Misheard Song Lyrics

I have subtitles on my tv and recently the music channels have started putting lyrics on.

I always thought the lyrics to Heaven Is A Place On Earth were "in this world we're just beginning. D'you understand the miracle of living?" and "And you lift me up in a web of love"

This will age me but...I thought the lyrics to Welcome Back Kotter were:

“Your dreams were all tickered out” as opposed to “ticket out”....not huge but I only realized the mistake recently!

Tori Amos - Silent All These Years. I don't remember what I thought she said only that it made more sense than the line "but what if I'm a mermaid"

Thanks for starting a FRESH thread on this topic, OP! I, for one, am going to take this opportunity to turn to the collective DL knowledge base to solve a mystery that’s been bugging me for about 4 years.

There is a pop song that came out about 5-6 years ago (I think), that has a repeated chorus phrase that sounds EXACTLY like the singer is saying “Street Pizza”. Singer is male, has very poor diction, and sings in a whiny/groaning way that make him impossible to understand.

Have at it, ladies!

England Dan And John Ford Coley's, "I'd Really Love To See You Tonight "

The Misheard Lyrics: “I'm not talkin' 'bout the linen.”

The Real Lyrics: “I'm not talkin' 'bout movin' in.”

Dear Brutus instead of Dear Prudence.

Miracle Man instead of Little Red Corvette.

[quote]Tori Amos - Silent All These Years. I don't remember what I thought she said only that it made more sense than the line "but what if I'm a mermaid"

So you found a girl who thinks really deep thoughts.

What's so amazing about deep thoughts?

Boy you best pray that I bleed real soon.

How's that thought for you?

"Following the footsteps

Of a rag doll NAZI

You're entranced

Spellbound"

“Paranoid” - Black Sabbath

Real lyrics:

“I tell you to enjoy life/I wish I could/but it’s too late”

Misheard lyrics:

“I tell you to end your life/ I wish I could manipulate”

“Every time you go away, you take a piece of meat (me) with you” - Paul Young.

Well formatted reply, R9.

R11 - What am I, chopped liver?!?

“Sail Away” by Enya my mom always thought it was “Save the Whales”. To be fair, it was big during the whole Save the Whales campaign of the late ‘80s, early ‘90s.

And of course there’s “Alex the Seal” or “I Love Cecile” for “Our Lips are Sealed” by The Go-Go’s.

Gold Dust Woman - Pick up the pizzas and go home for pick up the pieces and go home.

Saint Etienne - Girl VII

At the end of the song I always thought that she was singing "Paris is a playground" over and over.

It turns out the line is "Carrie's got a boyfriend."

To be fair, there is a ton of reverb on that part.

I can hear "Carrie's got a boyfriend" now, but it still seems to alternate with "Paris is a playground."

There's a lyric in Liz Phair's "Supernova" that I thought for years was "like Sharon Stone's ass."

But apparently it's "Like a cherub's bare wet ass"

There's also a line in Joni Mitchell's "Shades of Scarlett Conquering" where I thought she referred to the actor Robert Hays.

But it was actually "her auburn hair" - definitely not well enunciated or, apparently, well heard at first listen.

"Everybody Have Fun Tonight" - Wang Chung

Real lyric:

"Don't hang me on the borderline." (which makes no sense anyway)

Misheard lyric:

"Don Henley's on the party line."

"One Week" - Barenaked Ladies

Real lyric:

"Chickity China the Chinese chicken"

Misheard lyric:

"Chicken vagina the Chinese chicken"

The Chainsmokers song Closer

Correct Lyrics: In the back seat of your Rover That I know you can't afford Bite that tattoo on your shoulder

I thought it was "like that tattoo on your shoulder"

I worked with someone years ago who thought “Do the Hustle” was “Tuna Hot Dish”.

"They call me the island sleaze, all my body's yours for free, this is where I long to be, la Isla Bonita!"

Speaking of Madonna, I thought Who's That Girl was

"Quién es, esa pinga?"

Before I knew what pinga was.

R22 - :-) I thought it sounded like she was saying "Señorita, blasphemer" instead of "Señorita, más fina ".

Lol. Sorry r5. You get a pat on your head as well.

Melba Moore - You Stepped Into My Life

Real Lyric: You stepped into my life And I'm oh-so-happy

Misheard Lyric: You slipped it into my wife And she's oh-so-happy

Olivia Newton-John “Magic”

Real lyric: I’ll be guiding you.

Misheard lyric: I’ll be goddamned you.

I thought the 1970s Betty Wright hit, “The Clean-up Woman” was the “Peanut Woman.”

I had a friend in college who thought the kd lang song was "Constant Shaving."

I think she was either slow or had a hearing problem, not sure.

R28. I knew it was “Constant Craving” but I would purposely sing “Constant Gravy.” I’m childish that way.

