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

[Oosala]

From Beck, Loser.

What I've always sung:  So shut the door, I'm a loser baby, so why don't you kill me?

What it really is:  Soy, un perdedor (translate: I'm a loser), I'm a loser baby, so why don't you kill me?  I can't believe you!

On 5/26/2022 at 6:42 AM, Anduin said:

Here's an example of misreading something. This logo.

To be fair, that logo is just horrible.  How can you brand yourself if nobody can read your brand?  Just terrible.

Edited September 13, 2022 by Oosala

[Anduin]

3 hours ago, Oosala said:

From Beck, Loser.

What I've always sung:  So shut the door, I'm a loser baby, so why don't you kill me?

What it really is:  Soy, un perdedor (translate I'm a loser), I'm a loser baby, so why don't you kill me?  I can't believe you!

To be fair, that logo is just horrible.  How can you brand yourself if nobody can read your brand?  Just terrible.

Wait, it isn't shut the door? Learn something new every day.

As for that logo, yes, it's terrible. Such indecipherable logos were very common in early 90s metal, though usually not so bad.

[KWalkerInc]

Although it's been a very long time since I took Spanish classes, I can still understand "Que Hiciste" by Jennifer Lopez fairly well.  However, at the beginning of a few lines early in the song, I couldn't understand that she was saying "Ayer los..." and "Ayer nos..." talking about things that happened yesterday in the context of the song.  I thought she was going "A J-Lo..." and I wondered why she kept talking about herself in the third person, especially considering she has sometimes complained about that nickname in the past.

In "About Damn Time" by Lizzo, she sings, "I'ma need like two shots in my cup," and the next line is "Wanna get up, wanna get down."  That is pretty straightforward, but for a while--even after I read the lyrics--I was certain that it was "One to get up, one to get down."  I thought she was explaining the specific purpose of each shot, that she needed the first one to get up and the second to get down.  Obviously I put way too much thought into this!  It was only after reading her lips while watching the video that I accepted that I was wrong.

[Rushmoras]

So, I was listening to Guns N' Roses on my phone today, and in "You Could Be Mine" chorus I always here lines about someone getting bitch-slapped and Axel running out of coke to snort. And it got me thinking, it can't be that this is legit lyrics.

Looking up. Well, I'll be damned, it wasn't that far off of what I heard, though I hear it a bit differently: "When you're bitch-slapped and your cocaine is done". Real lyrics: "With your bitch slap rappin' And your cocaine tongue".

[BlueSkies]

Madonna Take A Bow:

Always sounds like she's singing No More Masturbate when it's actually No More Masquerade 

On her fan site I was not the only person that thought this 🤣

[Bookworm13]

On 5/26/2022 at 9:42 AM, Anduin said:

Here's an example of misreading something. This logo.

The first time I saw it, I thought it said Iron Nihil, like it was the band's label. On closer inspection, it's the band's name, Lorna Shore. But I still like Iron Nihil.

I’m not sure if it’s just because I’m used to their logo, but the name jumped right out at me. Metal band logos are always fun, though. Like those puzzles I did as a kid where you try to find a word/picture within a picture. There are some band logos I’m convinced are just scribbles without any actual letters 😂

Not sure whether anyone here listens to(or has even heard of) Electric Callboy, but I finally got around to listening to their new album. Anyways, the song Mindreader -

What Nico sings - You’re a mindreader

What I hear - You’re a margarita 🤣

It’s a mix of his accent and the fact he pronounces it as mindread-ah, but I still find it hilarious. Looking at other reviews, people also hear my burrito, so maybe we all just want Mexican food. 

[JustHereForFood]

Back when Rihanna's Russian Roulette debuted, I used to hear "Soldier, pull the trigger" instead of "So just pull the trigger". I thought it was about a woman who is to be executed by a firing squad. I didn't listen much to the rest of lyrics, just the refrain.

[KWalkerInc]

In "Same Ole Love" by Anita Baker, she sings, "From beginning to end, 365 days of the year..."  But I heard it as "Well, we gotta do it, 365 days of the year" followed by "I want your same ol' lovin', baby."  That at least makes some sense, although it would be a little demanding of her.

[BlueSkies]

Next Too Close:

I always heard it : Baby when were crying, I get so excited

Is: Baby when were grinding, I get so excited 

[Angeltoes]

Who Are You by The Who.  I keep hearing "who are you" as "New Orleans."  It always made me think that it was the theme for a '70's cop show.

[Colleenna]

Elton John's  Philadelphia  Freedom 

What I hear: "Like the eagle,  I was born to raise the flag "

Actual lyrics: "From the day that I was born,  I've waved the flag."

