# The "Misheard Lyrics" Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 20, 2002, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-misheard-lyrics-thread/99215 "2002-03-20T15:42:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2002, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-misheard-lyrics-thread/99215/61 "2002-03-21T15:27:11Z")
The song Almost Paradise: all those parrot eyes ---
**Author:** ![trishdish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d2c977/32.png) [@trishdish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/trishdish)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2002, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-misheard-lyrics-thread/99215/62 "2002-03-21T15:32:41Z")
I still love to sing the lyrics to Drift Away which are Give me the beat, boys and free my soul I wanna get lost in your rock and roll And drift away as Give me the BEACH BOYS and free my soul… Yep, if I had actually thought about it, I might have wondered why this guy had such a need to hear Help Me, Rhonda! (where there are owls puking in my bed) to help him drift away. But I sing that part really loud in the car to drive my husband nuts. Now the lyric that always drove ME nuts was in Hotel California at the very beginning On a dark desert highway Cool wind in my hair Warm smell of colitas Rising up through the air What the hell is a colitas, I always thought. Some sort of desert flower? Nope, they were singing about doobage, man. And I learned that thanks to Cecil! [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5\_001.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_001.html) ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2002, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-misheard-lyrics-thread/99215/63 "2002-03-21T15:46:05Z")
> [@](#): > > Now the lyric that always drove ME nuts was in Hotel California at the very beginning > > On a dark desert highway > Cool wind in my hair > Warm smell of colitas > Rising up through the air > > What the hell is a colitas, I always thought. Some sort of desert flower? Nope, they were singing about doobage, man. And I learned that thanks to Cecil! Coulda been worse. You could’ve misread it as Warm smell of colitis Rising up through the air as in “…the girl with colitis goes by…” ---
**Author:** ![trishdish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d2c977/32.png) [@trishdish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/trishdish)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2002, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-misheard-lyrics-thread/99215/64 "2002-03-21T16:38:12Z")
> [@](#): > > Coulda been worse. You could’ve misread it as > Warm smell of colitis > Rising up through the air Or… On a dark desert highway Cool whip in my hair ---
**Author:** ![byomtoob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@byomtoob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/byomtoob)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2002, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-misheard-lyrics-thread/99215/65 "2002-03-21T16:59:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by auntie em \* > \*\* > > But what I really came here to share (before **hillbilly queen** sent me rolling on the floor, was that at the end of Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” I thought they were saying, > > "If you don’t _clean your feet_, you can’t have any pudding! > How can you have any pudding if you don’t _clean your feet_? \*\* Wait a minute: isn’t it “If you’re going to kill me, you can’t have any pudding! How can you have any pudding if you’re going to kill me?” (okay, okay, it’s really “if you don’t eat your meat”.) ---
**Author:** ![sidle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee59a6/32.png) [@sidle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sidle)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2002, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-misheard-lyrics-thread/99215/66 "2002-03-21T17:18:06Z")
There’s a rock song out in the last year that had odd lyrics, chorus is “This is how you remind me of a Holiday Inn” SO had to explain to me that it’s actually something like “This is how you remind me of what I really am” or something similar. I still sing it the other way, though. I know what I heard!🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Legomancer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/779978/32.png) [@Legomancer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Legomancer)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2002, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-misheard-lyrics-thread/99215/67 "2002-03-21T17:26:32Z")
‘Flashdance (What a Feeling)’ by Irene Cara actual: Take your passion, and make it happen. heard: Take your pants down, and make it happen. ‘Baby One More Time’ by Britney Spears actual: show me how you want it to be heard: show me how you wanna do me (I’m still not convinced this isn’t the correct lyric) and not exactly misheard, but whenever I listen to ‘Sick of Myself’ by Matthew Sweet, I expect it to go: I’m all used up, I’m out of luck, I am fucked up. instead of “starstruck” for those last two syllables. Every time. ---
**Author:** ![robinh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b77776/32.png) [@robinh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robinh)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2002, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-misheard-lyrics-thread/99215/68 "2002-03-21T17:55:57Z")
My daughter came out with a good one a while ago. We’re listening to Kid Rock’s _Wasting Time_, which contains the lyric: Drinking Boones Eating 'shrooms Being too young to understand the drug reference, she turns to me and says, “Eating shrews? Ewwww!” ---
**Author:** ![Winnowill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/4491bb/32.png) [@Winnowill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winnowill)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2002, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-misheard-lyrics-thread/99215/69 "2002-03-21T18:25:43Z")
**DarkWriter** - you aren’t alone with your “four hundred children.” I had forgotten that one. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Simetra \* > \*\* Green Day - When I come around. > Sewed donuts on my door…/_So don’t knock down my door…_ > > Hehe… that’s pretty funny. Sewing donuts to someone’s door. \*\* I actually heard it on the radio this morning. I tried to listen carefully, and discovered that almost ALL of the lyrics are unintelligible. Geez, man, take the marbles out of your mouth before you try to sing. ---
**Author:** ![cepter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e5b9ba/32.png) [@cepter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cepter)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2002, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-misheard-lyrics-thread/99215/70 "2002-03-21T19:04:06Z")
You can have a field day trying to figure out what The Mick is saying in a lot of R.Stones songs!!!:rolleyes: Not to mention D.L.Roth in some VH songs too. S.Temple Pilots have some “Sgt. Pepperish-type” lyrics in their songs as well, check em’ out. If you want to find out what’s bein’ said in your fav songs check out [www.getlyrics.com](http://www.getlyrics.com) they have alot of different groups. …Hey! If YOUR lyrics sounds good when your creating your own concert in your car while you drive then what the hell…right?😃 ---
