RHYME OR NOT RHYME?

The general rule here is, if you CAN rhyme, then you should. If you CAN’T rhyme, then you shouldn’t. What this means is, if it will sound too forced to rhyme a lyric, don’t bother. Overall, you want the song to flow, so if rhyming the lyrics seems too obvious or causes a hang-up in the song, move on. You can either come back to it later or simply don’t try to rhyme. Whichever way you choose, however, make sure you do the same on each verse. Others might not notice or care that you’ve switched formats from one verse to another, but other songwriters (and song publishers) will be blinded by it. It’s okay to break the rules now and again, but, as many have learned, you have to know what the rules are first before you can break them. Another option for rhyming is to try near rhymes, rather than exact rhymes. For example, practice rhyming vowel sounds like "sound" and "brown," rather than using exact rhymes like "blue" and "clue." A lot of times, near rhymes sound more natural and less forced than going overboard with Nursery School rhymes, which tend to have a bit of an unprofessional feel to them. So, rhyme or don’t rhyme, but whatever your preference, keep it consistent throughout the song.