Misheard Lyrics (Mondegreens): There's A Bathroom On the Right

[AntiBeeSpray]

What are some of those lyrics to songs that make you scratch your head every time you hear them, that you're sure aren't the right ones?

 

I'll start off with a couple of examples:

 

A new mishearing, this one from Lacuna Coil's "Falling Again":

 

What I heard...

 

I pray, looking into the sky
I can feel this rain
right now it's falling on me
fly, I just want to fly
life is on Mars

 

 

What the lyrics really are...

 

I pray, looking into the sky
I can feel this rain
right now it's falling on me
fly, I just want to fly
life is all mine

 

 

 

Sailing -- Christopher Cross

 

What I thought it was: Oh, the cameras can do miracles, just you wait and see

 

What it really was: Oh, the canvas can do miracles, just you wait and see

 

 

 

 

Looking forward to seeing what you guys post. Remember to keep it PG-13 though, so nothing inappropriate or offensive. Thanks :).

[FormerMod-a1]

In Physical by Olivia Newton John, my friends thought she was singing "Let me hear your funny talk" not "Let me hear your body talk".  

 

Similarly, in Dancing In the Streets by David Bowie and Mick Jagger, they thought they sang "It doesn't matter if you have hair, just as long as you are there".  It's really "It doesn't matter what you wear, just as long as you are there"

 

For me, Voodoo by Godsmack I thought he was singing "I'm like a warrior so far away.."  It's really "I'm not the one who's so far away..."

[BatmanBeatles]

Down On The Corner by CCR

 

Real lyrics - "You don't need a penny just to hang around..."

 

What I thought I heard - "You don't need a pinhead just to hang around..."

[spaceytraci1208]

From Joe Cocker's version of "With A Little Help From My Friends" (at the time it was the only version I was familiar with)

I heard Watch what you do with that stank attitude...

ActualWhat would you do if I sang out of tune?

From Boyz II Men's "On Bended Knee"

I heard Stomp on my fingers, the blame is on me

Actual Stop pointing fingers, the blame is on me

Edited September 5, 2014 by spaceytraci1208

[AntiBeeSpray]

From Joe Cocker's version of "With A Little Help From My Friends" (at the time it was the only version I was familiar with)

I heard Watch what you do with that stank attitude...

ActualWhat would you do if I sang out of tune?

From Boyz II Men's "On Bended Knee"

I heard Stomp on my fingers, the blame is on me

Actual Stop pointing fingers, the blame is on me

I mis understood that same lyric from "With A Little Help from My Friends".

 

what I thought 'what would you do with that same attitude'

[Popples]

From Boyz II Men's "On Bended Knee"

I heard Stomp on my fingers, the blame is on me

Actual Stop pointing fingers, the blame is on me

 

Until just now, I thought the line was "stomp on my fingers." Not only was I wrong, I sang it LOUD and wrong (and off key). Thank you for this.

[RescueMom]

This one wasn't mine, but I did get to correct my brother for a change :)  In "Love Bites" by Def Leppard, he thought the lyrics:

 

"Love bites, love bleeds - it's bringing me to my knees"

were actually

"Love bites, love bleeds - it's bleeding internally."

[ramble]

From a long time ago, the Pointer Sisters version of Fire, my friend would sing loudly:

Incorrect: Romeo & Juliet, Samson & Goliath

Correct: Romeo & Juliet, Samson & Delilah

We never corrected her because we were kids & thought it was really funny.

I know everyone made fun of Far East Movement's Like a G6 & sang like my mom did:

Incorrect: Now I'm feeling so fried like a cheese stick

Correct: Now I'm feeling so fly like a G6

Except my mom truly thought it said that because she didn't know what a G6 was & honestly thought the entire song was confusing. I tend to agree.

[SpencerHawk]

A couple of lyrics I messed up over the years

 

'Wanted Dead or Alive' by Bon Jovi

 

Instead of -- 'I'm a cowboy, on a steel horse I ride, and I'm wanted dead or alive...'

 

I thought it was -- 'I'm a cowboy, on a stale horse I ride (just how a horse could be stale, I don't know), and I'm wanted dead or alive...'

 

And another one -- this one from 'Billie Jean' by Michael Jackson

 

Instead of -- 'the kid is not my son...'

 

I thought it was -- 'this chair is not my size...'

Edited September 6, 2014 by SpencerHawk

[spaceytraci1208]

Until just now, I thought the line was "stomp on my fingers." Not only was I wrong, I sang it LOUD and wrong (and off key). Thank you for this.

