That may be one of the awkwardest thread titles of all time. :smack:
But I can’t think of the word that applies. Over in the Worst Song Lyrics thread, SwitchcraftJack contributed Foreigner’s “Head Games.”
This is a pretty common ploy in songwriting, used in all genres.
Terrence Trent D’Arby with Des’ree, “Delicate.”
Dylan’s done it, though I can’t remember what song.
So, is there a name for this?
And how many others can you think of?
Girls, by the Beastie Boys
Dylan comes to mind:
They’ll stone you when you’re driving in your car
They’ll stone you when you’re playing your guitar.
etc.etc.
I thought this would be a game! You know, post a lyric beginning with the word that ended the previous person’s lyric.
Head games!
…
Games people play …
Never mind.
Take on me!
Take me on!
Leonard Cohen’s “Everybody Knows” Starts out like this:
Everybody knows that the dice are loaded
Everybody rolls with their fingers crossed
Everybody knows that the war is over
Everybody knows the good guys lost
Everybody knows the fight was fixed
Most of John Lennon’s God starts with the same phrase:
Also Cohen’s “Who By Fire”
Who by fire
Who by water
Who in the springtime
Who in the nghttime
Who by his lady’s command
Who by his own hand
David Bowie did this in Fame:
And to a lesser degree in Jump They Say:
Money, depending on what you mean by the word “line”.
Bonnie Tyler’s Total Eclipse of the Heart:
Turn around…
Every now and then I get a little bit lonely,
and you’re never coming round…
Turn around…
Every now and then I get a little bit tired,
of listening to the sound of my tears…
Turn around…
Every now and then I get a little bit nervous,
that the best of all the years have gone by…
Todd Rundgren, For the Want of a Nail:
*For the want of a nail, the world was lost
For the want of a nail, the world was lost
For the want of a nail, the shoe was lost
For the want of a shoe, the horse was lost
For the want of a horse, the rider was lost
For the want of a rider, the message was lost
For the want of a rider, the message was lost
For the want of a message, the battle was lost
For the want of a battle, the war was lost
For the want of a war, the kingdom was lost*
Carl Orff, In Taberna Quando Sumus, from Carmina Burana
Bibit her, bibit herus
bibit miles, bibit clerus
bibit ille, bibit illa
bibit servus cun ancilla
Translation:
The mistress drinks, the master drinks,
the soldier drinks, the priest drinks,
the man drinks, the woman drinks,
the servant drinks with the maid
Jacques Demy, Chanson d’un jour d’ete (Song of a Summer Day), from Les Demoiselles de Rochefort (The Young Girls of Rochefort)
Il faut chanter…
Chanter la vie, chanter les fleurs
Chanter les rires et les pleurs
Translation:
It is necessary to sing…
To sing the life, to sing the flowers,
To sing the laughter and the tears,
Steve Burns’ Mighty Little Man:
I’m big enough to reach the door
I’m young enough
I’m still bored
I’m unimpressed
I’m underwhelmed
I’m under dressed
I look like hell
…and on and on through the second verse:
I am revised
I am brand new
I try not -
I do
Hair has “Ain’t Got No” and “I Got Life”
Walloon: I have deleted the lyrics, because we really don’t allow posting of the complete lyrics of songs. Please see Forum Rules and note especially Post #2 in that thread.
I’ve left the “for want of a nail” because that’s a famous old folk-saying and (presumably) not under copyright. The others may be past copyright, too, I just don’t know and we’d rather be safe than sorry. (If I am incorrect, and the copyright is long expired on the other songs you cite, please email me and I’ll restore the full lyrics.)
For everyone, in this thread and any similar: best approach is to post a couple of lines, and provide a link to a site that has copyright permission to post full lyrics.
Good examples.
Does anybody know of a name for this technique? Is there something in poetry? It’s driving me crazy.
This is called an *antakshree *and we play it with Hindi songs, and it’s lots of fun. 
Anaphora.
Aha. Thank you. I hate it when I can’t think of a word.
Alanis Morissette’s Thank You
The chorus:
And the verses:
And etc…
I’ve noticed repetition like this in alot of her songs.
“Eclipse” by Pink Floyd
All that you touch
All that you see
All that you taste
All you feel
All that you love
All that you hate
All you distrust
All you save
All that you give
All that you deal
All that you buy
beg, borrow or steal…