# Secret Asian Man -- and other misunderstood lyrics **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 4, 2003, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-asian-man-and-other-misunderstood-lyrics/152816 "2003-02-04T23:59:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-asian-man-and-other-misunderstood-lyrics/152816/61 "2003-02-06T14:15:43Z")
all those parrot eyes ---
**Author:** ![ptr2void](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ptr2void/32/3406_2.png) [@ptr2void](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ptr2void)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-asian-man-and-other-misunderstood-lyrics/152816/62 "2003-02-06T14:55:32Z")
“Watch out now; take care, beware of farts that linger” instead of “Watch out now; take care, beware of thoughts that linger” - **Spock’s Beard** , [_Beware of Darkness_](http://www.spocksbeard.com/audio/beware_of_darkness.mp3) (cover of a George Harrison tune) ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-asian-man-and-other-misunderstood-lyrics/152816/63 "2003-02-06T15:42:39Z")
A friend misheard the Clash’s Rockin’ The Casbah as “f\*\*king the asphalt.” My sister heard “looks like tomatoes” instead of “looks like we made it.” I can’t think of any of my own specific goofs at this moment, but I’m sure something will occur to me, since there are a lot of them. ---
**Author:** ![Alias](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e4f/32.png) [@Alias](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alias)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-asian-man-and-other-misunderstood-lyrics/152816/64 "2003-02-06T15:47:35Z")
This is from a commercial, so I’m not sure if it counts, but a few months ago my friend was telling me about this weird commercial from Scot toilet paper. She kept saying that the scotsman said it was “soft as a lamb nipple” while stroking a lamb. I told her I didn’t think they would say that on a commercial, but she insisted. It wasn’t until I actually saw the commercial that I was able to tell her they were saying "soft as a lamb _in april_. We still laugh about it. ---
**Author:** ![Batsinma\_Belfry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@Batsinma\_Belfry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batsinma_Belfry)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-asian-man-and-other-misunderstood-lyrics/152816/65 "2003-02-06T17:33:45Z")
From [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=104921) : Instead of “Rock and roll hoochie coo…lordy mama light my fuse” I heard “Rock and roll poochie poo…lordy mama like my shoes” There’s a Chris Isaak song that goes “I believe, I believe, I believe…” in the chorus. I alway hear it as “Ivy League, Ivy League, Ivy League…” ---
**Author:** ![TwungTister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbce88/32.png) [@TwungTister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwungTister)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-asian-man-and-other-misunderstood-lyrics/152816/66 "2003-02-06T19:16:56Z")
_Lord, I was born a mountain man._ (Lord, I was born a ramblin’ man.) _And Elaine is in my ears and in my eyes._ (Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes.) _On the corner in the middle of the roundabout \ A pretty ness is selling puppies from a tray._ (On the corner in the middle of the roundabout, A pretty nurse is selling poppies from a tray.) ---
**Author:** ![TwungTister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbce88/32.png) [@TwungTister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwungTister)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-asian-man-and-other-misunderstood-lyrics/152816/67 "2003-02-06T19:25:34Z")
“I don’ wanna wait for all eyes to be over.” (I don’ wanna wait for our lives to be over.) ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-asian-man-and-other-misunderstood-lyrics/152816/68 "2003-02-06T19:25:42Z")
Seriously, this is what I’ve always thought the lyrics to Elton John’s “Goodby Yellow Brick Road” were… So goodbye yellow brick road, with the dogstar so high on me, how? You can’t plant me in the henhouse I’m going’ bagged up and how. Bagged up all high again out in the woods Huntin’ the honey-bagged trowel… It made no sense, but I just thought it was one of those “I am the Walrus” nonsense songs. I found such depth and meaning in my lyrics though, I’m sad it was all in my mind 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Avarie537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/48db29/32.png) [@Avarie537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avarie537)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2003, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-asian-man-and-other-misunderstood-lyrics/152816/69 "2003-02-11T17:05:54Z")
