# Song lyrics I misunderstood **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 27, 2011, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-i-misunderstood/586985 "2011-06-27T03:15:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-i-misunderstood/586985/21 "2011-06-28T19:18:03Z")
From Sheryl Crow’s “All I Wanna Do”, I heard: “A happy couple enters the bar, they enter and sit close to one another.” Actual lyric: “A happy couple enters the bar, dangerously close to one another.” ---
**Author:** ![thebenn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@thebenn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thebenn)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-i-misunderstood/586985/22 "2011-06-28T19:40:16Z")
Not me personally, but a friend of mine made the following mistake: The Police “Every Breath You Take” actual lines: How my poor heart aches With every breath you take Misheard lines: I’m a pool hall ace With every breath you take That makes absolutely no sense!! ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-i-misunderstood/586985/23 "2011-06-28T19:49:43Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Are you living in the East? > Strolling away the time? > Are you gathering up the years? > Do you have a diamond mine? > > I thought it was about a rich Easterner wasting their life. I thought it was: Are you reeling in the years? Stowing away the time? _Are you gathering up the cheese?_ Have you had enough of mine? And, I wondered where and why she was gathering up cheese. But, it makes some sort of surrealistic sense with the next line anyway. Hey, get your own cheese. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-i-misunderstood/586985/24 "2011-06-28T20:03:28Z")
And the classic: “Blinded by the light, wrapped up like a douche, another runner in the night.” ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-i-misunderstood/586985/25 "2011-06-28T20:35:31Z")
> [@NineToTheSky](#): > > There’s the classic Jimi Hendrix one: ‘Scuse me while I kiss this guy’ is actually ‘Scuse me while I kiss the sky’. A classic blues song called “The Sky Is Crying” intentionally plays with the sound-alike nature of “this guy”/“the sky.” I would not put it outside the realm of possibility that Jimi was paying homage. Mine is from _A Chorus Line_, the song titled “I Can Do That.” For some reason, I heard the line “I’m watchin’ Sis go pitter-pat” as “I’m watchin’ Cisco pitter-pat” even despite the obvious references to his sister later in the song. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Girlfriend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.girlfriend/32/193_2.png) [@Dr.Girlfriend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Girlfriend)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-i-misunderstood/586985/26 "2011-06-29T00:12:50Z")
In school a bunch of us were being driven somewhere by my dad, and he had the radio on the oldies station. “Bad Bad Leroy Brown” came on, and we were all singing along until we got to the line “Badder than old King Kong.” One of my friends thought it was “Badder than Donkey Kong”… we had to explain to her that the song was older than Donkey Kong once the rest of us stopped cracking up. ---
**Author:** ![Disgruntled\_Penguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@Disgruntled\_Penguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disgruntled_Penguin)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-i-misunderstood/586985/27 "2011-06-29T00:42:19Z")
Traveling in a fried out combie, on a hippie trailhead full of zombie. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![brocks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7feea3/32.png) [@brocks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brocks)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-i-misunderstood/586985/28 "2011-06-29T01:29:10Z")
I still think I’m right and the lyrics are wrong. Play the first 25 seconds of this: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/43dJpNTuo80/hqdefault.jpg "Evanescence: Call Me When You're Sober (lyrics)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43dJpNTuo80) but don’t look at the lyrics. What do you think the last line before the orchestra starts is? I say it’s “Niggah, be a man.” I wouldn’t guess it’s what the lyrics claim in a hundred years. Fits perfectly with the context, unlike most misheard lyrics. And why show the lyrics, unlike most music videos, unless they’re trying to throw people off the track? ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-i-misunderstood/586985/29 "2011-06-29T13:00:38Z")
Well, on the subject, I still can’t figure out the lyrics to Girl by Beck. It sounds like he could be saying “my sun-eyed girl” or “my cyanide girl”, or maybe even “my sun-up girl”. The lyrics on the jacket say “my … girl” and they online lyrics sources (as crappy as they are) are all over the place. ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-i-misunderstood/586985/30 "2011-06-29T13:05:42Z")
