unexpected turns. The lyrics just drives this on and doesn't promt the song to repeat phrases and call for rhymes.

[opranks612]

You can work with trying to get a certain number of syllables per sentence. Say, alternating a 13 and 7 syllable sentences would sound interesting, and it helps create a natural rhythm.

[Dr. Tweedbucket]

Let me try one real quick here.....

 

 

Green bean Sin

 

 

 

I was cooking

some stuff tonight

Thought I'd grab a Green bean

And start cooking it

 

Well, the door bell rang

I had to gooooo

The bean was smokin

the way green beans dooooo

 

Chorus

 

Green bean heaven

Oh why not tonight ?

Cookin and a smokin

or Green bean Hell ?

 

I was out of luck now

Cause when I found out

My green bean burning

I was so messed up about it

 

I called 911

But nobody was home

I called my Uncle

Out in Hawaii

 

Chorus

 

Green bean heaven

Oh why not tonight ?

Cookin and a smokin

or Green bean Hell ?

 

 

Solo

 

Green bean heaven

Oh why not tonight ?

Cookin and a smokin

or Green bean Hell ?

 

 

So I grabbed the pan

and turned the burner off

Beans turn to charcol

it make me sad

 

I guess I know now

to watch the stove

because if I don't

I will burn things up

 

Green bean heaven

Oh why not tonight ?

Cookin and a smokin

or Green bean Hell ?

 

Green bean heaven

Oh why not tonight ?

Cookin and a smokin

or Green bean Hell ?

 

Green bean heaven

Oh why not tonight ?

Cookin and a smokin

or Green bean Hell ?

 

 

 

 

 

...... yeah, I guess that works .........