# Time for a new "Misheard lyrics" thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 20, 2006, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-a-new-misheard-lyrics-thread/365380 "2006-07-20T19:11:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2006, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-a-new-misheard-lyrics-thread/365380/81 "2006-09-11T03:33:15Z")
That should be _What A Wonderful World_, of course. Although I’m sure _What A Wonderful Day_ is a nice song too, if it exists, and if Satchmo ever sang it. Which he probably didn’t. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2006, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-a-new-misheard-lyrics-thread/365380/82 "2006-09-11T03:36:25Z")
[QUOTE=Ludovic] I really think the line is “Secret Asian Man”, too, once it was pointed out to me. How can it sound like that unless that’s what the singer was trying to sing? [/QUOTE] Then what would “They’ve given you a number and taken away your name” mean? Is he in a Japanese internment camp? (Did the Americans give Japanese inmates numbers like in Nazi concentration camps?) ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2006, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-a-new-misheard-lyrics-thread/365380/83 "2006-09-11T15:03:19Z")
“Slow-walkin’ Walter, fire engine guy” for “Smoke on the water/Fire in the sky”, which, despite all appearances, really _is_ about a building burning down. I want to know what happened to Walter. Sometimes the mondegreen makes more sense. I consistently heard “How’s about a date” for “Eyes without a face”, and I think the consistency was related to the fact that eyes don’t often exist without a face. And there is the reigning champ, “\ \ \ \ \” for “Louie, Louie”, the only song an aphasiac can sing drunk. ---
**Author:** ![Martiju](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@Martiju](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martiju)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2006, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-a-new-misheard-lyrics-thread/365380/84 "2006-09-11T15:22:39Z")
[QUOTE=Susie Derkins] I thought the same thing. Carpet knife! My brain was telling me that it made no sense, but my ears were insisting they were right… [/QUOTE] Well my mind is obviously deep in the gutter, as I’ve always heard that as “I can’t believe you kiss your cock at night”… Took me to listen hard (and put it in context) to realise what was really going on… ---
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2006, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-a-new-misheard-lyrics-thread/365380/85 "2006-09-11T15:51:10Z")
I’ve got a recent one, and from a song I like very much. Ok, I’ll admit that I never _really_ believed this is what she actually says, but riding down the road in the car with Mrs. Dewgrrl with all the windows rolled down, and not yet having the time to sit and read the lyrics on the CD liner, this is how I heard KT Tunstall’s _Black Horse & The Cherry Tree_ just last week: > [@](#): > > _mumble mumble mumble mumble mumble mumble_ > So I stopped in there for a BLT. > But I caught some crud, and I shouldn’t have done that, > And it won’t forgive me after all these years That’s one way to put a silver lining on the cloud of food poisoning from some bad mayo…write a hit song about it. 😉 When what she’s actually saying is: > [@](#): > > And my heart had a problem, in the early hours, > So I stopped it dead for a beat or two. > But I cut some cord, and I shouldn’t have done that, > And it won’t forgive me after all these years ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2006, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-a-new-misheard-lyrics-thread/365380/86 "2006-09-11T16:23:26Z")
My girlfriend is always mishearing really easy ones, but they always crack me up. Last weekend while we were driving and Stevie Nicks “Edge of Seventeen” came on and she was singing along…saying “Just like the \*\*one \*\* winged dove…”, instead of the correct “Just like the \*\*white \*\* winged dove”. I was seriously losing it for about five minutes after I realized that “Flies around in little circles” fits the cadence perfectly for the “Sings a sound…sound’s like she’s singing” line that follows right after. ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2006, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-a-new-misheard-lyrics-thread/365380/87 "2006-09-11T16:34:13Z")
In a timely development, my sister just sent me an email with my 6-year-old niece’s version of XTC’s **Love on a Farmboy’s Wages** : Chili Pepper la la bring the sheep in chili pepper la la milk the herd chili pepper la la with a wife for beating How can we feed them on a farmboy’s wages? The real lyrics are: Shilling for the fella who brings the sheep in Shilling for the fella who milks the herd Shilling for the fella with a wife for keeping How can we feed love on a farmboy’s wages? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2006, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-a-new-misheard-lyrics-thread/365380/88 "2006-09-11T17:52:03Z")
[QUOTE=Derleth] Sometimes the mondegreen makes more sense. I consistently heard “How’s about a date” for “Eyes without a face”, and I think the consistency was related to the fact that eyes don’t often exist without a face. [/QUOTE] Something about dogs and more-appropriate mondegreens. I originally had the lyrics to “plush” by STP nearly correct (“where you goin’ with that mask you found?”) Only to “realize” later that since the song mentions “and I feel when the dogs begin to smell her” that it wasn’t “mask you found” but rather “where you goin’ with that mastiff hound?” Only, it was the first version all along. But mine makes more sense :smack: ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2006, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-a-new-misheard-lyrics-thread/365380/89 "2006-10-20T11:30:51Z")
I haven’t found the actual lyrics yet, but I’m pretty sure that _Casualty_ by Marty Casey & The Lovehammers _ **does not** _ contain the line “spiders in sodomy” like I hear every time. ---
**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:** [October 20, 2006, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-a-new-misheard-lyrics-thread/365380/90 "2006-10-20T12:45:36Z")
[QUOTE=MegaBee] In the Presidents of the United States of America’s song “Lump”, I misheard every instance of the word “lump” as “love”. This makes for a very different song. [/QUOTE] Nice to know I am not the only one. Totally different song. The misheard lyric story I love to tell (I’ve told it more than once, so if you’ve read it already just skip this) We’re watching the Wonder Years and my daughter is singing along with Joe Cocker _Watch what you do with that stank attitude Could you stand up and walk out on me!_ I laughed and laughed. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2006, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-a-new-misheard-lyrics-thread/365380/91 "2006-10-20T13:02:36Z")