Yellow Ledbetter. Yes, all of the song. ---
**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:** [June 29, 2011, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-i-misunderstood/586985/31 "2011-06-29T15:14:52Z")
The Beatles tune, “Take the back right turn”. ---
**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:** [June 29, 2011, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-i-misunderstood/586985/32 "2011-06-29T16:08:03Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > The Beatles tune, “Take the back right turn”. “I want to be a take the back right turn” - - works for me. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-i-misunderstood/586985/33 "2011-06-29T16:22:24Z")
I got all worked up about how the singer of the band didn’t even know how to pronounce the words in his song, and nobody in production caught it. It’s “stool pigeon”, not “stool pig-un”. Everclear, Santa Monica I am still living with your ghost Lonely and dreaming of the west coast I don’t want to be your downtime I don’t want to be your stupid game Wait, the line is _stupid game_? :smack: ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-i-misunderstood/586985/34 "2011-09-03T17:29:58Z")
> [@thebenn](#): > > Not me personally, but a friend of mine made the following mistake: > > The Police “Every Breath You Take” actual lines: > ! I always heard this part of The Police’s “Roxanne”: _I have to tell you just how I feel I won’t share you with another boy_ as: _I have to tell you just how I feel I’ve been sleeping with another whore_ Which kinda makes sense, knowing Roxanne’s vocation. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-i-misunderstood/586985/35 "2011-09-03T17:42:29Z")
I’ve told this one before but it’s stupid enough that it bears repeating. Adam Lambert’s “If I had You” contains the lyrics “…so I got my boots on, got the right amount of leather and I’m doing me up with a black colored liner” At first I thought he was saying something about a “Black Colada”, which I assumed was some trendy drink that’s popular among Teh Gays :smack: On closer inspection I “figured out” he was saying “black Kohl liner” only to find out what the real line is. I think mine works better." Black color" is redundant and kind of stupid (says the girl who wanted to know what’s in a “Black Colada”.) ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-i-misunderstood/586985/36 "2011-09-03T18:52:48Z")
Many people seem to think CCR is giving directions to the facilities… “There’s a bathroom on the right…” ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-i-misunderstood/586985/37 "2011-09-03T18:53:39Z")
On classical music stations, the deejays have learned to suppress the giggling when somebody asks to hear the Taco Bell Cannon. They just go ahead and play the Pachelbel Canon, without comment. ---
**Author:** ![SeldomSeen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ba0ec/32.png) [@SeldomSeen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeldomSeen)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-i-misunderstood/586985/38 "2011-09-03T19:27:11Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > [“Take a Chance on Me” - Abba: If you change your mind, I’m the first in line; allie oxen free, take a chance on me. > [@](#): > > " And the classic: “Blinded by the light, wrapped up like a douche, another runner in the night”. Oddly enough, I own both of these as well. It isn’t just you 😛 But then, I’ve got a lousy ear for lyrics. Which is why I usually just whistle instead of trying to sing along. But the one that’s really cringe-worthy…the first few times I heard The Knack singing “My Sharona” I thought it was an ad jingle for Rice-a-Roni :smack: ---
**Author:** ![KRC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@KRC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KRC)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-i-misunderstood/586985/39 "2011-09-03T21:32:13Z")
l learned a lot from Stairway to Heaven. For instance, if there are busses in your hedgerow, just call your lawnman. Also, in the logroll, there’s still time to change your overalls. And there’s a wino down the road who will steal your oreos. I also spent much of my youth thinking The Clash was planning to blow up trains in NYC because I mistook the line “Tearing up the seven veils” in the song Radio Clash for “Tearing up the 7th El.” ---
**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:** [September 4, 2011, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-i-misunderstood/586985/40 "2011-09-04T00:27:45Z")
When Stevie Wonder was singing ‘Boogie On Reggae Woman’, I thought he was singing ‘Boogie On Red Gay Woman’. mmm [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-i-misunderstood/586985.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-i-misunderstood/586985.md?page=3)