# Misheard Song Lyrics (aka eggcorns or Mondegreens) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 29, 2018, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misheard-song-lyrics-aka-eggcorns-or-mondegreens/816977 "2018-06-29T06:05:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2018, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misheard-song-lyrics-aka-eggcorns-or-mondegreens/816977/21 "2018-06-30T04:55:29Z")
Huh! TIL something. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2018, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misheard-song-lyrics-aka-eggcorns-or-mondegreens/816977/22 "2018-06-30T05:29:54Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > What else does “awful” mean? > [@DavidwithanR](#): > > Awe-inspiring. Archaic usage though. There is a story, probably apocryphal, that when Sir Christopher Wren was overseeing the construction of St. Paul’s Cathedral in the late 1600s he took the monarch, supposedly King James II on a tour of the cathedral. His Highness supposedly described the work as “awful, amusing, and artificial,” by which he meant that it was amazing and designed very artfully, and that it filled him with awe. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2018, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misheard-song-lyrics-aka-eggcorns-or-mondegreens/816977/23 "2018-06-30T11:34:15Z")
My favorite kid-related entry is one that a friend’s young daughter used to sing many years ago: Accurate lyric: “Don’t it make my brown eyes blue”. Kid version: “Don’t it make my brownies smooth”. As I recall, she was very young, very cute, and sang it very sincerely. mmm ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2018, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misheard-song-lyrics-aka-eggcorns-or-mondegreens/816977/24 "2018-06-30T12:09:04Z")
When I was younger, when listening to the Van Morrison song “Brown-Eyed Girl,” I thought that the line “Are you my brown-eyed girl?” was “Are you mad, brown-eyed girl?” ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2018, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misheard-song-lyrics-aka-eggcorns-or-mondegreens/816977/25 "2018-06-30T12:57:27Z")
We recently watched the super fantastic British series _[The Split](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7631146/)_. I use subtitles to assist with accent issues. During one scene people are doing karaoke to Blondie’s _Dreaming_\*. Oh, that’s how that line goes. And that one two. And that one. Gee, I’ve only listened to the song several thousand times. :smack: E.g., “I’ve been in love before …” is really “I’d build a road in gold …” I like my version better. A lot better. (During the series they also played another Blondie song, and a Pretenders one, etc. And it’s all set in the present day. Cool, cool, cool, cool.) ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2018, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misheard-song-lyrics-aka-eggcorns-or-mondegreens/816977/26 "2018-06-30T16:41:32Z")
One of my young nephews was heard to sing Gloria, I think they got your number. I think they got the area code you’re living under. ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2018, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misheard-song-lyrics-aka-eggcorns-or-mondegreens/816977/27 "2018-06-30T18:59:36Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > One of my young nephews was heard to sing > > Gloria, I think they got your number. > I think they got the area code you’re living under. I made your nephew’s mistake until today. 🙂 (Well, I didn’t insert the word “code”, but I implied it.) ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2018, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misheard-song-lyrics-aka-eggcorns-or-mondegreens/816977/28 "2018-06-30T23:05:08Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > There is a story, probably apocryphal, that when Sir Christopher Wren was overseeing the construction of St. Paul’s Cathedral in the late 1600s he took the monarch, supposedly King James II on a tour of the cathedral. His Highness supposedly described the work as “awful, amusing, and artificial,” by which he meant that it was amazing and designed very artfully, and that it filled him with awe. There are numerous versions of the story. Some include \*terrible \*as in inspiring terror, and \*pompous \*but in a good sense. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2018, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misheard-song-lyrics-aka-eggcorns-or-mondegreens/816977/29 "2018-07-01T06:35:34Z")
I thought everybody knew about it, but for those of you who actually have a life, and are not aware of this link: There is a classic site that began in the earliest days of the web (1995 or so), called > **[KissThisGuy.com - The Archive of Misheard Song Lyrics](https://www.kissthisguy.com/)** > > KissThisGuy.com is a social website dedicated to misheard song and music lyrics. Named, of course, for Jimi Hendrix’s famous line “excuse me, while I kiss the sky”. ---
**Author:** ![Sefton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Sefton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sefton)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2018, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misheard-song-lyrics-aka-eggcorns-or-mondegreens/816977/30 "2018-07-01T15:00:42Z")
Always had trouble with AC/DC. Misinterpreted “Dirty deeds and they’re done dirt cheap” as “Thirty thieves and the thunder genie.” My version is more interesting, IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2018, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misheard-song-lyrics-aka-eggcorns-or-mondegreens/816977/31 "2018-07-01T15:46:59Z")
