| Misunderstood
Lyrics - Mondegreens |
|
About Misunderstood Song
Lyrics
The official word for them is "mondegreen", named
by Sylvia Wright, who wrote a column about them in the 1950s,
when she told of her own misunderstood Scottish folk song, "The
Bonny Earl Of Morray." She heard the correct lyric, "Oh,
they have slain the Earl O' Morray and laid him on the green"
as "Oh, they have slain the Earl O' Morray and Lady Mondegreen."
We have purposely left every Bob Dylan song off this list. He
is truly the god of mumbled lyrics, and no other singer/songwriter
could hold a candle to his wind. Some other notable mumblers
include Macy Gray, early Bruce Springsteen and, of course, Michael
Stipe from R.E.M. If you have any to add, please e-mail
them to us! |
| What
It Sounded Like: |
What
They Really Said: |
"Every
girl's crazy 'bout a shot glass man"
Sharp Dressed Man - ZZ Top |
I
would do shots whenever I heard that song in a bar.
Thanks Seadog! |
"You
left You picked your behind, And I kissed it a thousand times"
The Four Tops - I Can't Help Myself |
'You
left you're picture behind, and I've kissed it a thousand times'
Thanks Howard! |
"
donuts make my brown eyes blue"
Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue - Crystal
Gayle |
"don't
it make my brown eyes blue"
- greg h. of gbg. PA |
"On
a dark desert highway, cool whip in my hair"
The Eagles - Hotel California |
"On
a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair" |
"Excuse
me while I kiss this guy"
Jimi Hendrix Experience - Purple Haze |
"Excuse
me while I kiss the sky" |
"That
Wonderbra that she was gonna keep"
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - American
Girl |
"She
had one little promise she was gonna keep"
Although a wonderbra is something pretty
American |
"I'm
not talkin' 'bout a live-in" OR
"I'm not talkin 'bout millennium" OR
"I'm not talkin' 'bout beliddian" OR
"I'm not talkin' 'bout a givin' in"
England Dan and John Ford Coley- I'd Really
Love To See You Tonight |
"I'm
not talking 'bout moving in"
We're not sure what the extra syllable
is though! |
She
comes back to tell me she's gone,
As if I didn't know that
As if I didn't know my own bed,
As if I'd never noticed,
The way she brushed her hair and farted
Paul Simon - Graceland |
She
comes back to tell me she's gone,
As if I didn't know that
As if I didn't know my own bed,
As if I'd never noticed,
The way she brushed her hair from forehead
Thanks Darren S! |
"Bald
Headed Woman"
Bee Gees - More Than A Woman |
"More
Than a Woman"
Thanks Argfam! |
"So
take your records, take your freedom
Take your Breath Mints I don't eat 'em
And take your cat and leave my sweater"
Keith Urban - You'll Think of Me |
"So
take your records, take your freedom
Take your memories I don't need'em
And take your cap and leave my sweater"
Thanks Kate! |
"Don't
make me yodel"
Sybil - Don't Make Me Over |
"Don't
Make Me Over"
Thanks Carmen! |
"Come
to me with broken arms..."
Journey - Open Arms |
"Come
to me with open arms..."
Thanks Cherise! |
"I'll
never leave your pizza burning"
Rolling Stones - Beast of Burden |
"I'll
Never Be Your Beast of Burden"
Thanks Michelle C! |
"It
just takes some time, little bit
of in the middle of the rhyme"
Jimmy Eats World - In The Middle |
"It
just takes some time, little girl
You're in the middle of the ride"
Thanks Nick! |
"Strummin'
my brain with his fingers...."
Lauryn Hill - Killing Me Softly |
"Strummin'
my pain with his fingers"
Thanks GreenMtGrandma! |
"Slow
talking Walter, the fire-engine guy"
Deep Purple - Smoke on the Water |
"Smoke
on the Water, Fire in the Sky"
Thanks, DOrr42Bsure! |
"the
cross-eyed bear that you gave to me"
Alanis Morrisette - You Outta Know |
"of
the cross I bear, that you gave
to me"
Thanks, clee13! |
"I
put my cat in the kettle what will I do? There's a little boy
stuck with Daniel Boon"
Harry Chapin - Cat's In The Cradle |
"And
the cat's in the cradle,
and the silver spoon, Little Boy Blue, and the Man in the Moon"
Thanks, Mister Atom! |
"You
are my type, but I could be the one you ignore, if you just
let me go"
Foundations - Build Me Up Buttercup |
"To
you, I'm a toy but I could be the boy you adore, If you'd just
let me know"
Thanks, XoJerseyGirl! |
"Do
the Funky Lady"
Aerosmith - Dude (Looks Like A Lady) |
"Dude
Looks Like a Lady "
Thanks, monotonetrout! |
"I'm
looking for a partner, someone who gets things fixed
Ask yourself this question: Do you want to be a b*tch?"