*snort* 

[smittykins]

Jim Croce, “Workin’ At The Car Wash Blues”:

Wrong:  “Workin’ at this end of Niagara Falls is an undiscovered Howard Hughes.”

Actual:  “Workin’ in this indoor Niagara Falls is an undiscovered Howard Hughes.”

[Colleenna]

The first time I heard this song, I was like "Whaaaaaa????" 

Actual lyrics:

"Havana ooh na na, half of my heart is in..."

What I *heard* :

"Banana on the roof, wearing a cardigan..."

Even though I now know the actual words, it will forever be banana on the roof.😄😄

[Oosala]

From Fairytale of New York, by The Pogues:

What he sang - Got on a lucky one, came in eighteen-to-one.

What I heard - God, I'm a lucky one, came in eighteen-to-one.

But you can't really blame me, man.  Shane MacGowan wasn't exactly known for precise pronunciation.  I've loved this song for so many years.

[KWalkerInc]

In Tevin Campbell's "Round and Round," there is a part that goes, "Sittin' idle in our boat / While everyone else is down the stream."  I was never able to understand it though, and heard something like, "Sitting by the litter box / While everyone else is down the street" (which does kind of fit in with my life).  I was glad to find the actual lyrics through Genius, because the ones that come up just with a Google search make about as much sense as mine (something about sitting in a bowl?).

In one of my favorites, "When I Think of You" by Janet Jackson, she sings in one part, "Ooh, so in love / With you / Right there!" and now it seems incredibly easy to understand, but I couldn't figured the bolded part growing up.  I still wanted to sing something so I'd just go "Great food!  Great beer!" because I guess that's what I was hearing even though I knew that was wrong.  Fortunately, I don't think anyone heard me singing that part out loud.

[Oosala]

God, I'm embarrassed about this one because I've been singing this line in the chorus of Pearl Jam's Jeremy incorrectly for the whole damn time.

I sing "Jeremy's spoken, here today."

Eddie sings "Jeremy spoke in class today."

Eddie's version makes more sense because Jeremy probably never spoke during class -- until he took out his gun.

[janie jones]

I teach English as a Second Language, and one thing we talk about in speaking or pronunciation classes is pausing in the right places. I've always thought that Jeremy is a good example of a misplaced pause causing misunderstanding. In normal, non-hesitating speech you wouldn't say "Jeremy spoke in (pause) class." I think it's perfectly logical that one's brain would interpret "Jeremy spoke in + unusual pause" as "Jeremy spoken + predictable pause."

(I actually love using mondegreens to teach pronunciation/speaking, because they can be used as either cautionary tales, or as like, "even native speakers hear X as Y, and this is the reason, so don't be discouraged if you do the same thing.")

Edited January 28, 2023 by janie jones

[roseha]

I see that I contributed my mishearing of Satisfaction a long time ago on this board, but here's another that actually surprised me:  William DeVaughn's "Be Thankful for What You Got" in which he sings about not having a cool car, or a car at all and then:

"Diamond in the back, sunroof top
Diggin the scene
With a gangsta lean, wooh-ooh-ooh"
 

I always thought and would have sworn that he was singing:  "Diggin the scene with the gasoline"

[Colleenna]

On 1/28/2023 at 12:28 PM, janie jones said:

one thing we talk about in speaking or pronunciation classes is pausing in the right places.

Yes!!! There's a song titled  "Legend" by the group The Score that contains the lyrics 

"Blood, sweat, I'll break my bones /Till all my scars bleed gold and my name's forever known"

Unfortunately,  the way it's sung is "Till all my scars bleed gold and [pause] my name's forever known" This leads to people mishearing it as "scars bleed GOLDEN."

[KWalkerInc]

Last night, I heard "Stitches" by Shawn Mendes, and he kept going, "Need a lemon thread!  Need a lemon thread!"  I was confused, but he finally said it enough times that I realized it was "Needle and thread," which does make sense with the title of the song.  I know the song isn't new and I've heard it a bunch of other times, but I guess I wasn't paying much attention then.

[BlueSkies]

Technotronic- Pump Up The Jam

 

You might not recognize it but I can promise you all kids of the 90s heard it at one  point

 

I always thought the lyric sound like Get Your Booty on the bus now but its get your booty on the floor tonight 

[Anduin]

26 minutes ago, BlueSkies said:

I always thought the lyric sound like Get Your Booty on the bus now but its get your booty on the floor tonight 

I always thought it was get your booty on a boy tonight! Floor. Of course. Me and my dirty teenage mind. :)

[Bastet]

4 hours ago, BlueSkies said:

You might not recognize it

I still listen to it.  And, like all Becky Conner fans, fondly remember:

 

[Annber03]

I relate WAY too well to Becky there, LOL. 

