David Ayers Posted February 21, 2015 Report Posted February 21, 2015 We've all got these - especially those of us who grew up listening to pop music in AM radio. Sometimes the misimpression lasts for decades! I still feel amused that for years what I heard as 'I wonder politely why you're in the world' turned out to be 'How wonderful life is when you're in the world.' Ho ho. Anyone else? Quote
russes01 Posted February 21, 2015 Report Posted February 21, 2015 Jewels and binoculars hang from the head of the mule.... Quote
Eric Posted February 21, 2015 Report Posted February 21, 2015 Sitting Still by REM - I don't think Stipe even knows what the words are. Quote
xybert Posted February 21, 2015 Report Posted February 21, 2015 Lovers in the air, everywhere i look around. (Love Is In the Air) After the Poison summer has gone. (The Boys of Summer) Quote
GA Russell Posted February 22, 2015 Report Posted February 22, 2015 It sounded to me like The Four Tops sang "Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch" instead of "Sugar Pie, Honey Bun." Quote
Jim R Posted February 22, 2015 Report Posted February 22, 2015 For me, this phenomenon generally involves old tunes where I never did figure out what I was hearing (pre-internet), so mysteries still remain which I've never attempted to solve. My brother and I recently decided to play "Freedom Rider" when he came for a visit. Afterward, I was listening again to a couple of recordings, and I was reminded that as much as I have always liked Winwood, I frequently have no idea what the hell he's singing. I later attempted to point out to my brother which line in FR that I couldn't make out, and realized that are at least three or four of them. The same is true for Tom Johnston of the Doobie Brothers. I think there may be fewer lyrics that I can understand vs those I can't. From "Back in the USSR"... instead of "Let me hear your balalaikas ringing out", how about "Let me hear you bellow like it's ringing out" ??? (hey, I was 12 years old... how was I supposed to know about balalaikas?). There have to be dozens more, but the only other specific example that comes to mind at the moment is the theme song from the "All In The Family" tv show ("Those Were The Days"). I still remember watching that with my folks, and it would drive my father absolutely crazy that he (and we) couldn't get the line: "Gee our old LaSalle ran great". I still get a chuckle when I think about that. Quote
duaneiac Posted February 22, 2015 Report Posted February 22, 2015 There have to be dozens more, but the only other specific example that comes to mind at the moment is the theme song from the "All In The Family" tv show ("Those Were The Days"). I still remember watching that with my folks, and it would drive my father absolutely crazy that he (and we) couldn't get the line: "Gee our old LaSalle ran great". I still get a chuckle when I think about that. I always heard that line as "Cheese was at a salad rate". I was mystified by the enigma of that one line. Quote
Sundog Posted February 22, 2015 Report Posted February 22, 2015 I have always liked Winwood, I frequently have no idea what the hell he's singing. Agreed. I've never been able to really figure out the lyrics to Medicated Goo which is one of my favorite Traffic songs. Doesn't really matter I guess. Quote
David Ayers Posted February 22, 2015 Author Report Posted February 22, 2015 I have always liked Winwood, I frequently have no idea what the hell he's singing.Agreed. I've never been able to really figure out the lyrics to Medicated Goo which is one of my favorite Traffic songs. Doesn't really matter I guess. Doesn't matter until you try to sing it in the shower... Quote
erwbol Posted February 22, 2015 Report Posted February 22, 2015 We've all got these - especially those of us who grew up listening to pop music in AM radio. Sometimes the misimpression lasts for decades! ... Or, especially those of us who grew up knowing only a few words of English, but speaking a language not too far removed from it. Quote
paul secor Posted February 22, 2015 Report Posted February 22, 2015 A purposely misheard lyric: When The Flamingos' "I Only Have Eyes for You" would be played on the radio, a guy I worked with used to sing "Beelzebub" for "Shoo-bop-shoo-bop" (or whatever they sang - I don't know if I ever heard that one clearly myself). Quote
Scott Dolan Posted February 22, 2015 Report Posted February 22, 2015 There have to be dozens more, but the only other specific example that comes to mind at the moment is the theme song from the "All In The Family" tv show ("Those Were The Days"). I still remember watching that with my folks, and it would drive my father absolutely crazy that he (and we) couldn't get the line: "Gee our old LaSalle ran great". I still get a chuckle when I think about that. Hahaha... I remember my uncle struggling with that one forever! And then one day my aunt finally figured it out and told him, and he looked at her as if to say, "have you lost your mind?!" Very hilarious memory! Quote
