|
|
I love to rhyme
(Gershwin)
Verse:
There are men who in their leisure,
Love to play the horses;*
There are others who get pleasure
Cursing on golf courses.**
General Grant loved to smoke;
Mark Twain loved to joke;
Radio comics love to pun -
But the real thing I do is much more fun.
Refrain 1:
I love to rhyme -
Mountaineers love to climb -
Criminals love to crime -
But I love to rhyme.
What joy to croon:***
Spoon, June, prune, moon, soon ;
Chuckle, knuckle, nickel, fickle, pickle!
I love to rhyme.
Variety, society, propriety...
There's no stopping when you've begun;
Capacity veracity, audacity...
Did you ever know such fun?
I love to rhyme -
And wouldn't it be sublime
If one day it could be
That YOU rhyme with ME?
Refrain 2:
I love to rhyme -
Steeple bells love to chime -
Citrus fruit loves to lime -
But I love to rhyme.
Such pure delight -
Bite, sight, fight, quite, right;
Castle, tassle, muscle, tussle, Yussel!
I love to rhyme.
Algerian, Siberian, Shakespearean...
Tell me, how can you resist?
Amnesia, Rhodesia, Zembesia
Cannot lightly be dismissed.
I love to rhyme -
But here we are wasting time!
The day is overdue
When *I* rhyme with YOU!
*Published version of verse, line 2:
'Love to fish for salmon'
**Published version of verse, line 4: 'When they play
backgammon.'
***Published version of refrain, lines 5-6:
'I love to say:
Gay, day, may, hey, hey!'
Logan-Clark Lyric:
[this revised version was intended for Bobby Clark and Ella
Logan, but was unused]
Logan:
I love to rhyme -
Steeple bells love to chime -
Handicappers love to time -
But I love to rhyme.
Such pure delight -
Bite, slight, fight, quite, right;
Muscle, tussle, tassel, castle, 'rassle' -
I love to rhyme.
[Clark no begins to challenge her]
Clark:
Pedestrian!
Logan:
Equestrian!
Clark: [pointing to his head] My cranium!
Logan: [belittlingly] Geranium!
Clark: [embracing her] Harmonious!
Logan: [breaking away] Erroneous!
Clark: [posing like Napoleon] Indispensable!
Logan: [indicating he is 'tetched in the head'] Insensible!
Clark: [pointing to his waistcoat] Splendiferous!
Logan: Pestiferous!
Clark: [Indicating the loud tie he is wearing] Unmatchable!
Logan: [snatching it off] Detachable!
Clark: [He has her now - no rhyme for "orange"] Orange!
Logan: [Nothing stops her] tangerine!
Both:
I love to rhyme -
And wouldn't it be sublime
If one day it could be
That YOU rhyme with ME?
