The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #127788 Message #2854232
Posted By: Celtaddict
02-Mar-10 - 01:02 PM
Thread Name: Poor grammar in lyrics
Subject: RE: Poor grammar in lyrics
I disagree, Georgiansilver. Grammar helps make meaning clear. This is not to say it must be used formally in all verse; the lyric beauty of 'Fern Hill' and many others would suffer or vanish if we wanted all things clear, but knowing a form and choosing to depart from it for artistic reasons is not the same as a form playing no important part.
My biggest complaint about John Denver as a songwriter was that, if he had an option to use 'lie' or 'lay' in a lyric, he seemed invariably to use the wrong one.
The examples cited by PHJim are sound in my opinion; I don't watch television so did not hear the Olympic theme but 'I believe in you and I' would have made me cringe mightily in any context.