# Songs that were better when you didn't know the lyrics **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 7, 2005, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-were-better-when-you-didnt-know-the-lyrics/325206 "2005-10-07T15:46:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FlyingRamenMonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@FlyingRamenMonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingRamenMonster)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2005, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-were-better-when-you-didnt-know-the-lyrics/325206/1 "2005-10-07T15:46:29Z")
Or when you heard the lyrics wrong. I seem to have a mild version of this problem with every song I listen to, since they’re hardly ever about what I thought they were about at first. But which songs did you seriously like _better_ when you didn’t know what the singers are saying? I can think of two off the top of my head - there is **The Scientist** by Coldplay, with the “I’ll take you back to the start”, which I originally heard as _stars_, which I thought was just much more romantic and imaginative than _start_. Then there is **Tunnel of Love** from the Fun Boy Three, where there is a line that goes “Hope you make it to the church on time.” I heard “hope” as “ho!”, as in a spontaneous exclamation and I found it incredibly appealing that the singer would just exclaim “Ho!” in the middle of a song. I was rather disappointed to hear it was actually a word. Minor, perhaps, but I didn’t like the song so much after that. I’m sure other people have had this too. C’mon, share! ---
**Author:** ![Amaranta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Amaranta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amaranta)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2005, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-were-better-when-you-didnt-know-the-lyrics/325206/2 "2005-10-07T19:45:47Z")
I liked Alanis Morissette’s “You Learn” a lot better when I thought it was “You Nerd”. ---
**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2005, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-were-better-when-you-didnt-know-the-lyrics/325206/3 "2005-10-07T19:59:53Z")
not so much a single song as everything the Band Lush released after they decided to make themselves intelligible. good lord do they suck when you can understand the words. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2005, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-were-better-when-you-didnt-know-the-lyrics/325206/4 "2005-10-07T22:04:20Z")
“Father Figure” by George Michael seemed really cool when I knew only some of the lyrics, & not the name. To wit: _If you are the desert, I’ll be the sea If ever you hunger, hunger for me Whatever you ask for, that’s what I’ll be._ Wow, that’s hot. But then, to add: _I will be your father figure put your tiny hand in mine I will be your preacher, teacher anything you have in mind…_ & _I’ll be your daddy!_ Ew & Ick. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2005, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-were-better-when-you-didnt-know-the-lyrics/325206/5 "2005-10-07T23:35:32Z")
foolsguinea, you beat me to the bunch. Allow me to add: “That’s all I wanted, just to see my baby’s blue eyes shine.” Not sure which is worse: the pedophilia or incestuous undertones And I was shocked when, by reading the lyrics on karoake, I figured out that what I always thought were, Desperado, why don’t you come to your senses? Come down from your fences, _oh renegade_ was actually: Desperado, why don’t you come to your senses? Come down from your fences, _open the gate_. Gosh, I preferred my lyrics. ---
**Author:** ![ltfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@ltfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ltfire)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2005, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-were-better-when-you-didnt-know-the-lyrics/325206/6 "2005-10-08T00:03:01Z")
Louie, Louie. ---
**Author:** ![Bomzaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e480ec/32.png) [@Bomzaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bomzaway)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2005, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-were-better-when-you-didnt-know-the-lyrics/325206/7 "2005-10-08T02:43:14Z")
**Weezer’s** Hash Pipe. It’s a rockin’ song with a hard driving guitar riff and yet the lyrics are about a male prostitute. Dont’ get me wrong, I’m not bothered by songs about male prostitutes, it’s just that the music doesn’t seem to match the topic. ---
**Author:** ![stringy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@stringy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stringy)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2005, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-were-better-when-you-didnt-know-the-lyrics/325206/8 "2005-10-08T09:17:22Z")
> [@Bomzaway](#): > > **Weezer’s** Hash Pipe. It’s a rockin’ song with a hard driving guitar riff and yet the lyrics are about a male prostitute. Dont’ get me wrong, I’m not bothered by songs about male prostitutes, it’s just that the music doesn’t seem to match the topic. slightly off topic: what sort of music do you think would suit the topic better? I think they match ok. ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2005, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-were-better-when-you-didnt-know-the-lyrics/325206/9 "2005-10-08T11:01:48Z")
