[Dixielandjazz] when lyrics don't rhymez

[eupher dude]

I've been doing a very informal research project into lyrics that seemingly don't rhyme, but actually do.

Instances like "rain" and "again", where the long A is commonly pronounced in "again" but more commonly, at least in my parts of the US, it's a short a.  More often than not, "again" is sung with the short sound, when the Long would be a great rhyme, bringing cohesion to the sung lyric.

I have in mind one particular recording of "Stepping Out", performer shall remain nameless from me at least, where the lyric is "Stepping out, taking air/ stepping out, on a tear".  The singer pronounces "tear" as used in crying, not (as I would assume would be best) as a rip.

Then there's a song I know Scott Anthony does, and I've taken a great liking to.  "At The Devil's Ball", Berlin 1911.

"The funniest devil that I ever saw/was takin' the tickets from folks at the door/ I even got a glimpse of my mother in law"

Door seems out of place.  But, given the vocal stylings we associate with Jolson, but which are very much a part of New York (Brooklyn?  Bronx?) and New England (see the Kennedy family, adding an R to anything ending with "a" or "o"), and stereotypical Vaudevillian performers, the word
"saw" comes out "saar"  door as "daar"  and law as "laar".  Maybe the r ending isn't stressed, but it would be there.

So, this does actually lead to a question:  To sing those songs with that inflection that was, in my guessing, intended by the lyricist, or at least expected?  Unfortunately, when I try to do that, my voice changes into a bad impression of James Cagney doing Alice Cooper doing Al Jolson.

There are other examples which I just can't come up with at 6am, but that I've noticed and thought about.  "Devil's Ball" is just such a cool tune that it's the prominent one, and "Stepping Out" such a blunder, in my thinking.



Comments are appreciated.

steve "I actually dreamed about having 'a dream last night' "  hoog



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