Four and a Half Times Love

An interesting article from Mr. Steyn who is indeed online. Whilst pondering the Leonard Cohen song, "Dance Me to the End of Love", he discusses the old lyric-writing problem of finding a decent rhyme for "love". Basically there are only four and a half: "above" and "of" (pronounced "uv", that's the half) are the most convenient; "shove" and "dove" are the most problematic. The most curious one, however, is "glove".

Here's how Cohen makes use of it:

Touch me with your naked hand or touch me with your glove

Dance Me to the End of Love

It's all about finding a fresh angle. Steyn finds a couple of more examples but misses a big one. Here's Oscar Hammerstein's "People Will Say We're in Love" from Oklahoma:

Don't start collecting things

(Give me my rose and my glove)

Sweetheart they're suspecting things

People Will Say We're in Love

I always liked that one, especially if the interruption is done with a touch of indignation. It's also a good example of Hammerstein's deflected love songs like "If I Loved You" or "Make-Believe". By having two people singing about love rather than openly declaring their love, you get to use all the old romantic lingo (dancing, holding hands, stars above) but in a fresh and interesting way. It's also more human.

Anglo-lyricists sometimes look jealously at their French counterparts and the dozens of useful rhymes for "amour". But limitations can be good for the imagination. They should be grateful for their four-and-a half.