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Lorenz Hart (1895-1943) was a highly skilled lyricist. His words for "Mountain Greenery" contain some of the most inventive rhymes I've come across. If anyone is interested in what advanced lyric rhyming looks like, these lyrics are worthwhile studying.

What is especially clever is how Hart has used the poetic device of ‘enjambment’, where the end of one phrase joins with the beginning of the next phrase, to create some of his rhymes. This is not often encountered in lyrics. (I've listed some of my favourite rhymes at the end of this post.)

Here's Mel Torme singing the song...



... and here are the lyrics...


Mountain Greenery
Written in 1926 with words by Lorenz Hart & music by Richard Rodgers

[VERSE 1]
On the first of May, it is moving day
Spring is here, so blow your job
Throw your job away
Now's the time to trust
To your wanderlust
In the city's dust you wait, must you wait
Just you wait

[REFRAIN 1]
In a mountain greenery
Where God paints the scenery
Just two crazy people together

While you love your lover
Let blue skies be your coverlet
When it rains we'll laugh at the weather

And if you're good
I'll search for wood
So you can cook while I stand looking

Beans could get no keener
Reception in a beanery
Bless our mountain greenery home

[VERSE 2]
Simple cooking means
More than French Cuisines
I've a banquet planned which is
Sandwiches and beans
Coffee's just as grand
With a little sand
Eat and you'll grow fatter, boy
S'matter, boy?
Huh, huh, 'atta boy

[REFRAIN 2]
In a mountain greenery
Where God paints the scenery
Just two crazy people together

How-how-how-how-how we love sequestering
Where no pests are pestering
No dear momma holds us in tether

Mosquitoes here,
Won't bite you dear
I'll let them sting me on the finger

Beans could get no keener
Reception in a beanery
Bless our mountain greenery
Far from life's machinery
Bless our mountain greenery home


My favourite rhymes are...

  • "lover Let-" with "Coverlet". This rhyme uses enjambment to function.
  • Another enjambment-based rhyme is "keener Re-" with "beanery".


Then there are rhymes like...

  • blow your job / throw your job - where the end of one line rhymes with the beginning of the next line and then links to an end rhyme between day/away.
  • trust / wanderlust - and then this links into the rhymes, dust you wait / must you wait / just you wait.
  • sequestering / pestering
  • planned which is / sandwiches
  • cuisines / beans


The way I see it, such lyric writing skills are inspired genius!!!

Regards,
Noel
Hey Noel. Thanks for listing this very interesting.
Do you think it will catch on? smile
A very interesting read here, Noel! Lorenz Hart was certainly ahead of his time. The rhyme scheme is very intriguing, but even the lyrics in themselves I find fascinating. Thanks for sharing smile
Sensational Noel, yes that is just pure poetry, put to song in the most unbelievable and professional way.

Amazing creative skill, and delivered flawlessly with the genius phonetic ability of Mel T.

What a combination.

I'm a big fan of clever lyrics, and Lorenz Hart was a master. Mind you, these days I feel I have the technique down, and it's more the feeling/passion that I'm after!
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