Misunderstood Lyrics

[RogueWarrior]

With the recent commercial featuring Elton John's "Rocket Man" and how the lyrics have been misunderstood, I thought it would be interesting to see what lyrics people have misunderstood in the past only to find out later they were way off.

I do realize a lot of people on this forum do not remember when there wasn't a google machine at your fingertips to find out these things, but way back in the days of vinyl, 8-tracks and cassettes, if the lyrics weren't printed in the inserts, you were on your own.

A couple that I have heard from other people:

"Bingo Jed had a light on" for "Big Old Jet Airliner" by the Steve Miller Band

"There's a bathroom on the right" for "There's a bad moon on the rise" by Creedence Clearwater Revival

Now for one of my own:

"She had a sankly size" for "She had the sightless eyes" from You Shook Me All Night Long by AC/DC. Have no idea what I thought "sankly" meant, but it sounded right.

 

[Jupiter551]

A classic of the genre, Nightwish's Wishmaster:

 

[JoleneBrody]

When I was a kid I thought The Rolling Stones' "Beast of burden" was saying I'll never be your big suburban...
It makes absolutely no sense... but it still makes me smile and I often still sing it that way...

 

[ConnerJay]

My all time favorite.




"Drunk driving!"

 

[skiphop90]

 

[Poker_Babe]

LOL thats funny because just the other day, I played Elton John' "Tiny Dancer" and got it stuck in my BF's head. but he was walking around the house all day singing "hold me closer Tony Danza"

 

[Bocefish]

I think everybody screws up the lyrics to that song.

Instead of:

Blinded by the light,
revved up like a deuce,

I used to say "wrapped up like a douche" :lol:

 

[Mitchie Lynn]

"We all live in a Tub of Margerine"

"Cucumber, my Lord! Cucumbeeeeer!"

"The Hot Dogs go on" (The Titanic Theme)

"Choir Boys" (Wild Boys - Duran Duran)

These are mine.

 

[Jupiter551]

Joan Jett: :music-singing: I looove sausage rolls

Oh and who could forget acca-dacca :music-rockon: "It's a long way to the shop, if you want a sausage roooolll"

 

[mynameisbob84]

I think everybody screws up the lyrics to that song.

Instead of:

Blinded by the light,
revved up like a deuce,

I used to say "wrapped up like a douche" :lol:

So did Manfred Mann! The original Springsteen lyric is indeed "deuce" (apparently it's a car or something" but Mann sung "douche", not knowing what a "deuce" was.

For years, I thought Iron Maiden were singing "Can I Play With Matches?". They weren't. (It was "Madness").

 

[Jupiter551]

So did Manfred Mann! The original Springsteen lyric is indeed "deuce" (apparently it's a car or something" but Mann sung "douche", not knowing what a "deuce" was.

For years, I thought Iron Maiden were singing "Can I Play With Matches?". They weren't. (It was "Madness").

Yeah it's a Ford Model B, aka Deuce Coupe, popular for hotrodding back in the day pretty rare now as it was made in the early '30s (32, which is why it's a deuce).

 

[lordmagellan]

Now for one of my own:

"She had a sankly size" for "She had the sightless eyes" from You Shook Me All Night Long by AC/DC. Have no idea what I thought "sankly" meant, but it sounded right.

Funny: I always thought it was "She had a sight for size..."
Naturally, alluding to the size of his manhood. Made sense, considering the song and band.

 

[RogueWarrior]

When I was a kid I thought The Rolling Stones' "Beast of burden" was saying I'll never be your big suburban...
It makes absolutely no sense... but it still makes me smile and I often still sing it that way...

That made me laugh.

Several years ago was cruising with a friend of mine listening to the radio and some Guns 'n Roses comes on. Friend is singing along to the chorus and a reasonable facsimile of the ensuing exchange follows:

Me: What did you just sing?
Friend: "Take me down to the very last city."
Me: REALLY!?!?!?
Friend: Yeah. Those are the words.
Me: What's the name of this song?
Friend: "Paradise City". Why?
Me: Think about it.
Friend: *pause*........*lightbulb*............ooooohhhhhh

 

[Chamaeleon]

"Comma Comma Comma Comma Chameleon" for "Karma Karma Karma Karma Chameleon"
"Got my left foot down on my accelerator" for "Got a lead foot down on my accelerator" for Jo Dee Massina "Bye Bye'. I always wondered why she was driving with her left foot. :?