LMAO! Happy to help :D

[BatmanBeatles]

Rick Astley's Never Gonna Give You Up

 

Correct: "Never gonna give you up. Never gonna let you down..."

Incorrect: "Now I'm gonna give you up. Now I'm gonna let you down..."

[Shannon L.]

The only one I can think of right now (and I'm sure more will come to me later) is Crazy Train by Ozzy Osbourne:

 

I thought it was:  Millions of people, live in fish bowls (which didn't seem too weird to me because I lived in a town of around 2000 people and we always said it was like living in a fish bowl--everyone knew everyone else and their business).

 

What it really is:  Millions of people, living as foes.

Edited September 8, 2014 by Shannon L.

[AntiBeeSpray]

An old one: In The Air Tonight -- Phil Collins

 

What I thought it was: It's all been a pack of lice (eew... :P -- thanks Phil for your enunciation of that line)

 

What it really was: It's all been a pack of lies

[Jeebus Cripes]

I'm LMAO at some of these.

 

This one wasn't mine, but I did get to correct my brother for a change :)  In "Love Bites" by Def Leppard, he thought the lyrics:

 

"Love bites, love bleeds - it's bringing me to my knees"

were actually

"Love bites, love bleeds - it's bleeding internally."

 

Holy crap, I read this wrong and thought the correct lyrics were "it's bleeding internally," and my entire life was a lie. Phew.

 

I've had a ton of these, but the only one that comes to mind at the moment, and bare with me, because it's Eddie Vedder:

 

Pearl Jam - Even Flow (Don't even get me started on "Yellow Ledbetter")

 

Incorrect: Even though, thoughts erode like butterflies (Jesus, I couldn't even get the title right)

Correct: Even flow, thoughts arrive like butterflies

 

Incorrect: Oh, feelin' maybe he'll feel a little better instead of dazed

Correct: Oh, feelin' maybe he'll see a little better set a days

 

Incorrect: Oh, dog grin

Correct: Oh, dark grin

 

Incorrect: Oh, seething few and far between all the lethal halls of shame

Correct: Oh, ceilings few and far between all legal halls of shame

 

I've been singing it this way for over twenty years.

[CaughtOnTape]

Justin Timberlake Not A Bad Thing

 

What he says:  Cuz you might look around and find your dreams come true with me

 

What I hear:  Cust you might fuck around and find your dreams come true with me

[BatmanBeatles]

Poker Face - Lady Gaga

 

Right lyrics - Can't read my, can't read my, can't read my, can't read my poker face

 

Wrong lyrics - Carry my, carry my, carry my, carry my poker face

[PrincessLuceval]

Small World - Split Enz (from their Time And Tide album)

 

Right lyrics - and a Russian man is sent to spy upon us

 

Wrong lyrics (but I still hear it even though I know the right ones!) - and a Russian man is Santa's firebug

[Shannon L.]

After all of these years, I just found this one out this morning:

 

Danger Zone by Kenny Loggins:

 

I heard "I went to the danger zone; Right into the danger zone"

The real lyrics are "Highway to the danger zone; Ride into the danger zone"

 

I could have a field day in this thread with almost the entire song Come on Eileen by Dexie's Midnight Runners  :)

[Jac]

Small World - Split Enz (from their Time And Tide album)

 

Right lyrics - and a Russian man is sent to spy upon us

 

Wrong lyrics (but I still hear it even though I know the right ones!) - and a Russian man is Santa's firebug

Oh my God, a fellow Split Enz fan!!!

And to bring this thread back on topic...

From Crowded House's Nails in my Feet:

What I heard: Your skin is like water on a burning bridge.

Actual lyric: Your skin is like water on a burning beach.

[spaceytraci1208]

http://youtu.be/bG0u3-Gbu88

I know he's singing "Secret agent man" but I always hear "Secret Asian man"...

[AntiBeeSpray]

http://youtu.be/bG0u3-Gbu88

I know he's singing "Secret agent man" but I always hear "Secret Asian man"...

I hear that too. 

[Jeebus Cripes]

After all of these years, I just found this one out this morning:

 

Danger Zone by Kenny Loggins:

 

I heard "I went to the danger zone; Right into the danger zone"

The real lyrics are "Highway to the danger zone; Ride into the danger zone"

 

Holy crap! I've been singing "I went" all these years, too!

[Shannon L.]

 

Holy crap! I've been singing "I went" all these years, too!