I still wonder about what disco number it was, thirty-odd years ago, where I’m sure I heard the line (admittedly, I’d had a few) -“I’m addicted to your one-legged charms” (no, not Addicted To Love) ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2018, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misheard-song-lyrics-aka-eggcorns-or-mondegreens/816977/32 "2018-07-01T16:59:10Z")
_Blinded by the Light_ by Manfred Mann. Correct: > [@](#): > > Blinded by the light > Revved up like a deuce What I hear: Blinded by the light Wrapped like a douche ---
**Author:** ![CelticKnot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/celticknot/32/3392_2.png) [@CelticKnot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CelticKnot)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2018, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misheard-song-lyrics-aka-eggcorns-or-mondegreens/816977/33 "2018-07-01T20:29:17Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > _Blinded by the Light_ by Manfred Mann. > > Correct: > > What I hear: > > Blinded by the light > Wrapped like a douche AFAIK, that is very common. What the actual lyrics are supposed to be: Another runner in the night What I hear: Another rumor in the night ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2018, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misheard-song-lyrics-aka-eggcorns-or-mondegreens/816977/34 "2018-07-01T20:48:26Z")
Aretha Franklin’s ‘You make me feel like a mental old woman’. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2018, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misheard-song-lyrics-aka-eggcorns-or-mondegreens/816977/35 "2018-07-01T20:53:45Z")
> [@CelticKnot](#): > > AFAIK, that is very common. > > What the actual lyrics are supposed to be: > > Another runner in the night > > What I hear: > > Another rumor in the night I heard what everyone else heard, of course, but then reading this message someone also pointed out that And little early-pearly Came by in his curly-wurly sounds like little early birdy gave my anus curly whirly and wondered what act “curly whirly” could be. Now whenever I think of the song I can’t help but think of those alternate lyrics, and also wonder what the heck doing “curly whirly” could consist of. ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2018, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misheard-song-lyrics-aka-eggcorns-or-mondegreens/816977/36 "2018-07-01T21:16:13Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > I heard what everyone else heard, of course, but then reading this message someone also pointed out that > > And little early-pearly > Came by in his curly-wurly > > sounds like > > little early birdy gave my anus curly whirly > > and wondered what act “curly whirly” could be. Now whenever I think of the song I can’t help but think of those alternate lyrics, and also wonder what the heck doing “curly whirly” could consist of. Well it is a type of Cadbury’s chocolate bar, if that helps? ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2018, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misheard-song-lyrics-aka-eggcorns-or-mondegreens/816977/37 "2018-07-01T23:26:52Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > _Blinded by the Light_ by Manfred Mann. > > Correct: > > What I hear: > > Blinded by the light > Wrapped like a douche It still sounds like “racked up like a douche” to me. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2018, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misheard-song-lyrics-aka-eggcorns-or-mondegreens/816977/38 "2018-07-02T01:00:15Z")
Yep, it’s always sounded like douche in the night. That singer needs to learn how to enunciate. ---
**Author:** ![Donegal\_Dragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Donegal\_Dragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donegal_Dragon)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2018, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misheard-song-lyrics-aka-eggcorns-or-mondegreens/816977/39 "2018-07-02T02:36:20Z")
Could have sworn Johnny Five in “Short Circuit” was singing about a Bald-headed woman instead of more than a woman ---
**Author:** ![CelticKnot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/celticknot/32/3392_2.png) [@CelticKnot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CelticKnot)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2018, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misheard-song-lyrics-aka-eggcorns-or-mondegreens/816977/40 "2018-07-02T05:32:18Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Yep, it’s always sounded like douche in the night. > > That singer needs to learn how to enunciate. I heard once that the recording studio didn’t have a windscreen (I think that’s what it’s called) for the mike. How that would make runner sound like rumor, I don’t know. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misheard-song-lyrics-aka-eggcorns-or-mondegreens/816977.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misheard-song-lyrics-aka-eggcorns-or-mondegreens/816977.md?page=3)