Helen Reddy's Delta Dawn walks downtown with a suitcase in her hand..... I always heard it as "tool case" and thought she wanted to be a mechanic. (I was 5 years old)

When I first heard the song "Whenever, Wherever" by Shakira, I always heard the second line of the chorus as "Thereover, Hero Honda, you'll never have to wonder. We can always play by ear and that's the deal my dear."

Macy Gray - "I Try". Near the end of the song, it sounds to me like she's shouting "Santa Claus"... I even looked up the lyrics but that part wasn't listed. What the fuck is she shouting?

Destiny's Child - Jumpin' Jumpin'

Real lyrics: Ladies leave your man at home. The club is full of ballers and their pockets full grown

Misheard: The club is full of ballers and their cock is full grown

Manfred Mann's "Blinded by the Light" owns this thread.

R32, funny. I thought she was singing "I blow bubbles when you are not here." Like, she's so distraught and drools like a crazy bitch.

I thought Ladytron’s Evil went “What a knucklehead. Such a special girl, in her summer clothes”

The real lyric is “When a menthol hit, hooks a spatial girl in her summer clothes”

I worked my way through college as a server. One night after close, two of us were cleaning up before going o=home. Annie Lennox came on the radio. Toni, the other server started singing along- "Sometimes it fells like I'm walking on propane gas...". Laughed my ass off because she thought those were the lyrics. Wrote to Gavin Edwards, the author of the book "Scuse me While I kiss This guy" and he put it in the sequel and gave me =credit for it. So, I'm published...

[quote] "“Sail Away” by Enya my mom always thought it was “Save the Whales”. To be fair, it was big during the whole Save the Whales campaign of the late ‘80s, early ‘90s."

It seems you also misheard.

Lovin’ an alligator.

I always misheard the Thats Just The Way It Is song’s lyrics until I looked them up.

I heard:

Because the law don’t change another’s mind

When all it sees at the hiring time

Is the law gonna come about?

The real lyrics are:

Because the law don't change another's mind

When all it sees at the hiring time

Is the line on the color bar, no, no

I was shocked, SHOCKED, I say, this year when I found out that i misheard lyrics to Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer my whole life.

I always thought the lyric was “they should never give a license to a man who drives a sleigh and plays the bells.”

Shocked to find that the actual lyric is:

“they should never give a license to a man who drives a sleigh and plays [bold]with elves[/bold].”

Flashdance - What a Feeling - Irene Cara

"Take your passion - And make it happen"

misheard as (for years)

"Take your pants off! - And make it happen!"

I never knew the lyrics to Breakfast at Tiffany’s so now I can sing them.

For those interested.

And I said what about breakfast at Tiffany’s

She said I think I remember the film and as I recall I think we both kind of liked it

And I said well, that’s the one thing we’ve got!

I often don’t know the words to songs, I usually just hear vocals as an instrument in the music.

Stairway To Heaven

Real Lyric: "It's just a spring clean for the bay queen."

Misheard Lyric: "It's just a sprinkling for the bake queen."

David Cassidy - I Think I Love You

I Think I’ll Fuck You

EMF’s song Unbelievable I always thought the lyrics were

“...shows me you can [bold]ass kiss[/bold]”

I thought it was being rude to someone in the song basically calling them an asskisser.

Turns out it’s

“...shows me you can ask us.”

Diana Ross & The Supremes Love Child:

Real lyrics: You think that I don't feel love / But what I feel for you is real love

What this little kid heard: You think that I don't feel / What I feel for you Israel

in "a country boy can survive" by hank williams jr., two friends had a violent, screaming match about whether the line was "i can skin a buck or run a trot line" vs. "i can skin a buck and run a truck line". a "trot line" is a kind of fishing line.

the "truck line" proponent believed that the point of the line was that a country boy was country enough to go fishing, but city enough to run a truck company.

but hank, jr. was never that deep. and it might have been the stupidest song-fight ever.

This always makes me laugh, UK comedian Peter Kay's skit on the subject.

Frankie Valli - Grease

Misheard lyric:

‘Cause nationality/belongs to yesterday

Real lyric:

Conventionality/belongs to yesterday

My favourite is still Madonna’s “Erotica “. Only British people will have heard of him, but Bill Oddie is an environmentalist and professional bird watcher basically. I can’t hear the lyrics as anything but:

Bill Oddie, Bill Oddie, put your hands all over my body

From Ambrosia's ' "Biggest Part of Me"

Real lyric: "From the fears that are inside of me"

What I heard: "May it please the lord of sodomy"

Judy's ultimate mis-heard lyric.

I was a kid in the 80s, and we used to encourage another, younger kid sing her version of Berlin’s big Top Gun song so we could laugh our asses off. To her it was “take my friends away”

Bob Marley's "Three Little Birds" -- I always hear, "Hear the children frying (crying)," and I picture little kids standing on stools frying bacon on a stove top.

R55, speaking of that song:

I always thought the lyric was “when I nearly crashed I called you,”’given it was the theme song for Top Gun, I thought that made sense.

