# The Tune Distorts the Lyrics **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 12, 2018, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tune-distorts-the-lyrics/821209 "2018-09-12T05:05:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2018, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tune-distorts-the-lyrics/821209/61 "2018-09-15T15:15:41Z")
Missed edit window: This is about messed-up song **writing**. (Not about the singers). ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2018, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tune-distorts-the-lyrics/821209/62 "2018-09-15T17:45:33Z")
Holy distortions Batman! For such a well known theme thanks to modern parodies, the very few lyrics in that theme song have been often distorted in two ways: First; by making many, even the late Adam West, to think that trumpets were the ones imitating singers when the “Batman” part was sung. In fact there were real singers. > **[How Was the 'Batman' TV Theme Created?](https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/batman-tv-theme/)** > > The lyrics to the 1966 'Batman' TV series theme song -- were they produced by brass instruments or human voices? Then, as a Wikipedia talk commenter pointed out, many times one hears the other silly lyrics as “Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na” he blamed a lot of that recent misconception on the Simpsons when Lisa mentioned those lyrics in one episode. It is really more like: Da da da da da da da da da da da da da! Batmaaaaaan! ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2018, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tune-distorts-the-lyrics/821209/63 "2018-09-16T04:43:31Z")
Fleetwood Mac, “Dreams” “When the rain wa-SHES you clean you’ll know.” Ugh. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2018, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tune-distorts-the-lyrics/821209/64 "2018-09-16T13:23:53Z")
Michael Jackson - in Billie Jean it sounds like the “chair” is not his son rather than the “child” is not his son. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2018, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tune-distorts-the-lyrics/821209/65 "2018-09-16T13:46:35Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > First; by making many, even the late Adam West, to think that trumpets were the ones imitating singers when the “Batman” part was sung. In fact there were real singers. Wow. It had never even occurred to me to think the “Batman” part was anything but sung. Never heard of this legend before this, either. Looking up the song on Youtube with this in mind, I can actually hear now someone might confuse that for brass. As for the “na na na” part, I don’t get it. There’s no actual words there, so “na na na” or “da da da” or “ba ba ba” it doesn’t matter how people vocalize that part. It doesn’t sound more “da” than “na” or “ba” to me. I actually prefer “na” as its not quite as percussive as “da,” while still having a nice clipped sound to it. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2018, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tune-distorts-the-lyrics/821209/66 "2018-09-17T16:00:32Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Michael Jackson - in Billie Jean it sounds like the “chair” is not his son rather than the “child” is not his son. I always thought the lyric was “the kid is not my son” ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2018, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tune-distorts-the-lyrics/821209/67 "2018-09-17T16:44:06Z")
> [@xizor](#): > > I always thought the lyric was “the kid is not my son” Me, too. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2018, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tune-distorts-the-lyrics/821209/68 "2018-09-17T16:58:23Z")
> [@Andy\_L](#): > > Me, too. Just listened to it and looked up the lyrics. It is “kid.” I can’t get “child” or “chair” out of that line. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tune-distorts-the-lyrics/821209.md?page=3)