**Author:** ![Flamsterette\_X](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/41988e/32.png) [@Flamsterette\_X](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flamsterette_X)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2002, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-misheard-lyrics-thread/99215/71 "2002-03-21T19:48:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sidle \* > \*\*There’s a rock song out in the last year that had odd lyrics, chorus is > “This is how > you remind me > of a Holiday Inn” > > SO had to explain to me that it’s actually something like > “This is how > you remind me > of what I really am” > > or something similar. > I still sing it the other way, though. > I know what I heard!🆒 \*\* **sidle** , that song is Nickelback’s “How You Remind Me”… very popular song! The group’s originally from Hanna, Alberta… but then moved to Vancouver, and what can I say? We adopted them as our own! **auntie em** , you did send me rolling on the floor laughing… I mean, “If you don’t clean your feet, you can’t have any pudding”? ROFL! **Narrad** , after reading this thread last night, I was inspired to go do a search on mondegreens on Google… “The Ants Are My Friends” has “gone off to find itself in the world and may be back soon… or not”. I always liked that site! There’s also The Compendium of Misheard Lyrics, which I used to be able to access years ago, but now I find that I can’t. Somehow, I don’t have permission to access it on this server! Oh well… ---
**Author:** ![Winnowill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/4491bb/32.png) [@Winnowill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winnowill)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2002, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-misheard-lyrics-thread/99215/72 "2002-03-21T20:05:07Z")
_The Compenium of Misunderstood Lyrics_ has gone the way of the passenger pigeon. David Trevas, who was the site owner, published a book of his favorite of the lyrics and, when it failed to sell, stopped updating the site, saying that he’d eventually find another use for his webspace. I guess he did - and he took down the site a while ago. I loved that site. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![booklover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@booklover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/booklover)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2002, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-misheard-lyrics-thread/99215/73 "2002-03-21T20:20:00Z")
It took my mother several years to realize the real title to Carole King’s “Stuff that Dreams are Made Of”. She always thought it was “Stuff that Green Tomato”. ---
**Author:** ![sidle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee59a6/32.png) [@sidle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sidle)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2002, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-misheard-lyrics-thread/99215/74 "2002-03-21T20:33:52Z")
_originally posted by cepter_ > [@](#): > > Talk about misheard lyrics… > You can have a field day trying to figure out what The Mick is saying in a lot of R.Stones songs!!! Oh yeah. Gotta love the Stones! - I’ll never be your pizza burnin’…\* ---
**Author:** ![Flamsterette\_X](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/41988e/32.png) [@Flamsterette\_X](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flamsterette_X)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2002, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-misheard-lyrics-thread/99215/75 "2002-03-21T20:35:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Winnowill \* > \*\*_The Compendium of Misunderstood Lyrics_ has gone the way of the passenger pigeon. David Trevas, who was the site owner, published a book of his favorite of the lyrics and, when it failed to sell, stopped updating the site, saying that he’d eventually find another use for his webspace. I guess he did - and he took down the site a while ago. > > I loved that site. ☹ \*\* Now that you mention it, **Winnowill** , I recall seeing something of the sort when I was on the site last. It’s funny how little things can jog your memory… ---
**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:** [March 21, 2002, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-misheard-lyrics-thread/99215/76 "2002-03-21T22:30:17Z")
In Rocket Man by Elton John - “Rocket man burning out his fuse up here alone” I thought it was “Rocket man burning _all his trees up in the lawn_” Everybody I knew thought that’s what he was saying. ---
**Author:** ![GrandfatherTrout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f17d59/32.png) [@GrandfatherTrout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandfatherTrout)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2002, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-misheard-lyrics-thread/99215/77 "2002-03-21T23:21:17Z")
My father had a great one. Back in the day, he heard the chorus to the Beatles’ _Ticket to Ride_ as: She’s got a chicken to ride! But she don’t care! Must have been quite a chicken. For my part, I misheard a line early in The Fixx’ _One Thing Leads to Another_ for years and years: Communicate with nacho party cheese! It’s actually “Communicate, pull out your party piece,” but frankly I like my version better. I used to use it as a sig line on emails and such, and was astonished to receive emails from random folks who’d see it and write “Hey! You like The Fixx too?” I still love that song. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Kathleen\_de\_Trelare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4bbf92/32.png) [@Kathleen\_de\_Trelare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kathleen_de_Trelare)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2002, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-misheard-lyrics-thread/99215/78 "2002-03-22T04:21:02Z")
Shaggy’s _Boombastic_ When I was about 13, my little brother came home one day and told me that he had just heard the coolest song at his friend’s house. So he starts singing, “they call me Mr. Boombastic, telephone plastic.” I didn’t believe him at first, but he insisted that that was what the song said. So, of course, I had to hear this song about telephone plastic. The next day we went to his friends house and his friend put on the tape. Sure enough, I was right as usual. It really said, “they call me Mr. Boombastic, say me fantastic.” I, of course, have never let him forget it. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2002, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-misheard-lyrics-thread/99215/79 "2002-03-22T04:34:42Z")
I’ve posted this one before, but I still tease my daughter about it. She was watching The Wonder Years and was singing along to Joe Cocker: Watch what you do/with that stank attitude. . … (What would you do/if I sang out of tune. . .) Big Pimpin’ as sung by a friend of mine: Big Chicken/Ham and cheese. (Big Pimpin’/spendin’ g’s) ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2002, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-misheard-lyrics-thread/99215/80 "2002-03-22T04:57:42Z")
Pearl Jam Real: “Jeremy spoke in class today” Heard: _“Jeremy’s broken glass today”_ as in Jeremy _has_ broken glass today… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-misheard-lyrics-thread/99215.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-misheard-lyrics-thread/99215.md?page=5)