The best movie scene featuring misheard lyrics and the most misheard song of all time:

Double Anal In A Double Bed

"Only The Lonely" By the Motels

It's like I told you Only the lonely can play

I heard only the lonely get laid. Which makes no sense

In Diana Ross song "I'm Still Waiting," when she sang the line 'He could see I had no eyes,' I always heard 'He could see I had no ass.'

Sorry. :(

I can't understand these lyrics at all

Johnny Nash's 'I Can See Clearly Now' sounds like, 'I can see clearly now, Lorraine is gone'

Elvis Presley's 'Suspicious Minds' lyrics 'we're caught in a trap" was misheard as "we're caught in a a trout'.

Selena Gomez's 'Good for You' , one set of lyrics sounds like 'I'm farting carrots' instead of 'I'm 14 carat'.

Adele's. 'Chasing Pavements' sounds like "chasing penguins."

Paul Young’s 'Every Time You Go Away', "you take a piece of meat with you."

The Police's "So Lonely", "Sue Lawley, Sue Lawley, Sue Lawley."

Bee Gees’ 'More Than a Woman', 'Bald-headed woman... bald-headed woman to me.'

The Monkees’ 'I’m a Believer', 'Then I saw her face, now I’m gonna leave her'.

R.E.M.’s 'Losing My Religion'. "Let's pee in the corner, let's pee in the spotlight,".

As a kid I thought the lyrics ‘and I need you desperately’ in Whitney’s Where Do Broken Hearts Go were ‘and I need you there to spread me’.

I was too young to think that meant anything sexual though at the time.

"Take Me Home Tonight" by Eddie Money

Real lyrics: "I hate to sleep alone"

But it's always sounded like "I hate to see balloons" to me. Even knowing the real lyric, it *still* sounds like "see ballons"

"Oh Very Young" Cat Stevens

Misheard lyrics:

"...You're only dancing on DESSERT for a short while..."

Actual lyrics:

"...You're only dancing on THIS EARTH for a short while..."

R26: I had another weird one for Magic.

Real lyric: “Destiny will arrive”

Misheard lyric: “Testing the ink well will write”

Scaramouch, Scaramouch will you do the fandango?

NO, I will not let you go. Mitch Miller NO.

When I was a little kid, I thought in The Go-Go’s “Our Lips Are Sealed,” they were singing “How Does That Feel?”

Real: No I can't forget this evening or your face as you were leaving.

Misheard: No I can't forget the semen on your face as you were leaving.

Without You - Harry Nillson/Mariah Carey

Anything sung by Michael McDonald, I can't understand what the fuck he's saying 95% of the time.

LUCY IN THE SKY. The girls with colitis go by.

BLINDED BY THE LIGHT: Wrapped up like a douche/you know the runner in the night

BAD MOON RISING: There's a bathroom on the right.

"I Shot the Sheriff" (reggae version) was heard as "Eye Shocking Sherry"

"Benny and the Jets" Real lyrics: "She's got electric boots, a mohair suit, You know I read it in a magazine ohhh...."

Heard as" She's got electric boobs, a mohair suit, you know it was a pack of hyenas..."

Also in "Another One Bites the Dust" when Freddie is free stylin', at 2:03, is he saying, "I'M ADOPTED!!!"? There are no listed lyrics for that.

R74 YES! I used to think it was "I shock a sherry" (which makes absolutely no sense, but I was only eight years old).

In “How Soon Is Now?” I always thought it was: “I am the sun and the air”

But apparently it’s: “I am the son and the heir”

Nirvana's "All Apologies"--

Misheard: I'll proceed from shame

Actual: Aqua sea foam shame

Disney's Splash Mountain "How Do You Do?" (adapted from Song of the South)--

Misheard: Pretty good, show us your bone

Actual: Pretty good, sure as you're born

My mom was a huge Neil Diamond fan, and for the longest time I thought he was singing "Reverend Blue Jeans" instead of "Forever In Blue Jeans"

I heard "Mrs Kerry" instead of "Voices Carry"

I also heard "lettuce lamps" in Born to be Wild

R78 there was a King of Queens episode where Doug thought the exact same thing.

R63 I had a girlfriend named Loraine. After we broke up (we both came out), I did go around singing "I can see clearly now, Loraine is gone" (once I stopped feeling suicidal)

I thought "Come on, Eileen" was "Cum on Eileen." (It works either way.)

I'm sure there was a porn version of that.

[quote] Miracle Man instead of Little Red Corvette.

Wha-a-a-at???

I thought the line from Kylie Minogue's "Wow" was "every inch of you smells of desire" instead of "every inch of you spells out desire."

"La Isla Bonita" - I thought the lyric was "Young girl with eyes like potatoes."

Born to be Wild -- I thought 'Aladin's lamp' was 'let us dance' which made no sense

I thought the lyrics in "California Dreamin'" were "I could safely walk if I was in LA," instead of "I'd be safe and warm if I was in LA."

I thought Iggy Azalea was saying "takin' all the n*ggas straight" and not "takin' all the liquor straight" in "Fancy."

