Lady Mondegreen.

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PapaMouse
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Lady Mondegreen.

Post by PapaMouse »

Ye Highlands and ye Lowlands,
Oh, where hae ye been?
They hae slain the Earl Amurray, [sic]
And Lady Mondegreen
The actual fourth line is "And laid him on the green."

A mondegreen is the misinterpretation of a line or lyric in a song due to homophony.

In honor of the word "mondegreen" being added to Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, I thought it appropriate to have a thread where we post our favorite mondegreen. Or any that we've heard.

When my son (CoastieMouse) was 12, he heard Bon Jovi's "You Give Love a Bad Name" as "You give love a Band-aid." (Sounds like a Weird Al song...)

Any you'd care to share with us?
Lord, you have filled my cup so full,
How can I fear tomorrow?
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PapaMouse
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As our friend Spudling would say,...

Post by PapaMouse »

...I won't let a thread of mine go without a reply, even if I have to reply to it myself.

One of the most famous mondegreens is Jimi Hendrix's " 'Scuse me while I kiss this guy". I have recordings of "Purple Haze" by Winger (Kip seems to be very careful to be sure it sounds like "...while I kiss the sky"), Ozzy Osbourne (A little sloppy, could go either way.), and 2 versions by Hendrix himself. In the studio version, of course, you sorta hear the famous mondegreen. And in the live version, he had a little fun with it, and sang it as " 'Scuse me while I kiss that guy." [laugh]
Lord, you have filled my cup so full,
How can I fear tomorrow?
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tmac396
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A couple to start with...

Post by tmac396 »

In "Surfin' USA" by the Beach Boys, I always thought they were saying "If everybody had a notion" instead of "If everybody had an ocean." I like my version better...it makes the surf culture seem more of a state of mind to me...all you need is the desire...or notion!

"Looking Out My Back Door" by Credence. For years I heard "Listening to begonias" instead of "Listening to Buck Owens." My WIFE finally straightened me out after having a good laugh at my expense. In my defense, MY version makes as much sense as the REST of the song! :D
Toolin' down the highway doing 79,
I'm a twin-pipe papa and I'm feeling fine...
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jodlyn
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Re: What a great topic! :)

Post by jodlyn »

Ummm...I have a few but the first one is a real blusher. :oops:

In Manfred Mann's "Blinded by the Light", I swear he kept saying "Revved up Like a Douche" instead of Deuce. It makes me laugh every time I hear the song, but I still sing douche in my mind. :)

In "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen, I always thought it was "Baba Boosh, Baba Boosh" instead of "Scallaboosh".

And the biggest one of all is the Beatles, "Get Back!" I always thought they were singing, "Jo Jo was a man who thought he was a woman"...LOL
I'm not bad. I'm just drawn that way!
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jodlyn
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Re: A couple to start with...

Post by jodlyn »

tmac396 wrote:"Looking Out My Back Door" by Credence. For years I heard "Listening to begonias" instead of "Listening to Buck Owens." My WIFE finally straightened me out after having a good laugh at my expense. In my defense, MY version makes as much sense as the REST of the song! :D
:8827:
I'm not bad. I'm just drawn that way!
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tmac396
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Here's another...

Post by tmac396 »

I just heard this and it reminded me! "Heard it in a Love Song" by the Marshall Tucker Band. For the longest time I thought they were saying, "Purty little love song!" :oops: Oh, well... :9449:

jodlyn wrote:And the biggest one of all is the Beatles, "Get Back!" I always thought they were singing, "Jo Jo was a man who thought he was a woman"...LOL
That's NOT what they're saying? :17418: :oops:
Toolin' down the highway doing 79,
I'm a twin-pipe papa and I'm feeling fine...
fiona
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I have to say hand on heart

Post by fiona »

...that I still believe Peter Gabriel does not sing "I've been feeding the rhythm" in Sledgehammer.

I am still sure he says "I've been peeing in the river". :9461: :P
I'm not going to let my history pull me down and hold me back, you see.
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tmac396
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Funny you should say that, Fee!

Post by tmac396 »

In the same vein..."Honky Cat" by Elton John. He supposedly says "FISHING in a stream" but I always here...well...something along the same line as your Peter Gabriel song! :9461: :9449: :D
Toolin' down the highway doing 79,
I'm a twin-pipe papa and I'm feeling fine...
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jodlyn
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Fleetwood Mac...

Post by jodlyn »

I always thought they were singing:

"When the rainbows shaves you clean, you'll know" :oops:

It's really:

"When the rain washes you clean, you'll know"
I'm not bad. I'm just drawn that way!
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PapaMouse
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Another one from CoastieMouse:

Post by PapaMouse »

He told me once that he always heard Van Halen's "Running With the Devil" as "Running With a Camel". (The animal? Or the cigarette?)
Lord, you have filled my cup so full,
How can I fear tomorrow?
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PapaMouse
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The Supremes.

Post by PapaMouse »

In "You Keep Me Hangin' On", there's a part where Diana just sings "Woe woe woe". I always heard it as "Want another lover". (Well, it fits the song, doesn't it?) It wasn't until I heard Vanilla Fudge and Kim Wilde sing it that I realized what the line really is.

I like my version better.
Lord, you have filled my cup so full,
How can I fear tomorrow?
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PapaMouse
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This one isn't really a mondegreen, as I don't think...

Post by PapaMouse »

...my kids actually heard the song this way; they just like to sing it this way.

Imagine the Eurythmics (or just Annie Lennox) singing

Sweet dreams are made of cheese

Well, it IS the Mouse family here.
Lord, you have filled my cup so full,
How can I fear tomorrow?
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PapaMouse
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Stevie Ray Vaughan

Post by PapaMouse »

I misheard a lyric to one of his songs, and started using that mondegreen to describe MamaMouse:
She's my sweet little thang....she's my Bride and Joy.
It may not be the way Stevie sang it, but it fit My Sweet Lady.
Lord, you have filled my cup so full,
How can I fear tomorrow?
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PapaMouse
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Not sure if a misread billboard counts, but...

Post by PapaMouse »

I saw a billboard that says "Foxy Lady is prom heaven". My brain changed the P to an F: "Foxy Lady is from Heaven".

Made sense to me. Mine was. :wink:
Lord, you have filled my cup so full,
How can I fear tomorrow?
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PapaMouse
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I know this isn't what he's saying, but whenever I hear...

Post by PapaMouse »

..."I'd Really Love to See You Tonight", by England Dan & John Ford Coley, it always sounds like he's saying "I'm not talkin' 'bout Bolivia." :roll:
Lord, you have filled my cup so full,
How can I fear tomorrow?
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