Cheap Ass Rhymes

Hi! This isn’t a plugin. It’s a side project… in purely text form. Copy and paste it if you’d like a local copy of this!

Cheap Ass Rhymes is a tiny library crossing several concepts of interest to lyric-writing. One is the concept of vowel sounds in singing: the rhymes are organized by sound, like ‘AAAH’ or ‘EEEE’. Several of the vowels are also given a special category, ‘sustain’: these are the words where you could hang on the vowel for an extended time, or even leave off the end of the word and still get the meaning across. You’re meant to move across the vowel sounds in a comfortable way, akin to ‘melodic math’ in pop hit writing. You can also reach for an adjacent category for a real cheaty rhyme that’s kinda right but not a real rhyme

The other concept comes from the XKCD “Up Goer Five” concept, which is about describing things with the ten hundred most common words in English. There’s a handy text editor, but it doesn’t come with a rhyming dictionary. There’s also a book, Thing Explainer!

Cheap Ass Rhymes is the crossing of these concepts. It’s the same pool of words (not labeled Up Goer Five as that’s XKCD property) but organized to enable lyric writing, roughly in order of how high the vowel sound is. The brightest vowel is EEEE, a good shrieking vowel is IIII, EEAH is your classic rock-n-roll scream, EAAH is a hard ‘A’ sound that can project a lot, UHH and URR make for death metal vocals, and so on. You can write very accessible pop songs through reaching for this rhyming dictionary. It’ll give you all the low-hanging fruit: fill in other words as needed, or stick to the Cheap Ass Rhymes for maximum pop reach! Hope you like it :)

Cheap Ass Rhymes

EEEE (sustain)
agree angry any baby be beat busy carry city coffee crazy deep early easy empty every family free funny green happy he heavy hurry key knee lady many marry maybe me meet memory movie only party police pretty ready really see she she’d she’s sorry story study three tiny tree TV twenty very we

EEEE
asleep believe between breathe cheek clean complete deal dream each eat evening feel feet field greet he’d he’s jeans keep lead lean least leave mean need people piece please reach read real repeat scream seat seem seen sleep speak street sweet team teeth these we’ve week

AYYY
afraid again age always amaze anyway away became brain break came case change chase date day escape exclaim explain face game gave gaze great grey hallway hate hey late lay made make may name okay pain paint pay place play race rain raise remain safe same save say shake space state stay straight strange take they they’d today trail train wait wake wave way

OYYY
annoy avoid boy enjoy join noise point voice

LYYY
actually already apparently barely carefully completely definitely easily especially eventually exactly finally gently immediately nearly obviously practically probably quickly quietly seriously simply slightly slowly softly suddenly totally usually

IIII (sustain)
alright arrive behind beside besides bite bright buy by cry die drive dry eye fight find fine fly guy hi hide high I I’d I’ll I’m I’ve ice inside lie my nice night outside reply ride right side sigh sky smile surprise tie tight time tonight try type why wide

IIII
child climb decide either entire excite eyebrow fire five kind life light like line live might mind mine myself quiet quite realize recognize remind sight sign silence silent sometimes tire while white wife wind wipe write

IAHH
appear clear dear disappear ear fear hear here mirror near we’re weird year

IHHH
admit big bit build business consider did favorite figure fit flip giggle give grip his hit if is isn’t it it’s its kid kiss lift lip little live middle miss music notice picture piss promise relationship shift shit sit slip this trip visit which wind wish with

IIIK
fix kick pick quick sick six stick thick

ILLL
fill kill still until we’ll will

IHNN
anything been begin blink bring broken didn’t different dinner drink everything finger finish grin him imagine in interest minute pink position ring since single skin something thing think within

EEAH (sustain)
ahead air bed care chair dead forget get glare hair head instead led leg let met pair read red said scare set share somewhere stair stare tear their there there’s they’re wear wet where yeah yet

EEAH
accept best breakfast breath check chest death desk dress edge except expect guess kept left less neck next perfect press rest settle several step suggest yes

EELL
bell cell else fell felt held hell help herself himself self smell tell themselves well yell yourself

EENN
again again against apartment attempt boyfriend children end even even friend girlfriend given gotten happen kitchen listen listen meant men mention often open open parents present pretend problem send sense sent seven spend spent sudden taken ten them then went when women

EAAH
act add am an and as ask ass at attack aunt back bad bag band began black can can’t cat catch chance class crack dad damn dance drag fact fast flash gasp glad glance glass grab had hadn’t half hand handle hang has have haven’t jacket land last laugh mad man manage match pack pants pass past perhaps plan ran rang relax sad sat shadow slam snap stand than thank that that’s track understand wrap

AAAH
a across ah are aren’t arm bar block body bother bottle bottom box brought car card caught cause comment cross dark dog draw drop far father God got guard hard heart hospital hot job knock large lock lost lot mark mom nod not off office on our park part pause pocket pop respond rock saw shock shop shot soft spot star start stop thought top watch water

AALL
all ball call calm college fall fault follow hall small talk tall walk wall

AAHN
along blonde gone gonna long song strong upon want wrong

AOWW
about allow around brown couch crowd doubt down found frown ground hour house how however loud mouth now out round shout shower somehow sound surround town without wow

OHHH (sustain)
ago also although cold control don’t drove go grow hello hold home hope know known low most no nose note oh old own phone road roll show slow so though throw told tomorrow tone whole window woke won’t

OHHH
almost alone approach both broke close clothes focus groan joke moment rose smoke spoke suppose those throat

ORRR
anymore before bore course door floor for force form forward four horse ignore more morning or short sort store toward warm warn wore you’re your

OOOH (sustain)
blue continue cool do few into knew new onto shoe threw through to too two who you

OOOH
afternoon bathroom bedroom confuse cute excuse food group huge lose mood move room school soon student stupid truth use you’d you’ll you’ve

UUUU
book could couldn’t foot good look push put shook should shouldn’t stood took wood would wouldn’t

UHHR
after anger another answer better color computer corner counter cover daughter doctor enter ever further her idea letter locker matter mother Mr. mutter number offer order other over paper power rather remember shoulder sir sister teacher together under whatever whether whisper

UHHH
above anyone area attention beautiful because become blood blush brother brush bus but cause come couple cup cut does doesn’t done enough from front fuck fun gun hug huh hundred interrupt jump just love lunch money month Mrs. much mum must nervous never none nothing of punch reason rub rush second serious shove shrug shut situation some someone stomach struggle stuck stuff such suck summer sun table the tongue touch trouble trust up us was wasn’t what what’s wonder young

UHLL
able animal chuckle full mumble normal possible pull usual

UHHN
conversation direction everyone expression human hung important once one person problem question run son uncle woman

URRR
burst first girl heard her hurt jerk search shirt smirk sure third were word work world worry worse

URRN
burn concern during learn return turn weren’t