My husband is really bad about deciphering song lyrics. My personal favorite (from Tom Petty): He sang “\*I’m gonna glide down over **Valhalla** \*” instead of “\*I’m gonna glide down over **Mulholland** \*” I REALLY wanted to know how he was going to parachute over the vikings’ (was it the vikings?) heaven - REALLY. ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2003, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-asian-man-and-other-misunderstood-lyrics/152816/70 "2003-02-11T17:34:59Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Shemem:_ > I believe “Pour Some Sugar on Me” is quite possibly one of the most mis-heard songs in the universe. I’ve actually rewritten almost the entire song using various genuine mondegreens I’ve collected: [http://fergo.eshire.net/sugar.htm](http://fergo.eshire.net/sugar.htm) My God! Look at all the lines I’ve had wrong-- and Def Leppard was the first band I ever saw in concert! Sheesh! Those lyrics are great. And I realized that I have one more that I guess you haven’t seem before: Lookin’ like a tramp Like a video, damn! Seriously. ---
**Author:** ![ceyjen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3bc359/32.png) [@ceyjen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ceyjen)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2003, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-asian-man-and-other-misunderstood-lyrics/152816/71 "2003-02-11T17:56:37Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by bean\_shadow_ > **Duran Duran’s “New Moon on Monday” (wait, it is Duran Duran, right?). I thought it was, “New Lunar Monday”.** Nevermind understanding each word…do any of their lyrics make any sense at all? Does anyone know what “New Moon on Monday” _means_? By the way, I was a **huge** fan of theirs (::sheepishly:: still am) and I have yet to “get it” about their lyrics (and I know all the words!) 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![big\_alex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e56c9b/32.png) [@big\_alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/big_alex)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2003, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-asian-man-and-other-misunderstood-lyrics/152816/72 "2003-02-11T20:06:52Z")
mine: a song by The Lighthouse Family “High” I thought… remember the day we stayed close to the edge/ and remember how we painted the room It is… and remember how we made it through ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2003, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-asian-man-and-other-misunderstood-lyrics/152816/73 "2003-02-11T20:55:03Z")
I still think ‘Thirty thieves and the Thunder Chief’ sounds so much better than ‘Dirty deeds and they’re done dirt cheap’. I was really disappointed when I actually figured out the words to the song. At least three of my freinds still hate me because I told them that one, and they say they just can’t hear the song the right way anymore. Bwaahahhah. ---
**Author:** ![shy\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@shy\_guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shy_guy)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2003, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-asian-man-and-other-misunderstood-lyrics/152816/74 "2003-02-11T21:43:25Z")
Here’s one I just corrected for myself - Loathe though I am to admit it, I listened to “All That She Wants” by Ace of Base the other day and realized that they are not singing “All that she wants, isn’t that a baby?” but rather, “All That she wants, is another baby.” Kind of puts a differnet spin on the song. ---
**Author:** ![NailBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecae2f/32.png) [@NailBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NailBunny)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2003, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-asian-man-and-other-misunderstood-lyrics/152816/75 "2003-02-11T22:49:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by wolfman \* > **I still think ‘Thirty thieves and the Thunder Chief’ sounds so much better than ‘Dirty deeds and they’re done dirt cheap’…** Oh come on, everyone _knows_ it’s ‘Dirty Dean and the Thunder Jeep’! Even former-buttrocker Mr. Bunny can’t help but sing along with the song that way since I let him know the _real_ lyrics. 😉 I’ve never had any real good misunderstood lyrics, but until about a year ago my best friend thought that the song “Africa” went: _“There’s nothing that a hundred men on Mars could ever do…”_ (I believe it’s ‘nothing that a hundred men or more’) On the other hand, for the longest time I had convinced myself that I was hearing wrong when I heard Tom Waits singing _“Little brown sausages laying in the sand…”_ in the song “Goin’ Out West”. Then I checked the lyrics and…nope, that’s what he’s saying alright. ---
**Author:** ![heimarkj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c2a13f/32.png) [@heimarkj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heimarkj)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2003, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-asian-man-and-other-misunderstood-lyrics/152816/76 "2003-02-11T23:41:19Z")
from “flashdance” irene cara…i always thought she said take your “pants off” and make it happen…it was “passion”…but it works either way i guess… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-asian-man-and-other-misunderstood-lyrics/152816.md?page=3)