# In honor of "The Lusty Month of May"--songs that rhyme syllables **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 1, 2004, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-honor-of-the-lusty-month-of-may-songs-that-rhyme-syllables/242972 "2004-05-01T12:17:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [May 1, 2004, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-honor-of-the-lusty-month-of-may-songs-that-rhyme-syllables/242972/1 "2004-05-01T12:17:46Z")
Camelot’s [The Lusty Month of May](http://www.joolsrocks.co.uk/lyrics/may.html) includes the lines The time for every frivolous whim Proper or im- and When all the world is brimming with fun Wholesome or un- What other songs use this technique: If the words don’t rhyme, use syllables. I can think of two more from musicals: In Forbidden Broadway’s Les Miz spoof “Do You Hear The People Sing”: Come join with the few Who have started a mu- sical war. And my obligatory Andrew Lloyd Webber referend: “Half A Moment” from Jeeves: Even though Half a mo- Ment is too few. What others are there? ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_Wright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Steve\_Wright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_Wright)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2004, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-honor-of-the-lusty-month-of-may-songs-that-rhyme-syllables/242972/2 "2004-05-01T21:31:58Z")
I remember, from somewhere, Tom Lehrer’s attempt to find a rhyme for “orange”: _Eating an orange, While making love, Makes for bizarre enj- Oyment thereof._ ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2004, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-honor-of-the-lusty-month-of-may-songs-that-rhyme-syllables/242972/3 "2004-05-02T02:11:46Z")
Lehrer did it elsewhere: And you may have thought it tragic, Not to mention other adjec- Tives, to think of all the weeping they will do. (from _We Will All Go Together When We Go_) Turn on the spigot, Pour the beer and swig it, And gaudeamus igit- tur. (Referring to a Yale song sung in latin: Gaudeamus igitur) (From _Bright College Days_) ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2004, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-honor-of-the-lusty-month-of-may-songs-that-rhyme-syllables/242972/4 "2004-05-02T02:53:58Z")
Beans could get no keener re- ception, in a beanery Than our mountain greenery home –Mountain Greenery, **Garrick Gaieties of 192(6?)** Rodgers and Hart ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2004, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-honor-of-the-lusty-month-of-may-songs-that-rhyme-syllables/242972/5 "2004-05-02T03:10:11Z")
(submitted too soon) Which is one of my all-time favorite songs. Lorenz Hart was a gawd and the master of these. For example: Poor Johnny One-Note Got in Aida Indeed a Great chance to be brave “Johnny One-Note”, **Babes In Arms** , Rodgers and Hart or Summer journeys to Niagra and to other places aggra- vate all our cares. We’ll save our fares! “Manhattan”, **Garrick Gaities of 192(5?)**, Rodgers and Hart or Hear me holler, I choose a Sweet lollapaloosa In thee "Thou Swell, **Connecticut Yankee** , Rodgers and Hart Just to name a few! Fenris ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2004, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-honor-of-the-lusty-month-of-may-songs-that-rhyme-syllables/242972/6 "2004-05-02T03:16:12Z")
We want to pin this triple mur- der on him He ain’t no Gentleman Jim. -Bob Dylan, Hurricane ---
**Author:** ![ioioio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ioioio/32/316_2.png) [@ioioio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ioioio)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2004, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-honor-of-the-lusty-month-of-may-songs-that-rhyme-syllables/242972/7 "2004-05-02T14:03:40Z")
I don’t want a pickle I just wanna ride my motorsic… cle. and I don’t wanna die Just wanna ride my motorcy… cle. Arlo Gurthrie (the Motorcycle Song) ---
**Author:** ![Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bambi_Hassenpfeffer)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2004, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-honor-of-the-lusty-month-of-may-songs-that-rhyme-syllables/242972/8 "2004-05-02T16:31:02Z")
Fleming & John’s “Sadder Day”: > [@](#): > > You liked to eat your grits > with butter, salt, and sugar > You drank your coffee instant and black > I always loved the fact > and thought that it was so peculiar > how you carried everything you owned in the **back-** > seat of a 1983 canary yellow Z ---
**Author:** ![Gilligan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Gilligan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gilligan)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2004, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-honor-of-the-lusty-month-of-may-songs-that-rhyme-syllables/242972/9 "2004-05-02T18:07:45Z")
Tom Lehrer also had a few of these in _Smut_ Smut! Give me smut and nothing but! A dirty novel I can’t shut, If it’s uncut, and unsubt- le. I’ve never quibbled If it was ribald, I would devour where others merely nibbled. As the judge remarked the day that he acquitted my Aunt Hortense, “To be smut It must be ut- Terly without redeeming social importance.” Por- Nographic pictures I adore. Indecent magazines galore, I like them more If they’re hard core.