e.g., Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville:
Chorus #1–But I know, it’s nobody’s fault…
Chorus #2–But I think it could be my fault…
Chrous #3–But I know it’s my own damn fault.
Similarily, Looking Glass’s Brandy (You’re a fine girl)
Chorus #1–Yes, your eyes could steal a sailor from the sea…
Choruses # 2 & #3–But my life, my love and my lady is the sea.
The Mercy Seat, though not arranged in traditional verse-chorus structure, uses slightly-different recurring lines most effectively.
And anyway I told the truth
…
And anyway I never lied.
…
And anyway there was no proof
…
But I’m afraid I told a lie.
Florence & The Machine, 'Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)
First time around:
Second
Don Henley, “The End of the Innocence”
You can lay your head back on the ground
And let your hair fall all around me
[…]
Just lay your head back on the ground
And let your hair spill all around me
[…]
Just lay your head back on the ground
And let your hair fall all around me
There’s other slight changes in the refrain as well but the head/hair thing always felt somewhat arbitrary to me.
Rain King by Counting Crows
She’s been crying I’ve been thinking And I am the Rain King
She’s been lying I’ve been sinking And I am the Rain King
She’s been dying I been drinking and I am the Rain King
The Wind Cries Mary by Jimi Hendrix
And the wind whispers, Mary.
And the wind cries, Mary.
And the wind screams, Mary.
The Beatles have a few.
Let It Be:
Speaking words of wisdom
Whisper words of wisdom
Rocky Raccoon:
Rocky Raccoon checked into his room
Only to find Gideon’s bible
Rocky Raccoon fell back in his room
Only to find Gideon’s bible
Hey Jude
The minute you let her under your skin
Then you begin to make it better
Remember to let her under your skin
Then you’ll begin to make it better
mmm
Don Henley, The Boys of Summer.
Mean Mr. Mustard , you forgot the Beatles ‘Ob-la-di, ob-la-da’? for shame
Happy ever after in the market place…
Desmond lets the children lend a hand…
Molly stays at home and does her pretty face…
…
Happy ever after in the market place…
Molly lets the children lend a hand…
Desmond stays at home and does his pretty face…
My vote for minimalist chorus change that meets the OP’s criteria…
Faith No More’s “We Care A Lot”
“It’s a dirty job but someones gotta do it”
till the very last rep in the song…
“It’s a dirty song but someone’s gotta sing it”
Counting Crows do this to varying degrees in a lot of their songs.
Fun Fun Fun by the Beach Boys.
“And she’ll have fun, fun, fun til her daddy takes the t-bird away,” in the end becomes
“And we’ll have fun, fun, fun now that daddy took the t-bird away.”
That always struck me as a little creepy, honestly.
How about the Who’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It”? The chorus responds to Tommy twice:
“We’re not gonna take it
Never did and never will
We’re not gonna take it
Gonna break it
Gonna shake it
Let’s forget it, better still”
“We’re not gonna take it
Never did and never will
Don’t want no religion
And as far as we can tell
We ain’t gonna take you
Never did and never will
We’re not gonna take you
We forsake you
Gonna rape you
Let’s forget you, better still”
The Smiths do this in “You’ve Got Everything Now”:
1
But I don’t want a lover
I just want to be seen…oh…in the back of your car
2
But I don’t want a lover
I just want to be tied…oh…to the back of your car
Those are verses. The chorus is the “Ob-La-Di” part.
And “Rocky Racoon” has no chorus. It has a longish introduction, several verses, and a tag.
Bruce Springsteen, “Brilliant Disguise”
First two times around:
Third (and last time):
U2 All I Want is You
“all the promises we make
from the cradle to the grave”
“the promises we break
from the cradle to the grave”
Peter Gabriel’s “Solsbury Hill” has slightly different recurring lines:
…My heart going boom boom boom
“Son,” he said “Grab your things,
I’ve come to take you home.”
…My heart going boom boom boom
“Hey” he said “Grab your things
I’ve come to take you home.”
…My heart going boom boom boom
“Hey” I said “You can keep my things,
They’ve come to take me home.”
Leonard Cohen’s “Suzanne”
And you want to travel with her
And you want to travel blind
And you know that she will trust you
For you’ve touched her perfect body with your mind.
…
And you want to travel with him
And you want to travel blind
And you think maybe you’ll trust him
For he’s touched your perfect body with his mind.
…
And you want to travel with her
And you want to travel blind
And you know that you can trust her
For she’s touched your perfect body with her mind.
Kris Kristofferson’s “Me & Bobby McGee”:
“Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose
And nothing ain’t worth nothing but it’s free…”
“Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose
And nothing left was all she left to me…”
Townes Van Zandt’s “Pancho and Lefty”:
“All the federales say
They could have had him any day
They only let him hang around
Out of kindness I suppose”
“All the federales say
They could have had him any day
They only let him slip away
Out of kindness I suppose”
“A few gray federales say
They could have had him any day
They only let him go so wrong
Out of kindness I suppose”
(The first chorus refers to Pancho; the second, and presumably the third, to Lefty.)
Wilco. Can’t stand it. First couple times " nothing’s as random as gods love". By the end he admits that “nothings as random as my love”.