This afternoon I listened to Willie Nelson's cover of "If I Were the Man You Wanted" (on Across the Borderline) and was again struck by Lyle Lovett's remarkable poetic craftsmanship. Consider the song's titular refrain:
If the stars didn't shine on the water, (a)
then the sun wouldn't burn on the sand; (b)
And if I were the man you wanted, (b')
I would not be the man that I am. (a')
The two lines are parallel in structure: both follow an "if, then" structure ("then" is ellided [omitted for style] in the second line) in which a contrary-to-fact condition results in the negation of the present state of affairs. Thematically, however, they form a chiasm (a poetic device whereby elements repeat and mirror one another). In the first line, an undesirable condition produces a desirable outcome; in the second, a desirable condition produces an undesirable outcome. Lovett plays form against theme to create a highly memorable refrain.
Plus, it's a wonderfully snarky observation, as only the best of country music lyrics can be.
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