Disco Inferno. What the lyrics are:

"Everybody goin' strong. That's when the smoke got hot."

What I heard:

"Everybody goin' to school. That's when the bloke got caught."

I thought "Voices Carry" was "This is Scary" as in "hush, hush, keep it down now, this is scary"

Obscure song to all but Kate Bush fans but in "There Goes a Tenner" off of The Dreaming I thought part of the lyric was refering to a "Jellick Knight". After hearing this song for decades I finally decided to find out what the hell a Jellick Knight was. The lyric was actually "gelignite", the explosive, which made more sense in a song about blowing a safe up in a robbery.

I heard "Voices Carry" as "Mrs. Kerry"

Donna Fargo “Funny Face” = “Fucker Face”.

Fucker Face I love you. Fucker Face I need you.

R91 I always heard it as, "Oh, George, even downtown, it's so scary."

[quote] When I was a little kid, I thought in The Go-Go’s “Our Lips Are Sealed,” they were singing “How Does That Feel?”

I heard those lyrics as "Honest, I see you!"

For a long time, I thought Cher was singing: Gypsies,Tramps and Thieves, we'd hear from the people of a town named Cola...

Finally, while the Atlanta Rhythm Section was singing about "voodoo in the vibes" apparently, I always heard that line of So Into You as "There was doodoo in the bath" instead.

Not misheard, per se, but for the first many years of listening to The Smiths' "How Soon Is Now?" (on constant, goth-teen repeat) I thought Morrissey was singing "I am the sun and the air" (not son and heir).

Up until 2 minutes ago I always thought the hook to Mandy Moore's 'In My Pocket' was "Got My Panties In My Pocket!". LOL. Who knew!

Magnet and Steel...

"For you are the madman, and I am Steeeeve..."

Orinoco flow…. Eat my ass eat my ass eat my ass!

More than a woman = Montana Woman

Big Ol' Jet Airliner = Big old Jed had a wino

Hey, wait, I've got a nickel plate

She wore raspberries for eight, the kind you find in a secondhand store

From Janet Jackson's What Have You Done For Me Lately:

I thought the line "Soap opera says you've got one life to live" was "So Barbara says...."

I was wondering who the hell Barbara was

R103 I thought it was "So Bopper says," and I thought she was referring to The Big Bopper.

I thought the first line in "LIttle Red Corvette" was "I guess I shoulda known by the way you popped your clutch that way..."

Hey Ronnie, Hey Ronnie, put your hands all over my body

Billie Jean is not my lover, she's just a girl who claims that I am the one/But that Chad is not my son

R5 I thought they were saying “I’m not talkin ‘bout millennials.”

England Dan And John Ford Coley's, "I'd Really Love To See You Tonight. The Real Lyrics: “I'm not talkin' 'bout movin' in.”

Robert Plant’s Crazy on a Ship of Fools

I built this ship it is my making

And furthermore my self control

I can't rely on anymore

I know why I know why

Crazy on a ship of fools

Crazy on a ship of fools

I thought crazy on a ship of fools was crazy on a ship of booze

My ex thought Young MC was rapping ‘hey buster move’

The real lyric is ‘just bust a move’

Annie, are you walking? Are you jealous, are you walking?

R45, I believe it was May Queen.

From "Abracadabra":

I thought "I heat up, I can't cool down" was "Anita, I can't cool down"

I thought the lyrics in the Pointer Sisters' "Jump" was "You're the perfect size" and not "Your love burns inside."

R107 I thought it was "But, but Jed is not my son."

I just commented on this on the Halston thread. "I wonder why....he's the greatest dancer" turns out to actually be "Oh what, wow....he's the greatest dancer."

I test the rains down in Africa

R13 I thought it was "Say the word, say the word, say the word."

I don't care if it's a duplicate, I'm so glad to have a thread to put my misheard lyrics when they occur to me. Thanks, OP!

R100

[quote]More than a woman = Montana Woman

I heard it as "More devil woman", because that makes total sense, right? 😂

Also, R118 you're very welcome!

Whooooah here she comes/Watch out, boy, she'll shoot you up

R119 And I thought it was "Bald headed woman. Bald headed woman to me."

ONJ's Magic is the greatest song of all time. I had actually forgotten about it.

Diana Ross' "The Boss" = I still here her say "Who gives the orders, who does the chores." I have no idea what the real words are!

AC/DC's "Back in Black" = in the chorus, I hear "cuz I'm fuckin' blind" instead of "cuz I'm back in black"

R123 For "The Boss," the lyrics are "Who's givin' the orders? Who's runnin' the show?"

Thanks, R124! My sister cracked up when I sang my version of the lyrics in fact, she still does!

Judas Priest “Breakin’ The Law”

Eatin’ my ass. Eatin’ my ass. Eatin’ my ass. Eatin’ my ass.

Dirty deeds and the Dunder chief!

R127 I thought it was "Dirty jeans, dirty dungarees."

