When I first heard this song I thought that it was fun, kind of quirky and perfect for the poetry page of my website. These are the lyrics according to my ears.
I Love to Rhyme by Bobby Short
there are men who in their leisure love to fish for salmon
there are others who get pleasure when they play backgammon
General Grant loved to smoke
Mark Twain loved to joke
radio comics love to pun
but the thing I do is much, more fun
I love to rhyme
mountaineers love to climb
criminals love to crime
but I love to rhyme
I love to say
gay, day, may, hey, hay
chuckle, knuckle, nickel, fickle, pickle
I love to rhyme
variety, society, propriety
there’s no stopping when you’ve begun
capacity, voracity, audacity
did you ever know such fun
I love to rhyme
and wouldn’t it be sublime
if one day it could be
that you rhyme with me
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I love to say
gay, day, may, hey, hay
chuckle, knuckle, nickel, fickle, pickle
I love to rhyme
variety, society, propriety
there’s no stopping when you’ve begun
capacity, voracity, audacity
did you ever know such fun
I love to rhyme
and wouldn’t it be sublime
if one day it could be
that you rhyme with me