# Animals' version of "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood": why does it sound off-key to me? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 30, 2016, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-version-of-dont-let-me-be-misunderstood-why-does-it-sound-off-key-to-me/767259 "2016-09-30T01:22:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-version-of-dont-let-me-be-misunderstood-why-does-it-sound-off-key-to-me/767259/1 "2016-09-30T01:22:16Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/vstNm5xzuKM/maxresdefault.jpg "The Animals ~ Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood (1965)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vstNm5xzuKM) In the Animals’ version of this classic song, there’s always been a part that seems a little off to me, but I can’t quite put my finger on it. It is the part that goes “I’m just a soul whose intentions are good…oh lord” (first example is at 0:25 in the Youtube link). The organ that comes in right after the word “good” seems like it is in a different key. The music then seems to revert to the original key after the word “misunderstood.” Has anybody else ever noticed that this part of the song sounds a little off, or am I just imagining things? Can any Dopers who know how to play the song explain what exactly is happening in this portion of the song? ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-version-of-dont-let-me-be-misunderstood-why-does-it-sound-off-key-to-me/767259/2 "2016-09-30T01:59:35Z")
Tape drag. No you’re not imagining it, it’s made me cringe since 1965. It’s been corrected (finally!) on CD. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-version-of-dont-let-me-be-misunderstood-why-does-it-sound-off-key-to-me/767259/3 "2016-09-30T02:09:31Z")
I’m not hearing it where you are, but I do hear the organ going off-key right at 0:24-0:25 right before the “I’m just a soul” part. I don’t hear anything particularly weird about the part you’re referencing (between “good” and “misunderstood.”) Throughout the song, though, the organ part does sound a little bit wobbly on the pitch. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-version-of-dont-let-me-be-misunderstood-why-does-it-sound-off-key-to-me/767259/4 "2016-09-30T02:17:08Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I’m not hearing it where you are, but I do hear the organ going off-key right at 0:24-0:25 right before the “I’m just a soul” part. I don’t hear anything particularly weird about the part you’re referencing (between “good” and “misunderstood.”) Throughout the song, though, the organ part does sound a little bit wobbly on the pitch. You’re probably right–I have a hard time describing exactly what part of the song sounds off-key. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-version-of-dont-let-me-be-misunderstood-why-does-it-sound-off-key-to-me/767259/5 "2016-09-30T02:22:14Z")
> [@Ponch8](#): > > You’re probably right–I have a hard time describing exactly what part of the song sounds off-key. Then I think **TreacherousCretin** is referring to the same thing I am. There’s a few places where there’s a pretty noticeable pitch wobble in the organ part (or at least that’s the instrument where it’s most noticeable, since it’s holding down chords for several beats.) ---
**Author:** ![Common\_Tater](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/common_tater/32/13846_2.png) [@Common\_Tater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Common_Tater)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-version-of-dont-let-me-be-misunderstood-why-does-it-sound-off-key-to-me/767259/6 "2016-09-30T04:13:43Z")
Lots of famous songs and hits have been recorded with badly out of tune instruments. Many people might not notice too much other than it sounds “off” but it really becomes noticeable if you’re trying to play along. Note we’re not talking about tuning standard to a different absolute pitch, but plain old out of tune instruments. Two off the top of my head from the rock era are the guitar on “Queen Jane Approximately” by Bob Dylan and the “flute solo” on “California Dreamin”, especially cringeworthy. There are many, many others. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-version-of-dont-let-me-be-misunderstood-why-does-it-sound-off-key-to-me/767259/7 "2016-09-30T04:17:08Z")
How could the reason for one instrument going off be “tape drag”? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-version-of-dont-let-me-be-misunderstood-why-does-it-sound-off-key-to-me/767259/8 "2016-09-30T04:33:56Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > How could the reason for one instrument going off be “tape drag”? I’m not sure it’s just one instrument, myself. It sounds to me like the pitch changes noticeably during the organ holding the chord at 0:24-0:25 before the vocals chime in. To me, it sounds like an odd splice. But elsewhere, it does sound to me like the organ wavers a bit, so there might also be something else going on with the tuning, but that bit at 0:24-0:25 is something a bit more than just the organ tuning. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-version-of-dont-let-me-be-misunderstood-why-does-it-sound-off-key-to-me/767259/9 "2016-09-30T04:37:58Z")