[QUOTE=elfkin477] I haven’t found the actual lyrics yet, but I’m pretty sure that _Casualty_ by Marty Casey & The Lovehammers _ **does not** _ contain the line “spiders in sodomy” like I hear every time. [/QUOTE] I like it! I wonder, just by what you’ve said, if it might be “spiders inside of me”? ---
**Author:** ![xnylder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/bbce88/32.png) [@xnylder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xnylder)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2006, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-a-new-misheard-lyrics-thread/365380/92 "2006-10-20T13:37:25Z")
Until just a few weeks ago, I thought John Lennon was singing: “Nobody told me that she’d like me…Strange days are these.” Instead of: “Nobody told me there’d be days like these…Strange days are these.” When I was a kid, I imagined it was a song about a cute geeky guy who couldn’t figure out girls…And hey, John Lennon was cute and geeky-looking to me. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![LateComer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b5ac83/32.png) [@LateComer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LateComer)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2006, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-a-new-misheard-lyrics-thread/365380/93 "2006-10-20T13:42:02Z")
Nazareth’s [Hair of the dog](http://www.lyricsfreak.com/n/nazareth/hair+of+the+dog_20098503.html) has the following piece: Red hot mama Velvet charmer Times come to pay your dues I do not hear Velvet charmer I hear “brown pajama” and I still think I’m right and everyone else is wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Earthworm\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f07891/32.png) [@Earthworm\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earthworm_Jim)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2006, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-a-new-misheard-lyrics-thread/365380/94 "2006-10-20T15:00:37Z")
I was reminded of just recently. Totos [Africa](http://www.seeklyrics.com/lyrics/TOTO/Africa.html) was playing in Wal\*Mart the other day, and they got to the line “There’s nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do” Reminded me, when I first heard the song way back in the day, I thought the line was “There’s nothing that a hundred men **on Mars** could ever do”. I remember thinking that was an odd line in that song. I think I was about 13 or so. ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2006, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-a-new-misheard-lyrics-thread/365380/95 "2006-10-20T15:37:32Z")
[QUOTE=Earthworm Jim] Reminded me, when I first heard the song way back in the day, I thought the line was “There’s nothing that a hundred men **on Mars** could ever do”. [/QUOTE] I love these threads, simply because I haven’t heard that song in years, but if I heard it this morning, I would have said “men on Mars”, too. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2006, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-a-new-misheard-lyrics-thread/365380/96 "2006-10-20T15:49:34Z")
[QUOTE=Cluricaun] My girlfriend is always mishearing really easy ones, but they always crack me up. Last weekend while we were driving and Stevie Nicks “Edge of Seventeen” came on and she was singing along…saying “Just like the \*\*one \*\* winged dove…”, instead of the correct “Just like the \*\*white \*\* winged dove”. [/QUOTE] … er… :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Rebecca\_DiMwitter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a87d85/32.png) [@Rebecca\_DiMwitter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebecca_DiMwitter)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2006, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-a-new-misheard-lyrics-thread/365380/97 "2006-10-20T16:53:08Z")
Okay, here’s an example of both a misheard lyric AND an “I heard it right but can’t believe that’s really the lyric” within the same song! **Bye Bye Love** by **The Cars** is strange & hard to unravel anyway, but the lyric I thought couldn’t possibly be right is “It’s an orangey sky”. WTF? How does that possibly fit in with the rest of the song, with the next line being “Always, it’s some other guy”? Maybe I’m missing something there. please feel free to enlighten me. The lyric I thought was “Involving all my energies…Until my thoughts are dead” is REALLY “…Until you visited”. At least a bit better than my college beau’s interpretation of the line “It’s just a broken lullabye” as “It’s such a f\*ckin’ lullabye”. This drove me nuts back in the day until I got a chance to read the lyrics. Funny how such inane things can get under a person’s skin. –Beck ---
**Author:** ![whole\_bean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@whole\_bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whole_bean)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2006, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-a-new-misheard-lyrics-thread/365380/98 "2006-10-20T17:55:46Z")
From Sublime’s ‘What I got,’ I always thought “Live with Louie dog’s the only way to stay sane” was “live until we die’s the only way to stay sane.” and who hasn’t heard “blinded by the light, wrapped up like a **douche** another **rubber** in the night” ---
**Author:** ![cmosdes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@cmosdes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmosdes)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2006, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-a-new-misheard-lyrics-thread/365380/99 "2006-10-20T18:56:49Z")
I’m not talkin bout movin in And I don’t want to change your life But there’s a warm wind blowing _the stars around_ Should be: I’m not talking bout movin in And I don’t want to change your life But there’s a warm wind blowing, _the stars are out_ ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2006, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-a-new-misheard-lyrics-thread/365380/100 "2006-10-20T19:05:07Z")
[QUOTE=cmosdes] I’m not talkin bout movin in And I don’t want to change your life But there’s a warm wind blowing _the stars around_ [/QUOTE] Oh, good one. I thought that too! Only I thought the first line had something to do with “moo venom”. You know, like toxic cows? :o Hey, I was _little!_ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-a-new-misheard-lyrics-thread/365380.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-a-new-misheard-lyrics-thread/365380.md?page=6)