I thought love was only true in fairy tales
I thought I'd share with you some of my favourite mondegreens (look it up if you don't know what it means).
Song: "One" by Metallica
Misheard line: For my breakfast I wish for tea
Actual line: Hold my breath as I wish for death
Song: "Purple Haze" by Jimi Hendrix
Misheard line: Excuse me while I kiss this guy
Actual line: Excuse me while I kiss the sky
Notes: Everyone knows this one, including Jimi himself. He used to poke fun at the mishearing when performing the song live, by singing "excuse me while I kiss this guy" or "that guy" and pointing to or kissing one of his male band members.
Song: "Bad Moon Rising" by Creedence Clearwater Revival
Misheard line: There's a bathroom on the right
Actual line: There's a bad moon on the rise
Notes: Another mondegreen that the performers would make fun of in live performances, by singing "There's a bathroom on the right/left" and pointing in the general direction of the bathroom. Apparently this is the number 1 most misheard lyric of all time.
Song: "Blank Space" by Taylor Swift
Misheard line: Starbucks lovers
Actual line: Got a long list of ex-lovers
Notes: Apparently this is quite common.
Song: "Forsaken" by Dream Theater
Misheard line: Give your cellphone to me
Actual line: Give yourself up to me
Song: "Through the Fire and Flames" by DragonForce
Misheard line: Day after day this pizzeria must go on
Actual line: Day after day this misery must go on
Notes: There are a LOT of misheard lines in this song, but this one is probably the funniest.
Song: "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin
Misheard line: It's just a sprinkling for the May Queen
Actual line: It's just a Spring clean for the May Queen
Song: "Wisdom of the Kings" by Rhapsody (later Rhapsody of Fire)
Misheard line: Illumination I have to face
Actual line: A new dimension I have to face
Notes: This one keeps tripping me up every time I listen to the song. I always hear "illumination", even though I know the real words.
Song: "Blinded by the Light" by Manfred Mann's Earth Band
Misheard line: Wrapped up like a douche
Actual line: Revved up like a deuce
Notes: In Bruce Springsteen's original, the line was "cut loose like a deuce", which might have been harder to mishear.
Song: "Come Together" by the Beatles
Misheard line: Hold you in his armchair, you can feel his disease
Actual line: Hold you in his arms, yeah, you can feel his disease
Notes: The Beatles actually started writing "armchair" in the album lyrics booklets for compilation albums that featured the song, causing people to think that those actually were the lyrics. One cover avoided the problem by changing it to "hold you in his arms 'til you can feel his disease".
Song: "Loser" by Beck
Misheard line: Somebody get the door
Actual line: Soy un perdedor
The song "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" contains an interesting example. The original song was called "Mbube" and was in Zulu. When the first English cover was made, the chanting of "Mbube, mbube" in the background was misheard as "Wimoweh" by the covering artists, and sung as... well, exactly that. This caused many people even to this day to think that the actual lyric is "Wimoweh", even when it is actually being sung as "Mbube".
Song: "Circle of Life" from The Lion King
Misheard line: Think I got a penguin up my bottom
Actual line: Ingonyama nengw' enamabala
Notes: I hear a lot of people mishear this as "Here they are/come, the penguins in pyjamas" but I always hear it as this.
Song: "Behind Blue Eyes" by The Who
Misheard line: No one knows what it's like to be the Batman
Actual line: No one knows what it's like to be the bad man
The song "Sex on Fire" by Kings of Leon came from a mondegreen itself. The original line was "set us on fire", but someone misheard it as "sex is on fire" and the rest is history.
Ditto with the band Derek and the Dominoes. There's no one in the band called Derek, and dominoes aren't usually something you name a band after. It was supposed to be Eric and the Dynamoes, but obviously some wires got crossed at some point.
And to finish the trio, the Aerosmith song "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)". The line originally was "cruisin' for a lady", but a mishearing and an encounter with a very feminine-looking musician (I forget which one it was now) inspired them to change the song slightly.