Pet Shop Boys - Opportunities (Let's
Make Lots of Money) |
"I'm
looking for a partner, someone who gets things fixed
Ask yourself this question: Do you want to be rich?"
Thanks, Gina R! |
"It's
like a bad movie, she's looking groovy..."
Bowling For Soup - Girl all the Bad
Guys Want |
"It's
like a bad movie, she's looking through me"
Thanks, TayBrian1! |
"take
your pants off and make it happen"
Irene Cara - Flashdance (What A Feeling) |
"take
your passion and make it happen"
Thanks, solarchariot! |
"And
the ice in his hair, sees the world spinning round"
Beatles -"Fool On The Hill" |
"And
the eyes in his head, sees the world spinning round"
Thanks, unohoo! |
"when
we only had Black children, when we argued for some White"
Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes -
If You Don't Know Me By Now |
"...when
we only act like children, when we argue, fuss, and fight"
Thanks, Keesha! |
"Little
darling, I feel the acid's slowly melting /
Little darling, it seems like years since it's been clear"
Beatles - Here Comes the Sun |
"Little
darling, I feel the ice is slowly melting /
Little darling, it seems like years since it's been clear"
Thanks, Livedo! |
"Jose
can you see"
Francis Scott Key - Star Spangled Banner |
"Oh
say can you see"
Thanks, Tracy! |
"workin'
on a knife wound"
Bob Seger - Night Moves |
"Workin'
on the night moves"
Thanks, Tracey's Brother! |
"Secret
Asian Man"
Johnny Rivers - Secret Agent Man |
"Secret
Agent Man"
Thanks, JPorterF! |
"bring
your nickels, tap your feet"
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Down
on the Corner |
"Bringing
this world happy feet"
Thanks, Pisigmaa! |
"Red
Room, Busted"
B-52s - Love Shack |
"Tin
Roof , Rusted!"
Thanks, Holmark211! |
"I'm
blue I'm beat up and died" OR
"I'm blue I like to beat other guys" OR
"I'm blue if I was green I would I die."
Eiffel 65 - Blue |
"I'm
blue da ba dee da ba die..."
Thanks, VanGuireBlue & jenni715
& Suzi! |
"I
blow bubbles when you are not near" OR
"I wear goggles when you are not near"
Macy Gray
- I Try |
"My
world crumbles when you're not here"
Thanks, DOTTMAN! |
"
I smell sex and candle lit hair"
Marcy Playground- Sex and Candy |
"I
smell sex and candy, yeah."
Thanks, Nerline & Brent! |
"God
bless America, land that I love
Stand beside her, and guide her
Through the night with the light from a bulb"
Kate Smith- God Bless America |
"God
bless America, land that I love
Stand beside her, and guide her
Through the night with the light from above" |
"When
I needed sunshine on my brain"
Monkees - I'm A Believer |
"When
I needed sunshine I got rain" |
"There's
a bathroom on the right"
Creedence Clearwater Revival- Bad Moon
Rising |
"There's
a bad moon on the rise" |
"I
get knocked out..."
Chumbawumba - Tubthumping |
"I
get knocked down..." |
"Bakin'
carrot biscuits."
Bachman Turner Overdrive - Taking Care
of Business |
"Taking
care of business"
Thanks, SSlaut! |
"I'm
trying to catch my bike again"
Linkin Park - Breaking The Habit |
"I'm
trying to catch my breath agian"
Thanks, Elvikin! |
"Give
me the Beach Boys and free my soul"... "Give me the
beat boys and free my soul" - my son's (7 yrs old) lyrics
"give me the meatballs and eat my bowl"
Dobie Gray - Drift Away |
"Give
me the beat boys and free my soul"
Thanks, Diane! |
"She
seems to have an invisble torture"
Genesis- "Invisible Touch" |
"She
seems to have the invisble touch" |
"Rock-a-bye
baby, in the tree top.
When the wind blows, the cradle will rock.
When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall.
And down will come baby, cradle and all"
Children's Lullaby |
Those
ARE the right words. If a child heard and understood these lyrics,
would he or she even be able to sleep? |
"Everybody
needs . . .a flashlight."