Hmm… this isn’t so much misheard lyrics as mis-broadcast lyrics. I’m not a fan of Radiohead, but I was going through a very difficult time of life when “Creep” was on the radio and it really resonated with me. A while later I downloaded the the song, but instead of the lyric “You’re so very special” that I was used to, I found out that was only the radio version of the song and the actual lyrics were “You’re so fucking special.” I could have dealt with that for one chorus for emphasis, but they used it every damn time. Now, the word “fucking” doesn’t bother me; I use it all the time. But for some reason, in that song, used over and over, it seemed gratuitous and it pretty much ruined the song for me. Now, every time I hear it I think about how the suits made the artist produce this sanitized version for the radio (which bugs me) and how I don’t like the original version. Then I become so distracted, it takes away any residual meaning th song had for me. ---
**Author:** ![threeorange](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@threeorange](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/threeorange)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-were-better-when-you-didnt-know-the-lyrics/325206/10 "2005-10-10T09:58:46Z")
In the song “Alex Chilton” by the **Replacements** , the last line of the third verse is _If he died in Memphis, wouldn’t that be cool_ Before I knew this, I thought the line was _If he died and left us, wouldn’t that be cool_ Somehow, I had been under the impression that they were making some ironic observation about the twisted nature of hero-worship. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-were-better-when-you-didnt-know-the-lyrics/325206/11 "2005-11-16T01:21:57Z")
Oh, yeah, speaking of radio lyrics, I seem to have imprinted the radio version of _Cocaine_ (“It’s all right, it’s all right, it’s all right… OK”) at a young age. Totally different. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-were-better-when-you-didnt-know-the-lyrics/325206/12 "2005-11-16T01:26:24Z")
**Lightning Crashes** by _Live_. I liked it better when I thought they were saying “intentions” every time, instead of only half the time, and “placenta” the other half. ---
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-were-better-when-you-didnt-know-the-lyrics/325206/13 "2005-11-16T01:28:15Z")
Ah, this happened to me just today. I was listening to “Swimming in your Ocean” by the Crash Test Dummies, which is a CTD song, so, y’know, it’s all quirky and stuff. Anyway, the chorus goes, "When I’m swimming in, swiming in your ocean, and floating on something something something something. . … " Always wondered what it said, so I looked it up. “When I’m swimming in When I’m swimming in your ocean Floating aloft on creams And scented lotions . . .” _Huh?_ ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-were-better-when-you-didnt-know-the-lyrics/325206/14 "2005-11-16T03:23:15Z")
Led Zeppelin’s Gallows Pole, off Led Zeppelin III. Before I knew the name of the song I always thought he was hoping they’d “Keep me from the gallows cold.” But it’s “gollows pole,” which to my mind is less poetic. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![Alma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@Alma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alma)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-were-better-when-you-didnt-know-the-lyrics/325206/15 "2005-11-16T03:25:32Z")
> [@Turek](#): > > A while later I downloaded the the song, but instead of the lyric “You’re so very special” that I was used to, I found out that was only the radio version of the song and the actual lyrics were “You’re so fucking special.” I could have dealt with that for one chorus for emphasis, but they used it every damn time. There are two versions of “Creep” on _Pablo Honey_. One uses “fucking” and the other uses “very.” You could easily get the clean version if you still wanted it. ---
**Author:** ![gouda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c77e96/32.png) [@gouda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gouda)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-were-better-when-you-didnt-know-the-lyrics/325206/16 "2005-11-16T07:35:27Z")
Bad Moon Rising, by CCR. Very catchy song, until I actually listened to the lyrics. “I hear hurricanes ablowing. I know the end is coming soon. I fear rivers over flowing. I hear the voice of rage and ruin.” ---
**Author:** ![Jeffr062](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f04885/32.png) [@Jeffr062](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeffr062)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-were-better-when-you-didnt-know-the-lyrics/325206/17 "2005-11-16T08:01:49Z")
Long cool woman in the black dress by: The Hollies ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-were-better-when-you-didnt-know-the-lyrics/325206/18 "2005-11-16T08:05:55Z")
A perfect example was that German Band Nena’s 80s hit 99 Luftballons. In German it was innocuous enough, but to hear it in English, god was it stupid! “Everyone’s a Capt Kirk” killed it for me… ---
**Author:** ![priapus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@priapus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/priapus)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-were-better-when-you-didnt-know-the-lyrics/325206/19 "2005-11-16T10:08:17Z")
> [@gouda](#): > > Bad Moon Rising, by CCR. Very catchy song, until I actually listened to the lyrics. > > “I hear hurricanes ablowing. > I know the end is coming soon. > I fear rivers over flowing. > I hear the voice of rage and ruin.” I always thought he said,“There’s a bathroom on the rise” I thought the song was about a toilet overflowing ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-were-better-when-you-didnt-know-the-lyrics/325206/20 "2005-11-16T12:10:42Z")
> [@Bomzaway](#): > > **Weezer’s** Hash Pipe. It’s a rockin’ song with a hard driving guitar riff and yet the lyrics are about a male prostitute. Dont’ get me wrong, I’m not bothered by songs about male prostitutes, it’s just that the music doesn’t seem to match the topic. Whoa, I didn’t know that and went to the lyrics to see for myself. It was bad enough liking a song that I thought was about drug use rather than male prostitution … not that there’s anything wrong with that. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-were-better-when-you-didnt-know-the-lyrics/325206.md?page=2)