# Is there a term for these type of lyrics?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-these-type-of-lyrics/297810>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [April 5, 2005, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-these-type-of-lyrics/297810 "2005-04-05T06:59:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-these-type-of-lyrics/297810/1 "2005-04-05T06:59:38Z")

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In the song “Mr Brightside” by the Killers, there are the following lyrics:

Now they’re going to bed  
And my stomach is sick  
And it’s all in my head  
But she’s touching his—chest

There are several other songs which use the same idea - having the rhyme scheme make you think one word is going to be used and then substituting another one. Is there a term for this?

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**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-these-type-of-lyrics/297810/2 "2005-04-05T07:04:11Z")

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Crappy!

No, I kid. These lyrics don’t move me one way or the other.

In answer to your question, I can’t think of any term more technical than “misdirection.”

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**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:** [April 5, 2005, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-these-type-of-lyrics/297810/3 "2005-04-05T12:23:02Z")

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I don’t thik there is a term for it, but it not really a new thing:

"I have a sad story to tell you  
It may hurt your feelings a bit  
Last night when I walked into my bathroom  
I stepped in a big pile of

Shaving cream, be nice and clean  
Shave everyday and you`ll always look keen"

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**Author:** ![Chance\_the\_Gardener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@Chance\_the\_Gardener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chance_the_Gardener)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-these-type-of-lyrics/297810/4 "2005-04-05T12:56:50Z")

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I might call it misdirection. I don’t know if there’s a term that specifically applies to misdirection through rhyme, though.

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**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-these-type-of-lyrics/297810/5 "2005-04-05T13:18:50Z")

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It seems to take the idea from many schoolyard rhymes. They have been discussed here before. I don’t recall a specfic name distinguishing **Misdirecting Rhymes** fom other kinds, though I can think of one or two possibilities.  
[Mary had a steamboat…](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=304161&highlight=silver+buttons)