It's A No-No - things that bother you lyrically *

I know you're working for the CIA, They wouldn't have you in the MAF-I-A.
"Why Can't We Be Friends?" War

 

The fact they left that wrong note in the simple piano intro should be a clue that any ensuing silliness was deliberate.

 

I believe the hand gestures began with the dancers on American Bandstand .

 

Without mentioning any names male vocalists who constantly inject "baby" throughout a song - like at the end of each line.

 

driveway
my pay
fine lay

I'm doin' a whole bro-country thing.

 

Those are slant rhymes, not true rhymes. Just sayin.'

 

I don’t know that song, but that’s maybe even better.

 

It has to be smarter. It’s by "Brains and Genius".

 

There are many songs with an OK verse
Verses where there are no major lyrical problems
Because the verse is comprised of a variety of words
Then the move into a chorus with great lyrical difficulties
Which displays great lazyness of writing

The Chorus consists of one line that is repeated
The Chorus consists of one line that is repeated
The Chorus consists of one line that is repeated
The Chorus consists of one line that is repeated
The Chorus consists of one line that is repeated

[often a newbie songwriter's mistake, but it really annoyed my on a Lucina Williams CD I got a few years ago - she is capable of much better]

 

I agree but I think it sometimes works. There are probably better examples but for some reason I thought of this. You don't want any more chorus words taking you out of the groove:

 

Backup singers can drive me up the wall (Backup singers can drive me up the wall)
With a lyric no-no that is lazy an unimaginative (With a lyric no-no that is lazy an unimaginative)
When they repeat each line in the song (repeat each line in the song)
So it becomes a tiresome echo (it becomes a tiresome echo, echo)
Or just plain parroting (just plain parroting)
Don't get me wrong (Don't get me wrong)
Sometimes repeating a single line in a song can be used to good effect.
But when it is used ad-nausium (when it is used ad-nausium)
It is nothing more than completely annoying (It is completely annoying)
And it adds nothing to the power of the song (And it adds nothing to the song)

​

 

Dylan's "Changing of the Guard"...I suspect you're aware of it, and in fact it wouldn't surprise me if you were thinking of it....but I love the back-up singers doing that on that song.