# Songs that piss you off by adding words to get meter or using made up names to rhyme **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 8, 2006, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-piss-you-off-by-adding-words-to-get-meter-or-using-made-up-names-to-rhyme/359901 "2006-06-08T15:47:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2006, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-piss-you-off-by-adding-words-to-get-meter-or-using-made-up-names-to-rhyme/359901/21 "2006-06-08T18:05:16Z")
> [@Moe](#): > > That’s exactly the first song that popped into my head upon reading the thread title. > > “pompatous of love” anyone? Not the same thing, though. [The Master speaks](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a4_065.html) on the subject. ---
**Author:** ![minlokwat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minlokwat/32/2844_2.png) [@minlokwat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minlokwat)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2006, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-piss-you-off-by-adding-words-to-get-meter-or-using-made-up-names-to-rhyme/359901/22 "2006-06-08T18:24:02Z")
> [@Bippy the Beardless](#): > > As for the OP all I can say is Sussudio, I don’t buy the story that Phil Collins’ Daughter had a horse of that name ‘before’ the song was written. That’s not the one I heard. I seem to recall watching an interview during which Phil Collins explained the word’s origin. When the song was still in its rough stages and lyrics were still being worked out, Phil said he would sing the made-up word "Sussudio"and figured he would add in a name or word that fit the meter later down the road. Well he never could come up with an actual name and had gotten used to singing it with the made-up word so, Su-su-sussudio it remained. I wonder if **Wang Chung** had a similar experience whilst writing “Every body Wang Chung tonight.” ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2006, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-piss-you-off-by-adding-words-to-get-meter-or-using-made-up-names-to-rhyme/359901/23 "2006-06-08T18:40:25Z")
I don’t think this is exactly what we’re talking about, but I can’t let an “annoying words in songs” thread pass by without mentioning Eve 6’s Inside Out “I would swallow my pride , I would choke on the rhind \*\*but the lack thereof \*\* would leave me empty inside…” Who the hell says the lack thereof in casual conversation? I actually like this song quite a bit, but this line makes me giggle every time. ---
**Author:** ![Neidhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Neidhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neidhart)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2006, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-piss-you-off-by-adding-words-to-get-meter-or-using-made-up-names-to-rhyme/359901/24 "2006-06-08T20:09:10Z")
Mony Mony! Has there ever in the history of the world been a girl named Mony? Or Sloopy? ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2006, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-piss-you-off-by-adding-words-to-get-meter-or-using-made-up-names-to-rhyme/359901/25 "2006-06-08T20:16:17Z")
“Back That Ass Up” I’m not going to bother rhyming any lines at all, I’ll just say “yeah” at the ene of every single one. WTF? ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2006, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-piss-you-off-by-adding-words-to-get-meter-or-using-made-up-names-to-rhyme/359901/26 "2006-06-08T20:18:37Z")
> [@Neidhart](#): > > Or Sloopy? I’m sure I was not the only kid in the '60s who thought that song was about Snoopy. ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2006, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-piss-you-off-by-adding-words-to-get-meter-or-using-made-up-names-to-rhyme/359901/27 "2006-06-08T20:37:57Z")
> [@minlokwat](#): > > That’s not the one I heard. > > I seem to recall watching an interview during which Phil Collins explained the word’s origin. > > When the song was still in its rough stages and lyrics were still being worked out, Phil said he would sing the made-up word "Sussudio"and figured he would add in a name or word that fit the meter later down the road. > > Well he never could come up with an actual name and had gotten used to singing it with the made-up word so, Su-su-sussudio it remained. Now that’s the one I heard as well, which is why I called BS on the horse name story that is on the web info pages these days. ---
**Author:** ![thwartme](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@thwartme](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thwartme)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2006, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-piss-you-off-by-adding-words-to-get-meter-or-using-made-up-names-to-rhyme/359901/28 "2006-06-08T20:42:15Z")
> [@Crotalus](#): > > I originally thought that’s what he sang, but I believe the line is actually “But if this ever-changing world in which we’re livin’” Thank you. I’ve been trying to get Penn Jilette to acknowledge this for a while now… ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2006, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-piss-you-off-by-adding-words-to-get-meter-or-using-made-up-names-to-rhyme/359901/29 "2006-06-08T21:11:14Z")
Am I the only person who prefers that? Add the extra word - I want it to rhyme and scan. There’s a song out now that people (for some reason) love that has the line of words “muster every ounce of confidence I have” crammed into a line of music where it doesn’t fit (and I don’t think it rhymes, either). And it just sounds stupid. Like he didn’t finish writing the song or couldn’t come up with any words or something. Chop it into two lines and find a word that rhymes or don’t sing it. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2006, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-piss-you-off-by-adding-words-to-get-meter-or-using-made-up-names-to-rhyme/359901/30 "2006-06-08T21:25:37Z")
Everyone can have a bad day. Take Steve Miller. Billy Mack is a detective down in Texas You know he knows just exactly what the facts is He ain’t gonna let those two escape justice He makes his livin’ off of the peoples taxes ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2006, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-piss-you-off-by-adding-words-to-get-meter-or-using-made-up-names-to-rhyme/359901/31 "2006-06-08T21:43:56Z")