Song: "Sugar, We're Goin' Down" by Fall Out Boy
Misheard line: Oh, don't mind me, I'm watching YouTube from the closet
Actual line: Oh, don't mind me, I'm watching you two from the closet
Notes: There are many mondegreens in this song (there's a whole video dedicated to writing what the lyrics sound like, and almost none of them are correct), but this one is my favourite.
Song: "Live and Let Die" by Paul McCartney and Wings
Misheard line: If this ever-changing world in which we live in
Actual line: If this ever-changing world in which we're livin'
Notes: One book on pop music poked fun at the redundant nature of this line, apparently not realising it was actually a mishearing.
Song: Well, actually not a song, a prayer - specifically, the Lord's Prayer
Misheard line: Our Father, who aren't in Heaven, Harold be thy name
Actual line: Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name
Song: "Don't Bring Me Down" by Electric Light Orchestra
Misheard line: Don't bring me down, Bruce
Actual line: Don't bring me down, groose
Notes: "Groose" is a made-up word, which are often in danger of being misheard.
Song: "Down Under" by Men at Work
Misheard line: Where beards glow and men thunder
Actual line: Where beer does flow and men chunder
Notes: This is actually from the webcomic Questionable Content, where protagonist Marten gets completely smashed (due to lots of drama going on in his life) and starts singing loudly and butchering the lyrics (Faye uses this as an indication that he really is drunk, since she says normally he knows the words). "Chunder" is Australian slang for vomit.
Song: "Play That Funky Music" by Wild Cherry
Misheard line: Play that fucking music right boy
Actual line: Play that funky music, white boy
Song: "The Rockafeller Skank" by Fatboy Slim
Misheard line: (Who) The fuck's your brother?
Actual line: The funk soul brother
Notes: There's about ten ways this line is usually misheard, this is just the funniest to me.
Song: "That's the Way That the World Goes 'Round" by John Prine
Misheard line: It's a happy enchilada, and you think you're gonna drown
Actual line: It's a half an inch of water, and you think you're gonna drown
Song: "Carry On Wayward Son" by Kansas
Misheard line: Carry on like an evil suspender
Actual line: Carry on, nothing equals the splendour
I'll add more when I think of them.
Song: "One" by Metallica
Misheard line: For my breakfast I wish for tea
Actual line: Hold my breath as I wish for death
Song: "Purple Haze" by Jimi Hendrix
Misheard line: Excuse me while I kiss this guy
Actual line: Excuse me while I kiss the sky
Notes: Everyone knows this one, including Jimi himself. He used to poke fun at the mishearing when performing the song live, by singing "excuse me while I kiss this guy" or "that guy" and pointing to or kissing one of his male band members.
Song: "Bad Moon Rising" by Creedence Clearwater Revival
Misheard line: There's a bathroom on the right
Actual line: There's a bad moon on the rise
Notes: Another mondegreen that the performers would make fun of in live performances, by singing "There's a bathroom on the right/left" and pointing in the general direction of the bathroom. Apparently this is the number 1 most misheard lyric of all time.
Song: "Blank Space" by Taylor Swift
Misheard line: Starbucks lovers
Actual line: Got a long list of ex-lovers
Notes: Apparently this is quite common.
Song: "Forsaken" by Dream Theater
Misheard line: Give your cellphone to me
Actual line: Give yourself up to me
Song: "Through the Fire and Flames" by DragonForce
Misheard line: Day after day this pizzeria must go on
Actual line: Day after day this misery must go on
Notes: There are a LOT of misheard lines in this song, but this one is probably the funniest.
Song: "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin
Misheard line: It's just a sprinkling for the May Queen
Actual line: It's just a Spring clean for the May Queen
Song: "Wisdom of the Kings" by Rhapsody (later Rhapsody of Fire)
Misheard line: Illumination I have to face
Actual line: A new dimension I have to face
Notes: This one keeps tripping me up every time I listen to the song. I always hear "illumination", even though I know the real words.
Song: "Blinded by the Light" by Manfred Mann's Earth Band
Misheard line: Wrapped up like a douche
Actual line: Revved up like a deuce
Notes: In Bruce Springsteen's original, the line was "cut loose like a deuce", which might have been harder to mishear.