Well, at least those misheard lyrics made sense.  That's always a less embarrassing than singing words that you think you heard, but they make no sense at all. 

 

"Bingo Jed had a light on!" instead of "Big ole' jet airliner!" (I didn't misunderstand these lyrics--I got that from a stand up comedian.  I thought it was pretty funny :)

[AntiBeeSpray]

Well, at least those misheard lyrics made sense.  That's always a less embarrassing than singing words that you think you heard, but they make no sense at all. 

 

"Bingo Jed had a light on!" instead of "Big ole' jet airliner!" (I didn't misunderstand these lyrics--I got that from a stand up comedian.  I thought it was pretty funny :)

I thought it was "Big old Jed had a light on!".

[BatmanBeatles]

Some heard it as "Ego Jan and the rhino."

[BizBuzz]

My daughter (14) and I were working together today, we listen to Pandora when we work.  Hold the Line from Toto came on, and she just happened to be next to the laptop when it did so she saw the name of the song.  She said Mom, is this song really Hold the Line?  I said yeah, what did you think it was?  She said Border Line.  And she said every time she heard it, she thought it didn't make sense.

 

::giggle::

[AntiBeeSpray]

My daughter (14) and I were working together today, we listen to Pandora when we work.  Hold the Line from Toto came on, and she just happened to be next to the laptop when it did so she saw the name of the song.  She said Mom, is this song really Hold the Line?  I said yeah, what did you think it was?  She said Border Line.  And she said every time she heard it, she thought it didn't make sense.

 

::giggle::

I thought it was that too, Biz, for the longest time.

[Jeebus Cripes]

Blinded By The Light by Manfred Mann's Earth Band

 

what I hear: Blinded by the light, wrapped up like a douche, another runner in the night

actual lyrics: Blinded by the light, revved up like a deuce, another runner in the night

 

And I know I'm not the only one...

[BizBuzz]

And I know I'm not the only one...

 

Um no.  In fact, it still says that in my head when I hear the song today.  ::giggle::

[PrincessLuceval]

Same here, except I hear "another rotor in the night" because that makes even less sense. :)

[Shannon L.]

I heard the same thing except I heard "another rumor in the night". 

[Jeebus Cripes]

Same here, except I hear "another rotor in the night" because that makes even less sense. :)

 

You know what? I think that's what I usually hear, too. Reading the actual lyrics made me forget that part, but "douche" always stood out.

[DeLurker]

Fun thread!  I've heard some of the same lyrics noted hear.  For years I got the lyrics to Shattered by the Rolling Stones wrong.

 

Real Lyrics:

What a mess this town's in tatters I've been shattered
My brain's been battered, splattered all over Manhattan
Uh-huh, this town's full of money grabbers
Go ahead, bite the Big Apple, don't mind the maggots, huh

 

What I heard:

What a mess this town's in tatters I've been shattered
My brain's been battered, splattered all over Manhattan
Uh-huh, this town's full of bunny rabbits
Go ahead, bite the Big Apple, don't mind your manners, huh

Edited September 25, 2014 by DeLurker

[KnoxForPres]

Oh my gosh @ Danger Zone and Blinded by the Light! How wrong I was!

It's not really that funny, but it was more a wow moment for me. Straight Up by Paula Abdul:

Correct: Or am I caught in a hit and run

What I heard from 1988 to mid 2014:

I rammed my car in a hit and run

[Popples]

Someone did an entire modegreen version of Fall Out Boy's "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" a while back. My favorite line is "I'm oh so evil, also into cats" instead of "the lies I weave are oh so intricate."

 

[Shannon L.]

This was my morning:

 

For several weeks now:

Me:  "Alejandro!"

Enrique:  "Bailondo!"

(I don't speak Spanish, btw)

 

Today:

Me:  "I'm getting bored with the songs on my iphone.  I need new ones.  I like that song Alejandro by Enrique, but I can't find it anywhere."  On the search engine, I see Bialondo.  "Oh, no....."  Press the play button for a sample.  ::headdesk::

[Jeebus Cripes]

Someone did an entire modegreen version of Fall Out Boy's "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" a while back. My favorite line is "I'm oh so evil, also into cats" instead of "the lies I weave are oh so intricate."

 

 

This is amazing. It's better than the actual lyrics.

[DeLurker]

Billy Ocean's Caribbean Queen - I always thought he was saying Caribou Queen. 

 

He says Caribbean about 1,000x but each time it sounds like caribou to me.