I know there are TONS more. These are just a few off the top of my head.

It makes my skin all colorful whenever my song is sung! :dance:

 

[RogueWarrior]

A classic of the genre, Nightwish's Wishmaster:

Never heard that one before but really seem to be not a case of misunderstood/misinterpreted lyrics as uninteligible lyrics.

 

[Just Me]

Not sure if this counts since I always knew the lyrics to begin with, but for Falco's "Amadeus" someone sung it "Hot Potatoes, Hot Potatoes" for the amadeus part and I always hear it that way now :lol: Another similar one is Robert Palmers "Addicted to Love", someone playing around was singing it as "Might as well face it, you're a dick in the butt" , so now that is all I can hear now when that song comes on :lol:

 

[Bocefish]

Some other funny ones...

 

[Jessi]

A classic of the genre, Nightwish's Wishmaster:

Why did I like this when I was 14 :shock:

 

[Jupiter551]

A classic of the genre, Nightwish's Wishmaster:

Never heard that one before but really seem to be not a case of misunderstood/misinterpreted lyrics as uninteligible lyrics.

Lol well she's a Finnish opera singer singing at a fast pace!

Why did I like this when I was 14 :shock:

I take it you don't anymore? Nightwish is great

 

[bodisha]

I can't be the only person that hear's "Like a Cheese stick" when they hear "Like a G6"

 

[ShiZZleR]

My favourite I've ever heard was "Slow Motion Walter, the Fireman in disguise" for "Smoke on the water and fire in the sky"

"Bingo Jed had a light on" for "Big Old Jet Airliner" by the Steve Miller Band

When I was young I always thought it said "Big Old chair on the Lino"
I don't know if 'Lino' is Aussie slang but it's short for 'Linoleum' the Vinyl floor covering.

To redeem myself; the technical name for these are "Mondegreens."

 

[Jupiter551]

I can't be the only person that hear's "Like a Cheese stick" when they hear "Like a G6"

Yeah the funny thing about that obnoxious song is that there is no aircraft called a "G6", theyre presumably referring to the Gulfstream G650, of which they couldn't afford to refuel much less own.

 

[Jaydenrainey]

lol this reminds me of la rouxs bulletproof
for the longest time i was singing this time maybe ill be your neighhhhbor.
i dont even know how i got your neighbor out of the word bulletproof.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kk8eJh4i8Lo&ob=av3n

 

[RogueWarrior]

Rock & Roll Fantasy by Bad Company

Actual lyric: "Here come the jesters"

What I heard: "Here come the Jetson's"

Yeah, I know. A space-age '70's cartoon has no place in a rock song. What can i say?

For those unfamiliar with the song, it's the first line.

 

[Molison]

Israelites by Desmond Dekker.
I always thought he was singing "My ears are alight"

 

[Oy vey]

Ya gotta wonder what these lyric misunderstandings reveal about the listeners. :?

 

[RogueWarrior]

Ya gotta wonder what these lyric misunderstandings reveal about the listeners. :?

Then you're gonna love this one.

First of all, this is just wrong on so many different levels. And the thing is, I knew the lyrics were wrong, but I just couldn't wrap my mind around what the actual lyrics were.

I hope no one takes offense, because it is offensive, but here goes:

Down on the Corner by Creedence Clearwater Revival

Actual lyrics:
Down on the corner
Out in the street
Willie and the Poor Boys were playing
Bring your nickels, tap your feet

What I heard (and don't hate me for it):
Bringin' Niggas happy feet

 

[Jupiter551]

One of Amber's signature sexy songs - noticed this the other day, I've never had any idea what he said, now I realise he was doing a Nostradamus
"livin' like a lover with a red iPhone"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=AQ4xwmZ6zi4#t=45s

 

[bud9752]

SECRET AGENT MAN by Johnny Rivers 1966 at the WHISKEY A GO GO
a lot of the time it sounds like SECRET "ASIAN" MAN

 

[Bocefish]

One of Amber's signature sexy songs - noticed this the other day, I've never had any idea what he said, now I realise he was doing a Nostradamus
"livin' like a lover with a red iPhone"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=AQ4xwmZ6zi4#t=45s

I thought they were saying radar phone and assumed that must be some UK terminology thing, no?