Eatin My Ass Eatin My Ass Eatin My Ass

Bee Gees - Night Fever “I got hair in the back, I can’t hide it if I’m walkin’”. No idea what the real lyric is.

We can try to understand/ The New York Times have sex on man

"On the night Boston gets the creamer and the Mets win the dreamer, we can laugh it in their face"

I thought these were the lyrics to a Hall and Oates song.

I love that dirty water = I love that girly woman

I got a rock in the morning and the boogie woogie flu

No, no R128, it’s CLEARLY “Dunder chief”!

I thought the lyric from "Dancing Queen" was "You can dance, you can dine, having the time of your life..."

These are fun

Secret Agent Man. I always thought the lyric was "Secret Asian Man"

Today this day the phrase "secret Asian Man" pops in to my head now and then, and I laugh at the entire premise of being 'secretly asian'

Billy Joel's Only the Good Die Young

Actual lyric: Never let's in the sun

What I heard: Never let sin the son.

Just Dance, Lady Gaga

She's ad-libbing "Da da doo doot"

It's sounds like she's singing "Gotta doo doo"

When I was a kid I thought Beyonce "Irreplaceable" was saying "Baby drop them peas" and I so got that. But, I guess its "keys".

I prefer some of these to the actual lyrics

Carried my, carried my, no he carried my poker face

Oooh, R139 good one.

I thought it was: Epaulets in the sun

So, open the door

I'm a loser, baby, so why don't you kill me

“It Ain’t Me” by Creedence.

“When the band plays hail to the chief, ooh they bought the candidate too.”

Real lyrics:

“When the band plays hail to the chief, ooh they point the cannon at you.”

Taylor Swift's BLANK SPACE

Original: got a long list of ex-lovers

Misheard: got a long list of Starbucks lovers 🧉☕

Fuck, leaning all types of things here today.

R146, I thought it was:

“It Ain’t Me” by Creedence.

“When the band plays hail to the chief, ooh the red white and blue."

Sorry it’s “Fortunate Son” not “It Ain’t Me.”

R149 you are correct

I just copied and pasted without realizing.

Some folks are born made to wave the flag

ooo, they're red, white and blue

And when the band plays "Hail to the Chief"

ooo, they point the cannon at you, Lord

My aunt heard Simon & Garfunkel’s The Boxer

Real lyric: Just a come on from the whores on 7th Avenue

Heard lyric: Just a come on from the boys on 7th Avenue

She wondered why S&G were singing about gay men.

Frat boys in college used to sing "Climb every woman" to Whitney Houston's "I'm every woman." I heard them singing that lyric before I had heard Houston's real lyric.

You can call it thunder, the lonely day

R131 I believe it’s “/The New York Times Effect On Man”

Jordin Sparks' "No Air."

I thought it was "Got me out here in the water so deep. Tell me how ya gonna pee on me..."

I was singing it in the car one day and a friend had to correct me and tell me it was "Tell me how ya gonna be without me."

Makes more sense.

In Reba's Fancy I had four:

Real lyric: to say the least we were hard pressed. What I heard: to say the least we were hard breast.(to be fair in the video the woman appears to be breast feeding as the line is sung)

Real lyric: Your mama's gonna move you uptown. What I heard: Your mama's gonna boogie uptown.

Real lyric: One week later I was poring his tea. What I heard: One week later I was born in steel.

Real lyric: And, an elegant New York townhouse flat, and I ain't done bad What I heard: And, I never get New York town, and I ain't done bad.

Think I've posted this before. A classic! Gopher Tuna.

Only DL's theater buffs will appreciate this:

In Can-Can, she sings, "But when, once more, he whispers 'Je t'adore.'"

When a little boy, I thought it was "He whispers, 'Shurt the door.'

Because that's what my parents always did when they made the beast with two backs.

^^^Shut, not Shurt

Donna Summer's "She Works Hard for the Money"- I thought it was "But it's worth it all to hear them sing and regale" instead of "But it's worth it all to hear them they say that they care."

Bruce Springsteen song Glory Days

What I heard: Her hustling body well they split up

Correct lyric: Her and her husband Bobby well they split up

Just about any song by R.E.M. actually.

To this day, I still don’t know what the hell Elton John is singing most of the time.

“Medda fadda bedda gedda beep on mighta….Saturday night’s all right for fighting….”

At the beginning of this "Cinderella Gets it On" sketch from the Carol Burnett show, Vicki Lawrence is singing "I can dig it, I can dig it!", but it sounds like she's saying something REALLY bad:

In Jane Child's "I Don't Wanna Fall in Love," a lyric in the second verse goes, "Unaware of how this all got started." I always thought it was "By the way your hair is all cock-sided."

At the fade to "I'm Your Man," George Michael slurs the phrase "I'll take you halfway 'round the world" so bad it sounds like "I'll be your hamburger 'round the world"!

Bowie/Lennon: “FAAAAME….what’s a ninnit what’s a ninnit….”