[smittykins]

Gilbert O’Sullivan, “Alone Again(Naturally)”

Wrong:  “Sixty-five years old 

My mother God-blessed his soul…”

Right:  “Sixty-five years old 

My mother, God rest her soul…”

(I was yesterday years old when I finally figured it out.)

 

[BlueSkies]

 

 

Lyrics are now everybody say way-ooh.

 

It really does sound like now what the fu*k you say hay-oh.

 

 

The second half of the song I didn't even realize how x rated it was 

 

[janie jones]

On 3/15/2023 at 11:15 AM, smittykins said:

Gilbert O’Sullivan, “Alone Again(Naturally)”

Wrong:  “Sixty-five years old 

My mother God-blessed his soul…”

Right:  “Sixty-five years old 

My mother, God rest her soul…”

(I was yesterday years old when I finally figured it out.)

 

I'm curious if you also misheard Sugar Ray's "Fly."

[BlueSkies]

Michael Jackson's Smooth Criminal.

 

I always thought it sounded more like he was singing Danny are you okay versus Annie are you okay 

[Anduin]

1 hour ago, BlueSkies said:

Michael Jackson's Smooth Criminal.

 

I always thought it sounded more like he was singing Danny are you okay versus Annie are you okay 

I always thought it was Eddy are you okay. My crap ears again, also my dad's name is Eddy, so I'd have it in the brain.

[janie jones]

22 hours ago, BlueSkies said:

I always thought it sounded more like he was singing Danny are you okay versus Annie are you okay 

21 hours ago, Anduin said:

I always thought it was Eddy are you okay. My crap ears again, also my dad's name is Eddy, so I'd have it in the brain.

This reminds me of how everyone thinks The Weight is about a lady named Annie.

Edited March 27, 2023 by janie jones

[Bastet]

On 3/25/2023 at 7:32 PM, BlueSkies said:

I always thought it sounded more like he was singing Danny are you okay versus Annie are you okay 

On 3/25/2023 at 8:47 PM, Anduin said:

I always thought it was Eddy are you okay. My crap ears again, also my dad's name is Eddy, so I'd have it in the brain.

Clearly, neither of you learned CPR in the '70s.

(I did, and found it oddly delightful, or delightfully odd, when it turned up in a song.)

Edited March 27, 2023 by Bastet

[BlueSkies]

I was so off on what this song was about.  I liked the way it sounded but the only lyric I understood was They don’t write um like that anymore 

 

 

The rest of the song it sounds like they mumble like a lot.  So I always interpreted it as somebody depressed how things weren’t were what they were.  Had no idea it was about a break up 

[KWalkerInc]

I remembered one last night when "Aunt Frida" appeared on a rerun of The Nanny.  In the early '90s rap song "Treat 'Em Right" by Chubb Rock, it sounds like he says, "Lainie Kazan, my homegirl, peace!"  I once Googled this and found a discussion by other people who'd heard it this way, but it turned out he was shouting out a rapper named Lady Kazam.  I was a little disappointed because I had been interested to know how Chubb and Lainie knew each other.

In "2 Be Loved (Am I Ready)," I thought that Lizzo said, "He call me Nelly," which I found confusing, but I thought, "Well, it's a nickname.  It doesn't necessarily have to make sense."  But it's actually "Melly," which does make sense because her real name is Melissa.  (And I knew her name, so I felt stupid not figuring out the lyric!)

[Oosala]

What I heard:  Every highway...

What he sang:  Carefree highway...

R.I.P. Gordon Lightfoot.

[WendyCR72]

On 5/2/2023 at 10:34 PM, Oosala said:

What I heard:  Every highway...

What he sang:  Carefree highway...

R.I.P. Gordon Lightfoot.

OMG, same!

And yes, RIP Gordon Lightfoot. Mom loved "Sundown". Dad loved "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald".

[Bastet]

I just learned that one of my favorite comedians - Wanda Sykes is far and away my favorite, then there's her, and then there's a big gap before I even try to rank the rest - Kathleen Madigan, thought Billy Ocean's "Caribbean Queen" was "Caribou Queen".  I shall hear it that way, and laugh, forevermore. 

[xls]

Sure Thing by

Miguel 

Actual lyrics: You could bet that, never gotta sweat that
You could bet that, never gotta sweat that
You could bet that, never gotta sweat that
You could bet that, never gotta sweat that

What I hear: "gotta get back, nipple gotta sweat that. 

gotta get back, nipple gotta sweat that.

gotta get back, nipple gotta sweat that.

 

[BlueSkies]

Brandy & Monica the boy is Mine.