Song: "Come Together" by the Beatles
Misheard line: Hold you in his armchair, you can feel his disease
Actual line: Hold you in his arms, yeah, you can feel his disease
Notes: The Beatles actually started writing "armchair" in the album lyrics booklets for compilation albums that featured the song, causing people to think that those actually were the lyrics. One cover avoided the problem by changing it to "hold you in his arms 'til you can feel his disease".
Song: "Loser" by Beck
Misheard line: Somebody get the door
Actual line: Soy un perdedor
The song "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" contains an interesting example. The original song was called "Mbube" and was in Zulu. When the first English cover was made, the chanting of "Mbube, mbube" in the background was misheard as "Wimoweh" by the covering artists, and sung as... well, exactly that. This caused many people even to this day to think that the actual lyric is "Wimoweh", even when it is actually being sung as "Mbube".
Song: "Circle of Life" from The Lion King
Misheard line: Think I got a penguin up my bottom
Actual line: Ingonyama nengw' enamabala
Notes: I hear a lot of people mishear this as "Here they are/come, the penguins in pyjamas" but I always hear it as this.
Song: "Behind Blue Eyes" by The Who
Misheard line: No one knows what it's like to be the Batman
Actual line: No one knows what it's like to be the bad man
The song "Sex on Fire" by Kings of Leon came from a mondegreen itself. The original line was "set us on fire", but someone misheard it as "sex is on fire" and the rest is history.
Ditto with the band Derek and the Dominoes. There's no one in the band called Derek, and dominoes aren't usually something you name a band after. It was supposed to be Eric and the Dynamoes, but obviously some wires got crossed at some point.
And to finish the trio, the Aerosmith song "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)". The line originally was "cruisin' for a lady", but a mishearing and an encounter with a very feminine-looking musician (I forget which one it was now) inspired them to change the song slightly.
Song: "Sugar, We're Goin' Down" by Fall Out Boy
Misheard line: Oh, don't mind me, I'm watching YouTube from the closet
Actual line: Oh, don't mind me, I'm watching you two from the closet
Notes: There are many mondegreens in this song (there's a whole video dedicated to writing what the lyrics sound like, and almost none of them are correct), but this one is my favourite.
Song: "Live and Let Die" by Paul McCartney and Wings
Misheard line: If this ever-changing world in which we live in
Actual line: If this ever-changing world in which we're livin'
Notes: One book on pop music poked fun at the redundant nature of this line, apparently not realising it was actually a mishearing.
Song: Well, actually not a song, a prayer - specifically, the Lord's Prayer
Misheard line: Our Father, who aren't in Heaven, Harold be thy name
Actual line: Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name
Song: "Don't Bring Me Down" by Electric Light Orchestra
Misheard line: Don't bring me down, Bruce
Actual line: Don't bring me down, groose
Notes: "Groose" is a made-up word, which are often in danger of being misheard.
Song: "Down Under" by Men at Work
Misheard line: Where beards glow and men thunder
Actual line: Where beer does flow and men chunder
Notes: This is actually from the webcomic Questionable Content, where protagonist Marten gets completely smashed (due to lots of drama going on in his life) and starts singing loudly and butchering the lyrics (Faye uses this as an indication that he really is drunk, since she says normally he knows the words). "Chunder" is Australian slang for vomit.
Song: "Play That Funky Music" by Wild Cherry
Misheard line: Play that fucking music right boy
Actual line: Play that funky music, white boy
Song: "The Rockafeller Skank" by Fatboy Slim
Misheard line: (Who) The fuck's your brother?
Actual line: The funk soul brother
Notes: There's about ten ways this line is usually misheard, this is just the funniest to me.
Song: "That's the Way That the World Goes 'Round" by John Prine
Misheard line: It's a happy enchilada, and you think you're gonna drown
Actual line: It's a half an inch of water, and you think you're gonna drown
Song: "Carry On Wayward Son" by Kansas
Misheard line: Carry on like an evil suspender
Actual line: Carry on, nothing equals the splendour
I'll add more when I think of them.
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