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My first awareness of this happened when we sang "Jesus Saves" in church. I heard "Jesus Shaves". That made perfect sense to an 8 year old.
The whole lyrics thing fascinated me when I actually heard Credence Clearwater Revival**, "Bad Moon Rising." The real lyrics are "There's a bad moon on the rise." But I always heard "There's a bathroom on the right". When someone corrected my error, I thought, well what else am I hearing.
I searched and found some great ones, all reflecting what I felt and heard.
This comes from Huffington Post "13 Commonly Misheard Song Lyrics That Are Way Funnier Than The Real Ones, by Andy McDonald". Here are a few:
1) Jimi Hendrix, "Purple Haze"
Excuse me while I kiss the sky.
Alternate version Excuse me while I kiss this guy.
Then I saw her face, now I'm a believer.
Alternate version Then I saw her face, now I'm going to leave her.
3) Queen, "We Will Rock You"
Kicking your can all over the place.
Alternate version Kicking your cat all over the place.
4) R.E.M. "Losing my Religion"
That's me in the corner, that's me in the spotlight.
Alternate version Let's pee in the corner, Let's pee in the spotlight.
5) Bob Dylan, "Blowin' in the Wind"
The answer my friend, is blowin' in the wind."
Alternate version The ants are my friends, they're blowin' in the wind."Does that change our enjoyment of the song? Not for me. The lyrics from these artists are always on the strange side, so what makes the difference? Not a single thing.
Got any alternate lyrics of your own?
p.s. Credence Clearwater Revival--my fave then and now.
Too funny! Here’s mine: Knock three times means you’ll pee pee in the hallway.
ReplyDeletethis is awesome. Anything with pee in it holds my attention.
DeleteThese are funny. How about "Age of Asparagus!"
ReplyDeleteHave not heard that one.
DeleteMisheard lyrics, a popular pastime. I don't have any good ones to offer, alas.
ReplyDeleteWho knew? I always thought my version was fine.
DeleteIt's not mine but I worked with a girl who did not hear Once Bitten Twice Shy; she heard One Spit And Twice Shine. I can't wait to see more.
ReplyDeleteOH yeah.
DeleteMy sister, brother and I all were fans of that music genre. Lucky for me, each of them had a fine ear for music and lyrics, and kept me on the straight and narrow.
ReplyDeleteDang.
DeleteI am a big fan of mondegreens (which I think came first from laid him on the green. Some of them are much funnier and at least as thought provoking as the 'correct' version.
ReplyDeleteI was sad when I learned the true lyrics.
DeleteSeveral of those are ones I heard wrong.
ReplyDeleteAlthough we purposely mess up the REM song - That's me with a corndog...
That is too funny!
DeleteHahahahaha! I love this! :)
ReplyDeleteAlways glad to find something unique!
DeleteThe Bob Dylan one is the funniest. I have often played and replayed his songs trying to understand a lyric. Fun list.
ReplyDeleteSame here. Bob Dylan had some unusual lyrics anyway.
DeleteThe alternate versions don't make sense to me, but I had my own versions of things I heard wrong. For instance the song Ciaou (spelling?) by Lynn Randell has the line "it's too late to save a minus day" which I always heard as "it's too late to change your mind and stay" because that made more sense to me.
ReplyDeleteIt is always best to go with the one you understand.
DeleteGreat post. I am a Rock fan. I am in my 50s so these and many other songs, some not so known, are things that I have heard many times. Sometimes a song that I have listened to for decades gets “clarified” and my reaction is amazement. I agree, such revelations do not affect enjoyment.
ReplyDeleteCorrect or not correct, the joy still remains.
DeleteWhat, it really isn’t “There’s a bathroom on the right”.
ReplyDeleteThat is what everyone is wondering, just where is the bathroom.
DeleteWhat a great post, Susan. What always surprises me is that I can remember songs I haven't sung since I was 13. But ask me where I put the whatever-happens-to-be-missing!
ReplyDeleteI substitute la-la-lah.
DeleteOh dear, I'll never hear "Losing My Religion" quite the same way again. When she was a little girl, my sister thought the first line of this Christmas carol was "Hark the bald angels sing." I like her version better!
ReplyDeleteHer version has me giggling!
DeleteNothing that can top yours my friend.
ReplyDeleteThe list was much longer, but these were the best ones.
DeleteSusan:
ReplyDeleteI guess I've always been a auditory kinda person.
That CCR song was one we changed the lyrics to back in high school.
We knew the REAL lyrics, but we "Al Yankoviced" a LOT of songs back then...lol.
I still do it today...just not as frequently.
(not as many songs good enough to parody, I guess)
Love your list of songs and lyrics, too.
Al was and still is excellent.
Deletethere are also YouTube where sentences being said by football players, politicians, etc. are totally worth seeing.
I remember as kids fighting over the chorus of Really Love To See You Tonight... I had a niece that swore it was, "I'm not talking 'bout my linen..."
ReplyDeletemy linen? Oh that is precious.
DeleteI'm a visual learner too, but as far as I know, I have never misheard a song. And Bad Moon Rising is one of my favorites of all times too.
ReplyDeleteBad Moon Rising is super.
DeleteLady, I am right with you! I'm smiling big. I have did the same on lyrics. Even preaching is terrible. I told one preacher he shouldn't use so may 'bad words' in his sermon.
ReplyDeleteI do have an excuse, my hearing has always been bad. Even with cochlear implants, I still get an elbo in the ribs as i sing in public. hahahahaha
I love this one, you verbalize it perfectly. Imma try to remember it.
Sherry & jack.
Imma must be a nice person.
DeleteJust this afternoon, I heard, "I Love Girls," by Elton John. Of course it was "Island Girl." I never misheard it, but read it on one of those commonly misunderstood lists, so that's what I think about now when it comes on.
ReplyDeleteEvery musician must have some misheard lyrics.
Deletethis is so interesting post dear Susan!
ReplyDeletei agree that it happens my friend and it happened to me either many times when i heard some song and i thought i heard it right until i sung it front of sister or friend or hubby and heard laughter loud lol
after correction i still found the misheard one more familiar
Same here. The misheard lyrics are just fine.
ReplyDeleteGreat post Susan. Your list of misheard lyrics were common ones with me too especially the Hendrix one and CCR. You had me laughing! :)
ReplyDeleteAren't they great!!
Deletehaha funny how our mind goes to different things. My grandmother listened to play that funky music white boy and though funky was another f word.
ReplyDeleteI can see that happening. Your sweet grandmother!
DeleteThe ants are my friends, now I'm going to leave her.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
I loved the ants one.
DeleteI LOVED this post, Susan. I always though the Beatles song "Lucy in the sky with diamonds" was "Lucy in DISGUISE with diamonds." Even when I was corrected, my version sounded more correct to me!
ReplyDeleteIt does make much more sense. But, then the Beatles were heading off on a different track.
DeleteDear Susan, I have an auditory learning disability that was diagnosed when I was in my forties. For me, it helped to explain all the things I'd thought I'd heard when I was a child and listening to the songs of Cole Porter, Hart, Rogers and Hammerstein, the Gershwins, etc.
ReplyDeleteNow that I've lost my hearing in my left ear, I hear even stranger things!!! And I'm asking someone to repeat what she/he as just said. Sometimes, what here is so strange that for a nanosecond I wonder if I'm living in an alternate universe.
I so enjoyed this posting. Thank you for it! Peace.
Thanks, Dee!
DeleteAfter an 11 hr. plane trip, I couldn't hear through my left ear. It took about 6 weeks before it returned. But you are right: alternate universe.