Actual lyric:  You need to know its me not you

What it sounds like to me: You need to know he's being a Jew 

 

 

I'm sorry but that's what it sounds like! 

[KWalkerInc]

Tonight I heard Luke Combs' cover of "Fast Car."  When he said that he had been working in a convenience store, I suddenly realized I had always heard Tracy Chapman wrong.  For some reason, I thought she said, "Been working in the canteen store," as if that makes any sense.  It's not like the song has been out for 35 years or anything!  It would be one thing if I just misheard it back when I was in 8th grade when the song came out, but Music Choice seems to play it almost every Sunday afternoon on Soft Rock, so I still hear it on a regular basis yet never questioned that could be wrong.  Sometimes I just don't know!  (It gave me a much-needed laugh though.)

[Bastet]

I just heard Kathleen Madigan talking about how her dad thinks the lyrics to "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight" are "I'm not talking 'bout the linen" rather than "I'm not talking 'bout moving in".

Which was the first time I learned it was "moving in" as I've always heard it as "the limit", which makes about as much sense as the linen.  I also thought "and I don't want to change your life" was "and I don't want to change your mind".  It's one of those songs I've never paid attention to beyond the chorus, but it turns out I don't even know the chorus.

[Annber03]

I got "don't want to change your life", myself, but yeah, I never quite understood what exactly he was saying with the "I'm not talking 'bout..." bit, either. It doesn't sound like "moving in" to my ears, no. 

[dewelar]

18 hours ago, Bastet said:

Which was the first time I learned it was "moving in" as I've always heard it as "the limit", which makes about as much sense as the linen.

See, I also heard it as "the linen", which made sense to me as the singer saying he just wanted to see his lover and not sleep with her (i.e., linen sheets).

[Rushmoras]

Yesterday, accidentally, on reddit, encountered a topic wherein someone posted lyrics to Nightwish Return to the Sea. And it got me thinking that I always heard quite differently the verse that was posted.

What I always hear: "Giant spiders learnt how to swim and with wales they fought my nightingale" (which, I found logical all these years cause of the song Know Why The Nightingale Sings), but what Tarja is actually saying is: "Giant spiders leant how to swim, with wales they form a united kin". Which... actually comes close to Nirvana's lyrics for Smells Like Teen Spirit random nonsense :D

[Anduin]

19 hours ago, Rushmoras said:

Yesterday, accidentally, on reddit, encountered a topic wherein someone posted lyrics to Nightwish Return to the Sea. And it got me thinking that I always heard quite differently the verse that was posted.

What I always hear: "Giant spiders learnt how to swim and with wales they fought my nightingale" (which, I found logical all these years cause of the song Know Why The Nightingale Sings), but what Tarja is actually saying is: "Giant spiders leant how to swim, with wales they form a united kin". Which... actually comes close to Nirvana's lyrics for Smells Like Teen Spirit random nonsense :D

Good old Nightwish. Nonsensical lyrics don't help. Why would giant spiders team up with whales? However, I gotta say, Floor is a more legible singer than Tarja.

[BlueSkies]

Always sounded a little to me like she was singing Wet Safari instead of Where's The Party 

[Milburn Stone]

For decades I thought Gordon Lightfoot was singing "every highway." Then one day, visiting friends in Scottsdale, we did a day trip, and came upon a road called Carefree Highway. Epiphany!

[Annber03]

10 hours ago, Milburn Stone said:

For decades I thought Gordon Lightfoot was singing "every highway." Then one day, visiting friends in Scottsdale, we did a day trip, and came upon a road called Carefree Highway. Epiphany!

...oh, my god, I'm just now realizing this, too. 

That song was even on the radio the other day and it still didn't hit me :p. 

[KWalkerInc]

It's annoying when I'm trying to find out the actual lyrics for a song but there really isn't a definitive answer.  There is a line in "Get Up and Get Down" by the Dramatics that one source says is "I want to see your tight wire come alive," but another says it's "I want to see your tired body come alive."  When I most recently heard it on a playlist, it sounded like a combination of those two, "tight body."  That might make sense, but I guess I'm not going to know!  When I used to pay only partial attention during the song, I thought it was "I want to see your typewriter come alive," which I assumed was a dance because I thought I'd heard of one.  It turns out that there is, but it was something made up by MC Hammer like 15 to 20 years after this song came out.

[BlueSkies]

The Motels Only the Lonely..

 

Sounds like she is singing only the lonely get laid instead its only the lonely can play 

 

it sounds like that one line he sings Reved up like a Douche vs Reved up like a Duce

[BlueSkies]

Alanis Morissette Ironic

 

When she sings its like rain on your wedding day sounds kind of like its like Rady-A.  Whatever that means!