What's your misheard song lyric?

[MillieDynamite]

My father told me about Bad Moon Rising and his friend, who heard "Bathroom on the Right" at one point in the song. It's apparently such a common mishearing that John Fogerty sang it that way in a concert for a joke long after the band broke up.

For me, B52's song Love Shack at the end, "You're what?" is answered, "You're Busted," not "Tin Roof Rusted."

What's your misunderstood line in a song?

 

[SimonDoom]

The Procol Harum song, "Wyatt Earp Shared His Pail." I just could not figure out what they were singing the first few times I heard that song, but that's what it sounded like to me.

The line from the Van Morrison song, Brown Eyed Girl: "Gunned down the old man with a transistor radio."

The toughest singer for me was Elton John. Bernie's lyrics were always unusual, and Elton played fast and loose with the enunciation. I remember this one: "Levon wore his wahoo like a crown." I don't know how anyone who didn't read the lyrics sheet could know what he was singing in that song.

 

[MillieDynamite]

I read in his song Tiny Dancer, the line, "Hold me closer, tiny dancer," is heard as Hold me closer Tony Danza.

 

[CarlyAnn]

The Tony Danza one is common and FUNNY.

Mine was always, “Woke up like a douche”. You know the song I mean.

 

[CarlyAnn]

And “We built this city on sausage rolls”

 

[yowser]

There's an actual term for this: 'Mondegreen.'

Many famous examples, but folks of a certain age remember Jimi Hendrix's lyrics in Purple Haze ('scuse me, while I kiss the sky' as 'while I kiss this guy.')

 

[theWollstonecraftWoman]

After hearing Lucile by Kenny Rodgers, I asked how they had 400 children. He said what? I asked, "how do they have 400 children and cops in the field?" I'd leave you if we were taking care of that many kids. He answered Four Hungry Children, dear.

On a side note, how did CCR not have a number-one hit on Billboard with Lookin' out my back door, it hit Number one in the world and only number 2 on the Billboard charts? Plus, it was at the top of Cash Box, which is also the US.

 

[SimonDoom]

I read in his song Tiny Dancer, the line, "Hold me closer, tiny dancer," is heard as Hold me closer Tony Danza.

That's another one. I heard it as "Hold me close and tie me down some."

 

[SimonDoom]

In the Demi Lovato song "Give your heart a break" I swear there's a line that sounds like, "When my lips are on your ass."

 

[SouthernCrossfire]

When I was in high school, I had a little AM/FM radio and our truck had an AM radio with factory speakers that weren't very good (putting it mildly). Needless to say, I didn't understand a lyrics. One that bothered me in those pre-internet days (so I couldn't easily look it up) was why the "big hotel with the light on" shouldn't "carry me too far away." Maybe it was like the Calgon commercials, asking the fizzy bath to "take me away"? Then, when Tom Bodett started doing the Motel 6 "We'll leave the light on for you" radio commercials some years later, I somehow connected that to the song (welcome light on, "vacancy" sign being lit up, etc).

It was years later before I heard the Steve Miller Band song and really listened close enough to be quite embarrassed:

Oh, oh big ol' jet airliner
Don't carry me too far away
Oh, oh big ol' jet airliner
'Cause it's here that I've got to stay

 

[Bazzle]

"I want to eat pizza" or I think its "I want to go to Ibiza"

And of course " Humping on the stereo" which is meant to be pumping.

 

[Bisexguy70]

Tom petty. Song. “You wreck me”
In the corduroyed pants

I thought he said, ill be the boy, in the corner of your pants. Youll be the girl, at the high school dance.

RIP Tom

 

[stickygirl]

Beelzebub has a devil for a sideboard

 

[lovecraft68]

Jimmy Hendrix "Scuse me while I kiss this guy"

 

[Bubo_bubo]

In MIA's Bucky Done Gun, I heard "Brazil" as "Brussel(s)"
(Hey, shoot me, before that she mentions London, New York and Kingston so a fourth city seemed logical)

 

[SamScribble]

Back in the day, my then-flatmate used to wander about singing 'one ton of mirrors'. The melody bore an uncanny likeness to The Sandpipers' hit 'Guantanamera'

 

[BarracudaSwordfish]

My fave is an allegedly misheard version of Smoke on the Water by Deep Purple.

I now cannot hear it without hearing

"Slow cousin Walter, fire engine guy"

 

[Duleigh]

I have a hydraulic pump roaring in my ear from an incident years ago so what I hear is quite often different than what the songwriter penned. I use lyrics in my stories on occasion and I'm always surprised at what I find but I guess I'm in good company when I listen to ELO, even KNOWING the lyrics I still hear

"Don't bring me down, Bruce."

 

[jaykaythree]

SONG: Save A Prayer (Duran Duran)

ACTUAL LYRIC: Save it till the morning after.

MY MONDEGREEN: Sing it to the moon in Athens.

 

[lilshymynx]

Def Leppard

"Livin' like a lover with a red iPhone"

Yes i know iPhones weren't even remotely a thing when this was released..but then again neither was I, lmao

 

[Rustyoznail]

I have a hydraulic pump roaring in my ear from an incident years ago so what I hear is quite often different than what the songwriter penned. I use lyrics in my stories on occasion and I'm always surprised at what I find but I guess I'm in good company when I listen to ELO, even KNOWING the lyrics I still hear

"Don't bring me down, Bruce."

You mean it's not?

 

[Bdm20]

Herb Alpert

“You see the sky. The sky’s in love with you “

 

[R. Richard]

Try the entire song 'Louie, Louie' by the Kingsmen.

 

[muddler35]

Elton John

Someone shaved my wife tonight.

 

[theWollstonecraftWoman]

An old guy that lives across the street from us told me about a Mike Nesmith TV special where he sang, "One Ton Tomato," and a Mexican Band accompanying him walked off stage. Of course, it was a joke, and Thomas said it was so funny the singers that abandoned him couldn't help but laugh while they walked off.

Back in the day, my then-flatmate used to wander about singing 'one ton of mirrors'. The melody bore an uncanny likeness to The Sandpipers' hit 'Guantanamera'