The Misinterpreted Song Lyrics Game

Post Reply New Topic

I thought the first hit by Marley was "Celia, my darling. Celia".

It was "Stir it up,my darling, stir it up." Or "Steeer it up" as Marley pronounced it.

Then there are deliberate Mondegreenisms when you get sick of songs- but you risk pissing off others who still love the song. Ive been on both sides of that.

At work in the late 80's I got sick of "Our love's in Jeopardy, baby" for the zillionth time on the office radio and broke out into " I lost on jeapordy, baby!". A coworker whined that he "used to like that song, and now youve ruined it for me."

Likewise, I heard "The Love I Lost" by Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes on the car radio. After the song the deejay ( Tom Joyner, no less) jumped on the end of the song singing "the Glove I Lost" - I was ready to kick Joyner's ass!

I saw a website of these. My favorite was Closer by Nine Inch Nails:

Real lyrics:

I want to f*** you like an animal
My whole existence is flawed
You bring me closer to God

What somebody heard:

I want a duck shaped like a triangle
My whole existence is flan
You give my toaster to Bob

"I'm Not Sick, But I'm Not Well" by Lit:

Actual lyrics:
Paranoia! Paranoia! everybody coming to get me

What I thought he said:
I'm Paranoid! I'm paranoid! And everybody's coming to get me.

From "Peggy Sue" (don't remember the singer, maybe Buddy Holly):

"I love you, Peggy Sue
With a love so really true."

I heard it as:

"I love you, Peggy Sue
With a love so relative."

I forget the name of the song.

Dylan sings: " Genghis Khan could not keep his kings supplied with sleep.

What I heard was: "Genghis Khan, and his brother Don, could not keep on keeping on."

i like my version better.

The German band Kraftwerk's song "Autobahn" has the refrain "Fahrvien farhrvein auf zee autobahn ( drivng driving driving on the autobahn).

To my english speaking ears its sounded "fun fun fun on the autobahn"
I like may version of that better too.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNLDLyeepVs[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NWE3px40_g[/youtube]

Radiohead - Idioteque

Real lyrics:
Mobiles skwerking
Mobiles chirping

Misheard lyrics:
Mauled by squirrels and
mauled by lepers

from The Police's "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic":

actual lyrics:

"I resolve to CALL HER UP a thousand times a day"

what I heard:

"I resolve to CHOLERA a thousand times day"

"Mean Machine" - Sugar Ray

Actual Lyrics:

Mean machine, mean machine
My daddy said "Son, you're gonna drive me to drinkin'"

Mondegreen:

Made in the shade, Made in the shade
My daddy told my brother not to drive while he's drinkin'

"Kloden Drejer" - Small*Talk

Actual Lyric:

Menn'sker mødes

Mondegreen:

Let's go losers

Enimen's Superman I heard "Am I too nice? b***h, if you died, I wouldn't buy you lice" when it is really, "b***h, if you died I wouldn't buy you life"


"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road"-Elton John

"Goodbye yellow brick road where the dark clouds and scientist lie. You can't blend me in your penthouse, I'm going back to my cloud" but it was really:

"Goodbye yellow brick road
Where the dogs of society howl
You can't plant me in your penthouse
I'm going back to my plough

Clash's "Rock the Calabash" as "Lock the cat box"

I nearly jumped for joy when I saw this topic... I mishear lyrics ALL THE TIME X) here are some of my more epic examples:

Have some composure! Where is your kosher? -what I heard
What is really was: Have some composure! Where is your posture?

He pawned his sewing machine to buy the tallest tree -what I heard
What it really was: I parked my time machine behind the tallest tree

...in the light of his coffee and cream -what I heard
-what it really was: ...in the light of his glory and grace