Cranberries "Linger"

Lyrics "do you have to let it linger"

Heard "do you have to smell my finger"

My nephew in first grade: Mommy, who's Richard Stands?

My sister: Richard Stands? Where did you hear that name, honey?

My nephew: You know, the pledge allegiance. And to the republic for RICHARD STANDS . . .

r169 do you have to? do yo have to?

Every girl crazy 'bout a jive ass man.

I was just watching Cold Play sing When I Ruled The World on TV and had the closed captioning on and I always thought it was

Roman Catholic Choirs are singing

but turns out it is

Roman Cavalry choirs are singing

Who the hell ever even heard of a Roman Cavalry choir?

A child in my children’s church choir brought me a drawing of the cross eyed bear we were singing about. (Gladly the cross I’d bear).

I used to think the lyrics to "West End Girls" were:

"In a western town with denim walls

The eastern boys and western girls."

Even though the song predated the summer of ‘69, I thought the lyrics in Soul Man were “I was educated at Woodstock,” not “from good stock.”

Some people actually thought Sting was screaming RUCKSACK instead of "Roxanne".

These are the same people who thought the Police's "Every Breath You Take" was a love song!

The Rolling Stones 'Beast of Burden' had some misheard lyrics, "I'll never be your pizza burning."

Then again, Jagger sings like he has a mouth full of marbles.

Beatles: i'm a typewriter Real lyrics: i'm a paperback writer

The Bee Gees, More Than A Woman: “Bald headed woman, bald headed woman for me.”

The Rolling Stones, Beast of Burden: “I’ve never seen your feet so dirty!

The Beatles Come Together: “Holds you in his armchair, you can feel his disease.”

Eddie Money, Two Tickets to Paradise: “I’ve got two chickens to paralyze"

Madonna, La Isla Bonita: "Last night I dreamt of some PlayDoh, young guys with eyes like potatoes”

Robert Palmer, Addicted to Love: "Might as well face it, you're a dick in a glove."

The Rolling Stones, Paint It Black: ” I saw a rickshaw and I want to paint it black."

R.E.M, Losing My Religion: "“Let's pee in the corner, let's pee in the spotlight, losing my religion."

Creedence Clearwater Revival, Bad Moon Rising: "Theres a bathroom on the right."

Elton John, Tiny Dancer: ” Count the head lice on the highway.”

I wondered why sting was singing about the “fields of Bali” it turns out he was singling about “fields of barley”

R153 I’ve also heard it sung to the tune of Climb Every Mountain from the Sound of Music.

ABBA’s Chiquitita.

Real lyrics: “So the walls came tumbling down/and your love’s a blown-out candle.”

Misheard lyrics: “So the walls came tumbling down/and you lost your brown sombrero.”

I’ve been singing that since they released it in the 70s.

R184 your version makes sense too! 😊

In "Only Girl in the World," I thought Rihanna was saying, "Want you to love me, like I'm a hot guy."

Against my will. Against my will. You took it against my will.

Nirvana, Lounge Act. I always heard "And I've got this friend, he makes me feel like I want him more than I can bear." Maybe wishful thinking as much as misheard.

Give it to me all night. If I can’t take the whole of you give it to me anyway.

For the longest time, I thought Van McCoy was singing "Double hot dogs!" instead of "Do the Hustle!"

More misheard Sting lyrics:

Be Still My Beating Heart: "But still I need to fart."

"I've been to every single Bogart movie."

"My logic has drowned and I see I'm in motion."

Brand New Day: "How many ugly people out there have been hurt in some kinda lover's hair?"

"We're starting up a brand new gay."

Desert Rose: "Her shadows play in the shape of a man's behind"

"I dream of ladies, getting laid."

"I dream of rain in L.A, L.A."

"Take a show'r with friends, you'll sleep, I promise."

More Sting:

Englishman In New York: "I left my toast upon one's eye." "I'm an alien, I'm a Lithuanian " "I'm an alien, I'm a lethal alien I'm an Englishman in New York."

Fields Of Gold: "As we walk in fields of coal." "The mirror's been something I've broken."

If I Ever Lose My Faith In You: "If I ever lose my face in you." "You would say I lost my cents and direction."

Sting again:

If You Love Somebody, Set Them Free: "Please, please, set me free"

We Work the Black Seam: "We're in the back seat together."

"So long.....farewell.....I'll be the same, goodbye!"

Auf wiedersehen, but who can blame a kid for not knowing that?

I always thought Annie was saying “You can hear the sound of the other countries” instead of “ You can hear the sound of the underground trains”. I realized six months ago that I sang it the wrong way for 30 years. D’oh!

King of Pain - The Police

What I hear: Bless my soul I'm gay. Real lyrics: That's my soul up there.

In "Voices Carry", I heard "hush, hush - even downtown, voices carry"

In fact, it's "hush hush - keep it down now. voices carry"

Up The Ladder To The Roof

[quote]Come with me / And we shall run across the sky / And illuminate the night

I never got the "illuminate" part. I thought they were singing "and a little money"

Venus by Bananarama , for many years I thought the first line was "Daddy's on the mountain top, burning like a silver flame". I still prefer daddy over goddess.

