We know about perfect and imperfect rhymes and how they can make a song sound less predictable. Cliché rhymes are everywhere, but we’re seeing a lot of new songwriters using mosaic rhymes to change things up. These are rhymes for one word with multiple syllables, but split up into two or three words to create the rhyme.
Example: “Brave” by Sara Bareilles, where she rhymes one word (amazing) with two words (phrase in):
You can be amazing
You can turn a phrase in
Example: “Value” by Tori Kelly, where she rhymes one word (value) with two words (have you):
I still got my value
Even if I can’t have you
Example: “Bury a Friend” by Billie Eilish, where she rhymes one word (deadly) with two words (end me):
Today, I’m thinkin’ about the things that are deadly
The way I’m drinkin’ you down, like I wanna drown, like I wanna end me
The best way to use mosaic rhymes is to find two words that rhyme with both syllables, but especially the syllable at the end. In the last example, you can see how both syllables match:
Dead – end
Ly – me
Here are some common words used in songwriting. Can you find good mosaic rhymes?
Forget
Apart
Reality
Never
City
Satisfy
Alright
Wanted
Heavy
Always
Realize
Write the Next Song 