paul secor Posted February 22, 2015 Report Posted February 22, 2015 There have to be dozens more, but the only other specific example that comes to mind at the moment is the theme song from the "All In The Family" tv show ("Those Were The Days"). I still remember watching that with my folks, and it would drive my father absolutely crazy that he (and we) couldn't get the line: "Gee our old LaSalle ran great". I still get a chuckle when I think about that. Hahaha... I remember my uncle struggling with that one forever! And then one day my aunt finally figured it out and told him, and he looked at her as if to say, "have you lost your mind?!" Very hilarious memory! As I remember, in the later years of the show that phrase was slowed down when it was sung so the words came across more clearly. I could be wrong about that, but that's the way I remember it. Quote
danasgoodstuff Posted February 22, 2015 Report Posted February 22, 2015 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LaSalle_%28automobile%29 I got this immediately, but I came from a very car-conscious family. Except for my younger brother, perhaps the only demographically cliched thing about us - used to be ever counter/alternative guys were car-conscious, but more recently very definitely not so. Quote
page Posted February 22, 2015 Report Posted February 22, 2015 (edited) I can't recall a song right now, but I've had many of these. When I was a girl my oldest brother gave me his cassette deck and some recorded tapes. So that's how I learned about Simon and Garfunkel, Gilbert O'Sullivan, Leonard Cohen and Neil Diamond, to name a few which were artists not really of my time but more of my brothers. I was really curious about the lyrics and what the songs were about and wrote everything down by ear. Since my English wasn't that good yet being that young and not a native speaker, I must have misheard quite a few lyric phrases. I really enjoyed trying to understand the songs, was quite excited doing so and that's why i still can sing along with most of those and still appreciate the music. They will stick with me 'til my end of time.... Edited February 22, 2015 by page Quote
johnblitweiler Posted February 22, 2015 Report Posted February 22, 2015 A purposely misheard lyric: When The Flamingos' "I Only Have Eyes for You" would be played on the radio, a guy I worked with used to sing "Beelzebub" for "Shoo-bop-shoo-bop" (or whatever they sang - I don't know if I ever heard that one clearly myself). te-bop-she-bop Quote
xybert Posted March 3, 2015 Report Posted March 3, 2015 Just got reminded of one... I always puzzled over this one and i've only just found out that it's: R-E-S-P-E-C-T Find out what it means to me R-E-S-P-E-C-T Take care, TCB Where it goes 'Take care, TCB' i always thought it was 'Take out T-C-P'. As in, "i've just spelled out R-E-S-P-E-C-T, take out T-C-P and what does that give you? R-E-S-E, that's what." But i could never figure out what R-E-S-E stood for or if i was mishearing it slightly or or or. Quote
Shawn Posted March 3, 2015 Report Posted March 3, 2015 "Wrapped up like a douche, another runner in the night". Quote
catesta Posted March 3, 2015 Report Posted March 3, 2015 "Wrapped up like a douche, another runner in the night". Yep Quote
Shawn Posted March 3, 2015 Report Posted March 3, 2015 "Wrapped up like a douche, another runner in the night". Yep Can be blamed 100% on the vocalist who cannot properly say the word "deuce". Quote
xybert Posted March 3, 2015 Report Posted March 3, 2015 Also thought it was 'douche'! Except i thought it was 'roamer' rather than 'runner'. Quote
Dave Garrett Posted March 5, 2015 Report Posted March 5, 2015 Yeah, I know it's "the girl with kaleidoscope eyes", but long after having first read about the well-known mondegreen of that line, I can't help but hearing "the girl with colitis goes by" now. Quote
Shawn Posted March 5, 2015 Report Posted March 5, 2015 Also thought it was 'douche'! Except i thought it was 'roamer' rather than 'runner'. The line is supposed to be "Revved up like a deuce", but you would never guess that from the mush-mouth singing the lyric in the song. Quote
paul secor Posted March 12, 2015 Report Posted March 12, 2015 Years ago, when I heard The Rascals' "Groovin'" on the radio, I thought that Felix Cavaliere was singing "you and me and Leslie" instead of "you and me endlessly". Quote
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