When I was a kid, in the song "Fire" by the Ohio Players, I thought the guy was singing, "The way you swerve and curve really wrecks my nuts" instead of "really wrecks my nerves."

FUCKER FACE I LOVE YOU

FUCKER FACE I NEED YOU

"Fancy" by Charli XCX and Iggy Azalea.

I thought Iggy was rapping "Takin' all the n*ggaz straight, never chase that" instead of "liquor."

And I thought they were singing, "From hell into Tokyo" instead of "LA to Tokyo."

I thought Natalie Cole was singing "she talks white and gentle" in "Sophisticated Lady" instead of "she talks quiet and gentle."

“So very customary” for “so ferry cross the Mersey”.

Some of these are really funny

Am I the only one who thought the lyric in Devo's "Whip It" was "tattoo detective" instead of "try to detect it?"

"I wanna come over!

To hell with the concert friends."

"Eat me I'm a Danish" for "Rock Me. Amadeus."

R208 that actually made me spit out my coffee! Now, I will always hear "eat me I'm a Danish"

When I was a kid, I thought in the song "Lover Girl," Tina Marie was singing:

"I just want to be your lover girl

I just want to fuck your world!"

Andrea True's "More, More, More"

"So take me where you want to

Man, I got to steal."

REO Speedwagon's Take it on the Run.

I thought the lyric was "And even if it is, keep kissin' mine" instead of "keep this in mind."

You ate the love of my life. You ate the love of my life. You ate the love of my life

R213 What song is that?

You are the love of my life

There’s a bathroom on the right for there’s a bad moon on the rise.

Crystal Gayle's "Why Have Left The One You Left Me For":

The correct lyric: Has she heard, like me, that slammin' door?

How I always heard it: Has she whored, like me? That's lavender!

Crystal Gayle

Don’t it (cock) make my brown eye blue?

"Climb every woman

It's all in me."

From Al Stewart's Year of The Cat.

Well morning comes and you're still with her

And the bus and the tourists are gone

And you've thrown away your ( choice you've lost your ticket )

So you have to stay on

For years I thought the "lost your ticket" line said, you've thrown away your own lobster ticket. It didn't make sense of course, but it wasn't until years later when I bought my copy of the album and read the lyrics did I resolve the mystery. By the way, great imagery by Al Stewart.

I thought the lyrics in Britney's "Work, Bitch" were "Work it hard like it's your brother Sean" instead of "Work it hard like it's your profession."

In that annoying song "Sunroof," I thought the guy was singing:

I got my head out the sunroof

I'm blastin' a fake tooth

Instead of:

I got my head out the sunroof

I'm blastin' our favorite tunes

Keep up with the four star stomp, don't stop til you get enough

R223 I used to think it was:

Keep up with the fore stroke

Don't stop 'til you get enough.

I guess I thought the song was about golfing.

Elton John & Kiki Dee, “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart”.

“Oh, honey, if I get arrested”.

Speaking of...

I thought the Ritchie Family's "Best Disco in Town" lyric was:

"DJs are the best there, you'll never get arrested."

It's actually:

"DJs are the best there, you'll never get a rest there."

I thought Johnny Rivers's Secret Agent Man was Secret Asian Man.

Carly Simon's You're So Vain:

Until recently and because of DL I might add, I found out I had misheard the lyrics my whole life. I thought the lyrics were:

You had one eye in the mirror, as you watched yourself go by it

I was shocked--shocked I say!--to find out the lyrics were:

You had one eye in the mirror, as you watched yourself gavotte.

Put on your SHOWER shoes and 'turn it loose' (for those that pee in the shower)

From the Judd's song "Turn it loose"

"I love the bass when it's low and mean So put on your Shoutin’ shoes and turn it loose!"

[quote] (for those that pee in the shower)

It's all pipes!

I have to add “Pocketful of Sunshine”. I thought it was “take me away, take me away, as sweet as cake, take me away”.

R224 Hmmm I kinda thought that too. I have no idea what it is,

r228, in the same song, I thought "your scarf it was apricot" was "your scarf it was Africa."

Holy shit, r233! I thought it was apricot too.

This bitch needs to enunciate.

Destiny’s Child - Jumpin Jumpin

“The club is full of fathers and their cock is full grown”

Apparently it’s “the club is full of ballers and their pockets full grown.”

I prefer my version.

Smooth Operator by Sade. There's a lyric that goes "Coast to coast: L.A. to Chicago, western male"

I thought it was "Western Maine"

I didn't even know the real lyrics until I recently Googled them

In "Morning Train," I used to think Sheena Easton sang "All day, I think of him. Women love him constantly..." instead of "thinking of him constantly."

75% of the lyrics in this. Decent song but mush mouth enunciation:

[quote] I was shocked--shocked I say!--to find out the lyrics were: "You had one eye in the mirror, as you watched yourself gavotte."