[DeLurker]

Just heard it on the car radio and it reminded me of one: Come On Eileen by Dexys Midnight Runners:

 

Real Lyrics:

Poor old Johnny Ray
Sounded sad upon the radio
But he moved a million hearts in mono
Our mothers cried
Sang along
Who'd blame them
You've grown, so grown
Now I must say more than ever

 

Misheard:

Poor old Johnny Ray
Sounded sad upon the radio
But he moved a million hearts in May
Our mothers cried
Sang along
Who'd blame them
Su ba-ru, Suuuu - ba-ruu
Now I must say more than ever

 

May for mono worked because it actually rhymed, but Subaru made no sense at all, but since I never understood a lot of the lyrics I just went with it.

[Shannon L.]

I wrote about that song in a previous post: 

 

I could have a field day in this thread with almost the entire song Come on Eileen by Dexie's Midnight Runners  :)

I'm impressed that you heard that much right!  I could understand Johnny Ray, something about a dress and confessing and the occasional word here and there  :)

 

I heard Sweet Talkin' Woman on the radio today.  I was 9 when it came out and didn't know the name of it, so I thought they were saying "Sweet talkin' Lola". 

[AntiBeeSpray]

Just double checked on some lyrics from Dude Looks like a Lady by Aerosmith... boy was I wrong on them XD.

 

I thought that:

 

Then she whipped out a gun
Tried to blow me away

 

Was:

 

She wiggled good
And it blew me away

 

Way different interpretation.

[Shannon L.]

I had a friend who thought the song was "Do the Funky Lady"  :)

[DeLurker]

That was me!

[Shannon L.]

If you're a 50 something woman named Marie who used to work at a McDonald's in Northern VT, I'll freak out a little  :)

[KnoxForPres]

I had a funny moment yesterday. Found an older REM cd (my car is a 97) and was listening on the way to work.

What's the Frequency Kenneth is playing. My mouth is moving and I'm saying words and singing along. When it occurs to me I don't know the words. I've "sung" that song for years I guess making shit up? So I thought of you guys and laughed.

I looked them up and it's not even worth detailing as indeed it is the entire song. Oh my gosh, I did not know those lyrics.

[Jeebus Cripes]

Just double checked on some lyrics from Dude Looks like a Lady by Aerosmith... boy was I wrong on them XD.

 

I thought that:

 

Then she whipped out a gun

Tried to blow me away

 

Was:

 

She wiggled good

And it blew me away

 

Way different interpretation.

 

And yet your lyrics sound like something Steven Tyler would write.

 

I had a funny moment yesterday. Found an older REM cd (my car is a 97) and was listening on the way to work.

What's the Frequency Kenneth is playing. My mouth is moving and I'm saying words and singing along. When it occurs to me I don't know the words. I've "sung" that song for years I guess making shit up? So I thought of you guys and laughed.

I looked them up and it's not even worth detailing as indeed it is the entire song. Oh my gosh, I did not know those lyrics.

 

My mother is the queen of making shit up on the fly. She never remembers the lyrics to anything. I wouldn't even consider it a mondegreen situation because she'll make up something different each time she hears the same song.

[Tabbyclaw]

I don't have a lot of mondegreens because apparently deciphering song lyrics is my mutant superpower, but a post in one of the other threads reminded me of one of my favorites. In Don Henley's "Heart of the Matter," the actual lyrics are:

 

An old, true friend of ours was talking on the phone

She said you'd found someone

 

But I always hear it as:

 

An all-too-friendly voice was talking on the phone

 

I imagine it as a phone call from someone who knows this will be a sore subject and wants to stir up drama under the guise of keeping him informed and offering support in this difficult time.

[BizBuzz]

10CC - I'm Not in Love

 

Real Words:  Big Boys Don't Cry

I sang:  Be Poised and Quiet

 

I couldn't imagine a song telling me that big boys don't cry, how absurd!

[AntiBeeSpray]

And yet your lyrics sound like something Steven Tyler would write.

 

 

My mother is the queen of making shit up on the fly. She never remembers the lyrics to anything. I wouldn't even consider it a mondegreen situation because she'll make up something different each time she hears the same song.

 

Thanks lol. It's the way he sings the line that makes it sound that way tbh.

[bosawks]

AC/DC

"Dirty Dees and the Dunder Sheep." I thought it was some weird Australian thing.

"Dirty deeds done dirt cheap" might make a lot more sense but part of me misses those Dunder Sheep.