JPF Home Page Forums General Messages Songwriter Message Forum Obvious rhymes

Thanks Lynn. The inspiration was something the British poet Lee Harwood once told me when talking about avoiding cliches. He said, " 'I love you' is a cliche." We're just talking about current trends. They'll probably go back to hard rhymes at some point, and maybe just turn to no rhymes at all, like the Haiku jazz standard, Moonlight in Vermont.

Avoiding the word "again" in the bridge produced just the effect in you that I wanted. Anyone reading or hearing it would know what I meant without my saying it. Plus it created a surprise. Just as in music, when we set up the ear to think we're moving to one chord only to hit another, we can do that with words. My favorite limerick does this:

There once was a poet named Wyatt
Whose voice was remarkably quiet
And then one day
It faded away

Anyway, I wrote it just to comment on the subject artistically. I like to do that. It's not meant to be pitched and may never ever be recorded, though I do have music for it, which I play in my mind...along with the voices in my head that tell me what to type.

Here it is again....

t's a Cliche
(c)2009 words and music by Mike Dunbar

VERSE
The Nasvhille songwriters say don't rhyme "start" with "heart"
But right from the start you put a new beat in my heart
It feels so new but it's the oldest thing of all
It's such a trip the way you made me fall

CHORUS
It's a Cliche
"I love you" is now passe
And those love rhymes have gone away
But still I feel like I'm inventing the wheel
Each time you blow me a kiss it may be old but it's real
So I can't stop myself from these words I say
Even though
It's a Cliche

VERSE
You might not hear my lyrics singing on the radio
They won't open the doors down there on Music...well, you know
But just like Grandpa or the Romans and those old cavemen
We'll find those simple things work over and over amen

CHORUS
It's a Cliche
"I love you" might be passe
And those love rhymes have gone away
But still I feel like I'm inventing the wheel
Each time you blow me a kiss it may be old but it's real
So now I can't stop myself from these words I say
Even though
It's a Cliche

BRIDGE
I'm not afraid to be foolish
You're too much to lose to a trend
So I'll keep saying "I love you"
Over and over and over

CHORUS
It's a Cliche
"I love you" might be passe
And those love rhymes have gone away
But still I feel like I'm inventing the wheel
Each time you blow me a kiss it may be old but it's real
So now I can't stop myself from these words I say
Even though
It's a Cliche
"I love you" might be passe
And those love rhymes have gone away
But still I feel like I'm inventing the wheel
Each time you blow me a kiss it may be old but it's real
So now I can't stop myself from these words I say
Even though
It's a Cliche


##################

Sausage Link, welcome!

Through the tears, through the rain
Through the sorrow, through the morrow,
New the years, new the pain,
Shall we borrow, from the tarot?
Nay, the fears, shall refrain.