Madonna’s _Like A Prayer_ always annoyed me (and not because of any blasphemous overtones in the video, like everybody else got their panties in a twist over – I don’t do videos) simply because the line “Whan I call your name it’s like a _little_ prayer” feels like the “little” is there purely for scansion. Otherwise, the song title would have been “Like a Little Prayer”. I know, it makes no sense. _De gustibus_, and all that rot… ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2006, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-piss-you-off-by-adding-words-to-get-meter-or-using-made-up-names-to-rhyme/359901/32 "2006-06-08T21:53:22Z")
Alanis Morisette, anyone? I don’t think there’s a single one of her songs where she hasn’t stretched a word out to four times its normal number of syllables just to make it fit, or added a half dozen words in breathless succession, trying to squash them into the meter. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2006, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-piss-you-off-by-adding-words-to-get-meter-or-using-made-up-names-to-rhyme/359901/33 "2006-06-08T22:01:30Z")
This lyric from Yes always bothered me… \*cause its time, its time in time With your time and its news is captured For the queen to use. \* ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-piss-you-off-by-adding-words-to-get-meter-or-using-made-up-names-to-rhyme/359901/34 "2006-06-09T00:08:46Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Everyone can have a bad day. Take Steve Miller. > > Billy Mack is a detective down in Texas > You know he knows just exactly what the facts is > He ain’t gonna let those two escape justice > He makes his livin’ off of the peoples taxes This line is made fun of by many people including Dave Barry in his book of bad songs. However, I absolutely love it. It’s completely acceptable to have A and C not rhyme as long as B and D go together, _and_ the fact that “taxes” sounds similar to “texas” but is part of the non-rhyming pair of the lyrics rather than the rhyming one is actually quite clever. ---
**Author:** ![Nic2004](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/4491bb/32.png) [@Nic2004](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nic2004)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-piss-you-off-by-adding-words-to-get-meter-or-using-made-up-names-to-rhyme/359901/35 "2006-06-09T00:24:27Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Everyone can have a bad day. Take Steve Miller. > > Billy Mack is a detective down in Texas > You know he knows just exactly what the facts is > He ain’t gonna let those two escape justice > He makes his livin’ off of the peoples taxes That’s the one! I hate “…that’s were they ran into a great big hassel.” Did you write this on a hamburger wrapper on the way to the studio? Also the **Doors** : “There’s a killer on the road. His brain is squirming like a toad.” A TOAD? Sheesh ---
**Author:** ![Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7cd45c/32.png) [@Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glory)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-piss-you-off-by-adding-words-to-get-meter-or-using-made-up-names-to-rhyme/359901/36 "2006-06-09T00:32:27Z")
> [@Argent Towers](#): > > This line is made fun of by many people including Dave Barry in his book of bad songs. However, I absolutely love it. It’s completely acceptable to have A and C not rhyme as long as B and D go together, _and_ the fact that “taxes” sounds similar to “texas” but is part of the non-rhyming pair of the lyrics rather than the rhyming one is actually quite clever. It’s not the rhyming of taxes and Texas I hate, it’s “facts is.” Facts ARE! Grrr. I will add Paula Coles “I don’t Want to Wait” So open up your morning light, And say a little prayer for\*\* I\*\* Prayer for ME! Grrr. ---
**Author:** ![Idlewild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8491ac/32.png) [@Idlewild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idlewild)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-piss-you-off-by-adding-words-to-get-meter-or-using-made-up-names-to-rhyme/359901/37 "2006-06-09T00:33:13Z")
The one line where I wish they’d done something to improve the scansion rather than sing breathlessly to cram all the words in the line is from Africa by Toto: > [@](#): > > As sure as Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengeti I just wince and then giggle. It’s too much. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-piss-you-off-by-adding-words-to-get-meter-or-using-made-up-names-to-rhyme/359901/38 "2006-06-09T00:48:40Z")
> [@Chez Guevara](#): > > Fair points regarding _Eleanor_ but it still pisses me off. Me too! 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Marlitharn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/779978/32.png) [@Marlitharn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marlitharn)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-piss-you-off-by-adding-words-to-get-meter-or-using-made-up-names-to-rhyme/359901/39 "2006-06-09T00:49:58Z")
There’s a song I hear on the radio every now and then - I think it’s called “Love is what I Got” but I’ve no idea who sings it - and the part that grates on my last nerve is: _Love’s what I got, Don’t start a ri-OT…_ Yep, he rhymes “riot” with “got”. I might forgive him if he was making it up as he was recording it, but did no one look at the lyric sheet and say, “Um, dude, about this line…” ---
**Author:** ![ululate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/59ef9b/32.png) [@ululate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ululate)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-piss-you-off-by-adding-words-to-get-meter-or-using-made-up-names-to-rhyme/359901/40 "2006-06-09T01:25:50Z")
Billy Joel, needing to rhyme “she’s always a woman to me”, helpfully explains that “she can’t be convicted, she’s earned her degree”. Bill, my wife has earned a couple of degrees, and it’s my understanding that she can nevertheless be convicted of all _ **kinds** _ of stuff. I know you’d used up “see” and “be” and “free”, and I know you were almost finished with the song, but another couple of minutes wouldn’t have killed you. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-piss-you-off-by-adding-words-to-get-meter-or-using-made-up-names-to-rhyme/359901.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-piss-you-off-by-adding-words-to-get-meter-or-using-made-up-names-to-rhyme/359901.md?page=3)