Omg, love the examples you cited. Hammerstein so often chooses words that I'd NEVER have thought of -- which is probably why I'm not a lyricist, LOL -- and as you mention, they're always far more evocative than some cliche that would've been in easier reach.
I think that's one reason why I'm perfectly fine with how often he rhymes moon and June, be and free, etc. More often than not, the rhyme isn't where he wins our imagination.
- GMB |