# Hilariously bad rhymes in songs, part IX

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hilariously-bad-rhymes-in-songs-part-ix/333927>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [December 3, 2005, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hilariously-bad-rhymes-in-songs-part-ix/333927 "2005-12-03T18:44:46Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 6

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**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2006, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hilariously-bad-rhymes-in-songs-part-ix/333927/101 "2006-02-04T20:19:25Z")

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If Jacques Brel hadn’t already been dead, the English lyrics to “Season in the Sun” would have killed him.

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**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2006, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hilariously-bad-rhymes-in-songs-part-ix/333927/102 "2006-02-04T20:52:37Z")

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> [@Annie-Xmas](#):
>
> If Jacques Brel hadn’t already been dead, the English lyrics to “Season in the Sun” would have killed him.

Damn near kills _me_ every time I hear it. Mostly because of injuries caused by the blind dive for the radio dial when I hear the intro…

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**Author:** ![Dervorin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Dervorin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dervorin)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2006, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hilariously-bad-rhymes-in-songs-part-ix/333927/103 "2006-02-05T09:46:36Z")

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> [@CookingWithGas](#):
>
> Here’s another that maybe doesn’t count because it’s sounds tongue in cheek, from Dire Straits’ Industrial Disease:
> 
> I don’t know how you came to get those Betty Davis eyes [but pronounced “eez”]  
> But worst of all young man you’ve got Industrial Disease!
> 
> When he sings “eez” you can almost hear him wince.

Funny thing, I always thought he was saying “Bette Davis knees,” which, admittedly, didn’t make too much sense, but hey, it’s not like the rest of the song is the epitome of reasoned argument either. However, I went to practise my google-fu on this, and discovered that most people tend to transcribe the lyrics as “knees”. However, one enterprising soul has managed to hear [“Bette Davis wheeze”](http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Industrial-Disease-lyrics-Dire-Straits/11314E9C69C6303C48256BCE000BE7B7).

I listened carefully, though, and realised that he does indeed say “eez”. Which leads me to ask: what on earth are Bette Davis eez?

Jefferson Airplane/Starship are a pretty fruitful source of wince-inducing rhymes. I submit as an example the lyrics of “We Built This City”:

> [@](#):
>
> Marconi plays the mamba, listen to the radio, don’t you remember

mamba… and remember? :rolleyes:

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**Author:** ![mamboman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecb155/32.png) [@mamboman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mamboman)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2006, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hilariously-bad-rhymes-in-songs-part-ix/333927/104 "2006-02-05T20:27:19Z")

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On “I love New York” from her latest album, Madonna plumbs new depths of sophistry when she rhymes “New York” with “Dork”.

I’ll say it again. “New York” ------ “Dork”.

mm

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