Iambic pentameter means that you have 10 syllables in a line, made up of five iambs (unstressed-stressed feet)

It is very difficult to identify iambic rhythm in songs as the stress and rhythm are altered by the singer to make it more interesting. This makes for quite complicated rhythms.

Examples:

(1) Johnny Cash, A Boy Named Sue

This is perfect iambic pentameter:

well it was Gatlinburg in midJuly

and I'd just hit town and my throatwas dry

Although Johnny's delivery changes the emphasis on the second line:

well it was Gatlinburg in midJuly

and I'd just hit town and my throat was dry

unstressed-stressed unstressed-stressed unstressed-stressed unstressed-stressed unstressed-stressed/

unstressed-unstressed-stressed, unstressed-stressed, unstressed-unstressed-stressed unstressed-stressed

i.e.

iamb - iamb - iamb - iamb - iamb /

anapest - iamb - anapest - iamb

... however, perfect iambic pentameter will always be lost in delivery - this is a pretty good example of iambic pentameter in music.

(2) Steeler's Wheel, Stuck in the Middle with You:

Written down, this could easily be iambic pentameter:

well I don't know why I came heretonight

I got the feeling that somethingain't right

But, when sung, the rhythm is strongly anapestic:

well I don't know why I came here tonight

(I) got the feeling that something ain't right

unstressed-unstressed-stressed unstressed-unstressed unstressed-stressed unstressed-unstressed-stressed/

unstressed-unstressed-stressed unstressed-unstressed-stressed unstressed-unstressed-stressed

i.e.

anapest - pyrrhic - iamb - anapest

anapest - anapest - anapest

(3) Patti LaBelle, Lady Marmalade

Written down this is trochaic:

Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir?

But when sung it changes slightly:

Voulez-vous coucher a-vecmoi, ce soir?

trochee - trochee - trochee - spondee - spondee

(4) Queens of the Stone Age, Lost Art of Keeping a Secret

This is a little more complicated:

"whatever you do, don't tell any one"

unstressed-stressed-unstressed unstressed-stressed/

unstressed-stressed-unstressed unstressed-stressed

i.e.

amphibrach-iamb / amphibrach-iamb

However, when sung by QOTSA, you have:

What ever you doooo, don't tell any one

stressed - unstressed - unstressed - unstressed - stressed/

stressed - unstressed - unstressed - unstressed - stressed

So, when sung, you could describe this as:

trochee - anapest / trochee - anapest

OR (perhaps more accurately)

headless iamb - pyrrhic - iamb

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