We figured it was time to talk about rhyme; a cornerstone of songwriting. So we invited one of our favourite singer/songwriters – Blair Packham – to take a closer listen to songs with a plethora of rhymes and one with virtually none! We talked about:

• The songwriter’s personal approach to rhyme
• Does rhyme distract from the the emotion of the song?
• Kinds of rhymes – rhymezone.com
• Perfect rhymes for something certain (e.g. right/might)
• Assonance rhymes for uncertainty or negative feelings (e.g. around/down, blood/rush)
• Pat Pattison – how do rhymes serve the song?
• Rhyme schemes
• Neel’s notes on rhyming from Pat Pattison’s Songwriting course on Coursera
• The notion of the “illusion of authenticity” – stay tuned for a future theme show with Blair!

Listen to the show

Download the lyrics

Simple Twist of Fate by Bob Dylan

Cry Me a River by Arthur Hamilton

You’re the Top by Cole Porter

Fast Car by Tracy Chapman