The fact that the beginning really does have the same melody, apart from accompaniment, speed and the different melodies woven in with the second verse, and the fact that the songs are on either side of the album's instrumental, shows that this is entirely conscious. Also, note that the rhyme scheme is the same at the beginning (SILvery streams/ BLISTtering Pree). Mangum never had a problem coming up with a melody; instead, he is showing how subtle changes to a song can change its outlook utterly.
The fact that the beginning really does have the same melody, apart from accompaniment, speed and the different melodies woven in with the second verse, and the fact that the songs are on either side of the album's instrumental, shows that this is entirely conscious. Also, note that the rhyme scheme is the same at the beginning (SILvery streams/ BLISTtering Pree). Mangum never had a problem coming up with a melody; instead, he is showing how subtle changes to a song can change its outlook utterly.