Actually, I just found [this discussion](http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/the-animals-dont-let-me-be-misunderstood-tape-drag.185327/) of the song which **Ponch8** would probably be interested in. No definitive conclusion was reached in the thread, but lots of people have noticed the anomalies in pitch, and it looks like at least one person also surmised an odd splice where I did. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-version-of-dont-let-me-be-misunderstood-why-does-it-sound-off-key-to-me/767259/10 "2016-09-30T05:44:07Z")
Am I the only one who hears Stevie Nicks sing “till the landslide _ **BRUNG** _ it down”? in the first verse? And how about Robert Plant’s “29 _ **Parms** _” the first time around? ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-version-of-dont-let-me-be-misunderstood-why-does-it-sound-off-key-to-me/767259/11 "2016-09-30T10:22:54Z")
The Stones’ “The Singer Not the Song” is the classic example of this for me. It’s been obvious since I was a kid that the guitars are out of tune with each other, and also Keith’s backup singing on the last note (out of his vocal range). “I’m Free,” on the same album (_December’s Children_), has out-of-tune guitars, too, though not quite as bad – in this case, might be some poorly adjusted effects pedal or something rather than the guitar strings themselves. I wonder if the Stones weren’t going for deliberate tuning sloppiness, rather like some of their blues heroes, to heighten the contrast to the more finicky Beatles. ---
**Author:** ![Common\_Tater](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/common_tater/32/13846_2.png) [@Common\_Tater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Common_Tater)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-version-of-dont-let-me-be-misunderstood-why-does-it-sound-off-key-to-me/767259/12 "2016-09-30T12:44:16Z")
Definitely the Stones were famous for sloppy tuning. Their Hyde Park free concert after the death of Brian Jones is a good example of this. Even more songs are often recorded at something other than standard 440A, this isn’t “out of tune” but it makes practicing along with the recording a pita. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-version-of-dont-let-me-be-misunderstood-why-does-it-sound-off-key-to-me/767259/13 "2016-09-30T16:25:50Z")
Sweet Screaming Jeebus: Percy Sledge’s “When A Man Loves A Woman” is chugging along, getting up a good head of steam, approaching the climax and THE TRUMPET IS SO DAMN SHARP IT COULD CUT CHEESE! But at least it’s loud! ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-version-of-dont-let-me-be-misunderstood-why-does-it-sound-off-key-to-me/767259/14 "2016-09-30T17:55:13Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Am I the only one who hears Stevie Nicks sing “till the landslide _ **BRUNG** _ it down”? in the first verse? I hear it too. Definitely oughta been **brang**. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-version-of-dont-let-me-be-misunderstood-why-does-it-sound-off-key-to-me/767259/15 "2016-09-30T19:35:38Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I’m not sure it’s just one instrument, myself. It sounds to me like the pitch changes noticeably during the organ holding the chord at 0:24-0:25 before the vocals chime in. To me, it sounds like an odd splice. But elsewhere, it does sound to me like the organ wavers a bit, so there might also be something else going on with the tuning, but that bit at 0:24-0:25 is something a bit more than just the organ tuning. Correct. On the original vinyl releases of the song, as well as the _earlier_ CD releases, the entire section (“I’m just a soul whose intentions are good…”) is flat. It’s quite jarring, not at all subtle. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-version-of-dont-let-me-be-misunderstood-why-does-it-sound-off-key-to-me/767259/16 "2016-09-30T22:27:33Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > How could the reason for one instrument going off be “tape drag”? To me the whole “I’m just a soul” bit etc, including that initial organ note at :25, all sounds a little flat compared to the rest of the song. In fact I noticed the flatness in the vocal part before anyone pointed out the organ bit. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-version-of-dont-let-me-be-misunderstood-why-does-it-sound-off-key-to-me/767259/17 "2016-09-30T23:56:45Z")
The Pretender’s version of “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” has this weird variable-speed thing going on with the recording. Every year I want to tear out my hair whenever it comes on.