Rod Stewart - Passion |
"Everybody
needs . . . passion "
Thanks, CynFoll! |
"Wrapped
up like a douche/Another boner in the night"
Manfred Mann's Earth Band - Blinded
By the Light |
"Revved
up like deuce/Another runner in the night." |
"I
got my first real sex dream"
Bryan Adams - Summer of 69
|
"I
got my first real six string"
Thanks, Sebastian! |
"She
swam by me she got a cramp.
He ran by me got my Sudan."
Grease Soundtrack- Summer Nights |
"She
swam by me she got a cramp.
He ran by me got my suit damp." |
"Free
your Lady Marmalade"
LaBelle (or Christina & co.) -
Lady Marmalade |
"Creole
Lady Marmalade"
Thanks, Stacey! |
"Gunnin'
down the old man with a transistor radio"
Van Morrison - Brown Eyed Girl |
"Goin'
down the old mine with a transistor radio" |
"99
dead baboons, sitting in my living room"
Nena - 99 Red Balloons |
"99
red balloons floating in the summer sky"
Thanks, Mr Moohead! |
"It
never rains in California... Matadors..."
Albert Hammond - It Never Rains In
Southern California |
"It
never rains in California... Man it pours..." "
Thanks, SurfCityDJ! |
"We're
In America, man ."
Grand Funk - We're An American Band
|
"We're
An American Band "
Thanks, HankM123! |
"It
would take an eternity to make us. Even the songs from a star
couldn't break us."
Whitney Houston -"Your love is
my love" |
"It
would take an eternity to break us. Even the chains of Amistad
couldn't hold us"
Thanks, TFBanker! |
"I
need some more groceries"
Whitesnake - "Still of the Night" |
"I
need to be closer"
Thanks, BGadbury! |
"Hold
me closer Tony Danza"
Elton John- Tiny Dancer |
"Hold
me closer tiny dancer "
Thanks, Dennis! |
Hi,
growing up my sister and cousin use to sing to When
a Man Loves a Woman, they thought it said Peter
Pan Loves My Mama. Another was a friend who used
to sing "to hell with the concert
friends" to Melissa Etheridge's Come to my Window
correct lyrics to hell with the consequence.
Hope you find these funny I laugh everytime one of these songs
come on.
- RClay |
When
I was in the first grade, our class put on a show where we sang
Michael Jackson's "Heal the World." Well, this song
never made sense to
me because I thought he was singing, "Kill the World."
After the show a
number of my classmates mocked me for singing "Kill"
instead of "Heal." I
had no choice but to deny it and accuse them of the same.
-Zach
P.S. As a youngster I also had trouble with "Barbara Ann." |
On
the Dutch version of Idols a girl sang Killing me Softly with
his song,
by Roberta Flack (already on your list, version by Lauryn Hill)
Instead of singing "Strummin' my pain with his fingers",
she sang "Strong in my pants with his fingers".
Just so you know.
- Tim and Eline from Holland |
I'm
sure we can all admit to singing the wrong lyrics to songs,
but hearing someone else do it is always funny. This is a cute
story:
The song was WE DON'T TALK ANYMORE by Cliff Richard
I was sitting at my desk and heard one of the guys in the office
humming/singing the song. He passed by my desk and I hear him
singing, "Disco Bunny, how we don't talk anymore). I looked
up at him and there he was serious as anything singing these
words. I started to laugh and asked him what song he was singing.
He said, "You know, that song DISCO BUNNY". Every
time I hear it on a radio station I always get a laugh reminiscing.
- Debbie Randazzo |
Elton
John - Bennie and the Jets
In fifth grade, we thought this was the best song on the radio....we
couldn't believe they'd play a song about such a risque subject!
I now know the line is: "She's got electric boots, a mohair
suit, you know I read it in a magazine...." We heard: "She's
got electric boobs, and no hair, too....." I still laugh
today, every time I hear that song.
Thanks, JCarroll! |
Looking
Out My Back Door- Creedence Clearwater Revival
Real Lyrics: Take a ride on the flying spoon.
My Lyrics: Take a ride on the lion's womb. (To doo doo)
I never worried about the fact that my version made no sense
because, well, the original doesn't make much more sense! Anyway,
I figured anyone doing those kind of drugs might not be bothered
by going back to the feline!
I figure that John Fogerty has to give Dylan a run for his money
on mumbled lyrics. I still am not sure of all the lyrics for
Traveling Band.
I really like your web site. I was interested that there is
actually a word for this phenom. I will pass this on to my high
school students. Perhaps we can get a contest going for the
best misunderstood lyrics.