I got "gavotte," courtesy of My Fair Lady indoctrination in the 1960s. (Thank you, Mother.)

R239 I always thought it was "as you watched your silk cravate."

I thought Chrissie Hynde was singing, "Gonna make you, make you, make you, make you more tense" instead of "make you notice."

I was a young child when Cher's "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves" came out. I was still very ignorant about geography (and jobs, clearly) as I heard "...rode with us to Memphis" as "road with a cement truck."

And Papa would've shot him if he knew what he done!

"All we are saying

is give me a drag"

R236 Sade, which was it? “Coast to coast” or “LA to Chicago”?

Anne Murray

Lord knows we ain’t got money. I’m so in love with your pussy.

The end of Rock the Casbah - "Fundamental retardation!"

Still don't know what he actually said.

Queen - Another One Bites The Dust

"It's fun to smoke marijuana"

“I miss the rains down in Africa”

Flashdance...What A Feeling

Song by Irene Cara

Real Words:

Take your passion And make it happen

I seriously hear:

Take your pants off And make it happen

George McCrae:

'Woman, take me in your arms...

Drop the baby.'

Ice Box Lady. Too cold. Too cold.

Mr. Bojangles- He crapped his pants and did a dance

Flock of Seagulls. Instead of I ran so far away I thought they were saying " Iran so far away". 😆

REO Speedwagon's "Take it on the Run." I thought the line was "...and even if it is, keep kissin' mine" instead of "...and even if it is, keep this in mind."

Tracks of My Tears. I thought the lyrics, "Although I might be laughin' loud and hearty" were instead "Laurel and Hardy."

When I was a kid, we couldn't find lyrics on the internet. If you were lucky, the lyrics would be printed on the little pamphlet in the CD "jewel box."

Also, when you're a kid, you don't yet know all of the clichés, stereotypes, and idioms, etc.

I thought Bad, Bad Leroy Brown was: "Meaner than a junkyard gong." (Supposed to be "junkyard dog," which is some type of dog stereotype.)

Actual lyric: "They say the heart of rock and roll is still beatin'..."

What I heard the first two times I heard it: "They say the heart of rock and roll is in Cleveland..."

I couldn't figure out why Huey Lewis kept naming other cities in the song if it was in Cleveland (especially when Cleveland actually does come up at the very end).

[quote] I heard "...rode with us to Memphis" as "road with a cement truck."

[quote]And Papa would've shot him if he knew what he done!

And he woulda shot yo ass too if you told him what you just told us.

George Benson, On Brodadway.

What I heard: "I'm not victim, I'm a star. On Broadway"

Correct lyrics: "I won't quit 'til I'm a star. On Broadway"

I thought in "Lover Girl," Tina Marie was singing, "My second verse may be a big old hat box" instead of "My second verse may be a bit old hat, but..."

Had to look up the lyrics to Charli XCX's "360," because it sounded like she was singing "your cankles."

It's actually "work angles."

I wrote about this long ago on DL but my misheard lyrics to Brass In Pocket were really something else.

“Got brass… in pocket. Got fido.. i’m gon’ use it”

“Gonna make you, make you mountains”

“Gonna use my style… gonna use my sad self”

“Got motion… it’s dream demotion”

“Got rhythm, can’t miss a beat.. got mousse-cake.. so, eat! Got somethin’… and when can I Joe?”

R50 That was hilarious. Thanks!

Also from my middle school years, 1980, Stevie Nicks’ intro to Sara (Fleetwood Mac):

Wait a minute, baby…… Stay with me a while….. said you’d give me life… but you never told me ‘bout papaya….”

R262 That's pretty hilarious!

What I heard Madonna say for over 2 decades: "Music... makes the bourgeoisie and the rebel". Correct lyrics: "Music ... mix the bourgeoisie and the rebel".

"Daddy's on the mountain top. Burning like a silver flame" Venus - Bananarama. Actual lyrics "Goddess on the mountain top..."

R266 Seriously? That's the lyric? I also thought it was "makes the bourgeoise."

It never made sense to me, and I guess now I know why.

Same with me R266 and R268 ! The way she sings it, sounds like “makes.”

"Sing us a song, Yellow Piano Man!"

"Sing us a song, Piano Man!"

I knew my lyrics weren't right but, hey. It's what I heard.

In Bye Bye Love by The Cars, I thought he was singing “ it’s just your fucking alibi” but apparently, it’s “it’s just a broken lullaby”.

"I'm your penis, I'm your fire of joy, desire". The lyrics made perfect sense to m..

R5 until you posted the actual lyrics for the England Dan and John Ford coley song, I thought the chorus was “I’m not talking about meridian. It made no sense except maybe because the song references stars???!!

"Wipe in the Vaseline" for "Life in the Fast Lane" by the Eagles. Particularly funny given the followup line, "surely makes you lose your mind." Misheard by my best friend at university.

When I was a kid, I thought Elton John was singing "I love gum" instead of "Island Girl."