From the recording Dances With Words
Lyrics
Lyrics by Richard Lederer. Music by Bill Shipper.
Please come through the entrance of this little poem.
We guarantee it will entrance you.
The content will certainly
make you content,
And the knowledge gained
sure will enhance you.
Heteronym! Heteronym!
Look-alike words are a Heteronym!
Heteronym! Heteronym!
Don’t object to the object of the Heteronym!
A boy moped around when his parents refused
For him a new moped to buy.
The incense he burned did incense him to go
On a tear with a tear in his eye.
He ragged on his parents, felt they ran him ragged.
His just deserts they never gave.
He imagined them out on some deserts so dry,
Where for water they’d search and they'd rave.
At present he just won’t present or converse
On the converse of each high-flown theory
Of circles and axes in math class; he has
Many axes to grind, isn’t cheery.
Heteronym! Heteronym!
Look-alike words are a Heteronym!
Heteronym! Heteronym!
Don’t object to the object of the Heteronym!
He tried to play baseball, but often skied out,
So when the snows came, he just skied.
But then he broke a leg putting on his ski boot
And his putting in golf was in need.
He once held the lead in a cross-country race,
Till his legs started feeling like lead,
And when the pain peaked, he looked kind of peaked.
His liver felt liver, then dead.
A number of times he felt number, all wound up,
Like one with a wound, not a wand.
His new TV console just couldn't console
Or slough off a slough of despond.
Heteronym! Heteronym!
Look-alike words are a Heteronym!
Heteronym! Heteronym!
Don’t object to the object of the Heteronym!
The rugged boy paced ‘round his shaggy rugged room,
And he spent the whole evening till dawn
Evening out the wild winds of his hate.
Now my anecdote winds on and on.
He thought: “Does the prancing of so many does
Explain why down dove the white dove,
Or why pussy cat has a pussy old sore
And bass sing in bass notes of their love?”
Heteronym! Heteronym!
Look-alike words are a Heteronym!
Heteronym! Heteronym!
Don’t object to the object of the Heteronym!