Thanks, Lynn G |
Granted
I know this was on your list, but it must be told. During a
car ride home from work, our local station was having a contest
by playing the a line of a song and you had to guess the very
next line in order to win. This particular days song was "Deep
Purple's - Smoke on the water." And the DJ announced
the first lyric line "but some stupid with a flare gun
burned the place to the ground..." The very first caller
came on and proceeded to spout out the next line "Small
cousin Walter! An fire this guy!" Needless to say, the
DJ, his sidekick, the guy behind the glass and a few people
in the cars next to me were laughing hysterically! That definately
made my day. He didn't win the contest, but he did receive some
free tickets to something for his entertaining answer, which
he seriously thought the line was.
Thanks, Mika V |
|
Very cool website! I have to add my 2 cents:
Years ago, the wife of one of my best friends heard the song
"Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" by the Beatles
on the radio. She started singing along (halfheartedly, I
might add) and when she got to the verse which actually goes
"..the girl with kaleidoscope eyes",
it actually came out of her mouth as "...the
girl with colitis goes by"! When quizzed about
why she thought the Beatles were singing about a young lady
with colon problems, she said she assumed it had something
to do with all the pot they were smoking! Really!
-Phil
|
You
know, it isn't nice to make fun of people who misunderstand
lyrics. It is now recognized as a disease. It's called 'Lyricosis'.
My sister had. She always thought the Beatles were singing "She's
got a chicken to ride and she don't care." And remember
'Justin, the Wind' by Kansas? One of the most severe
cases I know of occurred in the mid 90's when, as a deejay at
an oldies radio station, I got a phone request from a kid who
couldn't have been more than twelve. He wanted to hear the "D**khead
Song". I asked him to sing a little bit of it for me. So
the kid sings, "Might as well face it I'm a D**khead in
Love" to the tune of Robert Palmer's "Addicted
to Love".
-Steve Gregory |
Hey,
I just wanted to say that I mishear more song lyrics than the
average person...I don't know whether I should take pride in
that or not. One of my most infamous ones was when I was about
five, I really liked the Beach Boys song that they'd play on
the oldies station that at the time I thought was called "Bop
A Ram." Though I enjoyed it, I always wondered why
it was such a strange topic to sing about...punching a male
sheep is a pretty big feat, what with its horns. It wasn't until
I was 10 or 11 that I finally found out that the song's real
title was "Barbara Ann!"
More recently, over the past couple of years I've become a huge,
huge fan of The Cars after hearing "Just What I Needed"
on the classic rock radio station. They have a song on their
debut album called "I'm In Touch With Your World,"
and Ric Ocasek slurs the second verse of that song so much that
it's almost impenetrable. The official lyrics are:
I've been lying on your feathers
You keep talking 'bout the weather
I'm a psilocybin pony
You're a flick fandango phony
But I always thought it was:
I'm an island, only better
You keep talking 'bout the weather
I'm a suicidal poet
You're a big fat macaroni
Mainly it's because I didn't know how to pronounce "psilocybin"
at the time, and it really does sound like "suicidal"
when he sings it. I still sing it my way, merely because I
prefer it.
Let's hope your ears are less muddled than mine.
Cat
|
We
have a listener who thinks the opening of Help
Me Rhonda by The Beach Boys contains this lyric:
"Well since she put me down, there's
been owls spewing in my bed" The actual line was:
"Well since she put me down I’ve
been out doin’ in my head"
...We also have a listener who requests "Secret Asian Man"
by Johnny Rivers instead of "Secret Agent Man".
Go figure.
- Mike Ray (Eagle
106.9 KEGK-FM) |
The
Song: Guantanamera
I was only a kid when I heard this one and I just assumed it
was in English. I heard:
"Once on a meadow, I dream of once
one a meadow..."
The real lyrics:
Guantanamera Guajira Guantanamera Guantanamera
Guajira Guantanamera...
- Thanks SW! |
Hey,
I've got a couple of my own lyric faux pas for you. When I was
a kid I used to watch Green Acres on TV and always thought that
Eva Gabor sang in the show's theme song: "I
just adore a pancause view" instead of "I just adore
a penthouse view." Listen to it, that's still what it
sounds like to me even though I know better now! I also always
thought that Manfred Mann sang in their song "Blinded
By The Light": "Wrapped up like
a douche, another roamer in the night," instead of: "Revved
up like a deuce, another runner in the night." I still
sing it the wrong way just for laughs! ;o) I thought you might
like to know my misheard lyrics.
Thanks Rod! |
| |
| |
| |
