Misheard lyrics

stickywicket
stickywicket Member Posts: 27,764
edited 24. Oct 2013, 04:20 in Community Chit-chat archive
These are usually called 'mondegreens'. The word was coined by the American author Sylvia Wright. When she was a child her mother read to her the ballad 'The Bonny Earl O' Moray'. As Sylvia heard it, one verse went:

'Ye Highlands and ye Lowlands,
Oh, where hae ye been?
They hae slain the Earl O' Moray,
And Lady Mondegreen. '

The actual last line should have been 'And laid him on the green'

Other famous examples are:

1. The hymn 'Gladly the cross I'd bear' which, for many listeners, becomes 'Gladly, the cross-eyed bear'. (My son once found an old teddy and christened him Gladly.)

2. The first line of The Lord's Prayer was, according to one young lad 'Our Father who art in heaven, Harold be thy name'.

3. 'Every time you go away you take a piece of me with you' is transformed for some into 'Every time you go away you take a piece of meat with you'.

4. The Beatles' 'The girl with kaleidoscope eyes' becomes 'The girl with colitis goes by.'

5. Somewhat devastatingly, The Monkees 'Then I saw her face, now I'm a believer' changed to 'Then I saw her face, now I'm gonna leave her.'

6. The old Dylan favourite The answer my friend, is blowing in the wind.' became the more interesting 'The ants are my friends. They're blowing in the wind.'

GO ON. WHAT LYRICS HAVE YOU MISHEARD?
If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.
Steven Wright

Comments

  • bubbadog
    bubbadog Member Posts: 5,544
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    The good old song by Celine Dion from titanic, my heart will go on:-
    Near, far wherever you are,
    I believe that the hot dogs go on.

    It should be:-

    Near, far, wherever you are,
    I believe that the heart does go on.

    That's a classic 'mondegreens' !!
  • Numptydumpty
    Numptydumpty Member Posts: 6,417
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    I remember, as a child, merrily singing "Seventy six strong bones in the hip parade"
    It should have been "Seventy six trombones in the hit parade" :oops:

    When Sting sang "Feel so lonely" many people heard "Feel Sue Lawley",
    Lucky girl :lol:
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    My dad used to sing the 'proper' version when my Ma parped. :wink:

    The only one I can cite is Desmond Dekker's (I think) 'My ears are alight' (the Israelites). I do know another one about the Lord's Prayer, namely;

    Our Arthur
    Who lives in Devon


    and I remember a child wondering why the Queen liked plums so much;

    Send her Victorias
    Happy and glorious!

    DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • villier
    villier Member Posts: 4,426
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Cant think of one !!! brain fog's not the word for it..........sawdust I think :? xx
    Smile a while and while you smile
    smile another smile and soon there
    will be miles and miles of smiles
    just because you smiled I wish your
    day is full of Smiles
  • stickywicket
    stickywicket Member Posts: 27,764
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Numpty :shock: :lol::lol:
    If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.
    Steven Wright
  • numptynora
    numptynora Member Posts: 782
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    I was feeling quite down today but this thread has cheered me up and made me laugh out loud.


    A Big Thank You
    Numps x
    Pets come into our lives, and then leave paw-prints on our hearts.
  • daffy2
    daffy2 Member Posts: 1,636
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    "Seventy six strong bones in the hip parade"
    Quite appropriate really, if disturbingly prescient Numpty, for an arthritis sufferer...
    Perhaps begs the question 'How many arthritics do you need to get 76 strong bones in a hip parade?' Applies to OP sufferers as well.

    BTW how does one get that clever coloured thing for cut & pasted quotes?
  • stickywicket
    stickywicket Member Posts: 27,764
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    :? Am I right in thinking you've just answered your own question, daffy :D
    If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.
    Steven Wright
  • daffy2
    daffy2 Member Posts: 1,636
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    So it would seem - but as that's not how it comes up in 'preview' I didn't realise! Never mind, now I know, just a case of remembering for next time.
  • stickywicket
    stickywicket Member Posts: 27,764
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Remembering for next time - now that's a wholly different problem :roll:
    If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.
    Steven Wright
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    So, there I stood yesterday, standing in a queue in the bank, merrily humming along to Prince's song, the one that goes on about a 'raspberry parade . . ' :oops: DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben