Mondegreen is the word for something misheard because of two different sets of words or phrases that have a very similar sound, but drastically different meaning. It was named as such by a woman named Sylvia Wright, who misunderstood a Scottish poem that went: Ye Highlands and ye Lowlands, Oh, where hae ye been? They hae slain the Earl o' Moray, And laid him on the green. as Ye Highlands and ye Lowlands, Oh, where hae ye been? They hae slain the Earl o' Moray, And Lady Mondegreen. I'll start off with an easy and common one, and the original artist making fun of his alleged same-sex attraction:
My husband (in his youth) got hold of a sheet music version of The Ballad Of Davy Crockett, and learned the words to the song from the sheet music. However, he didn't understand that hyphens were used to split words that otherwise over-ran the printed line, so he sang about Davy following his Leg End into the West. He wondered why the song didn't just say 'footsteps.'
Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody - I always heard: 'Scaramouch, Scaramouch will you do the fandango' as 'shot a moose, shot a moose, now I'll do the fandango'.
Racing in the street, Bruce Springsteen I heard Me and my partner Sonny built her straight out of scratch And he rides with me from town to town as Me and my partner's son, built her right out of scrap He rides with me from time to time Also Dancing in the dark I heard There's a joke here somewhere and it's on me as there's a joke, here's some wine, its on me
In Elton John's "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" I heard "You can't plant me in your penthouse" as "You can't trap me in your henhouse" I thought those were the lyrics for so long, I still have to fight to keep myself from singing along to it with the wrong words.
When I was young, I heard Willy Nelson's "Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground" as "Angels flying hippos to the ground," which gave me some cool but confused images.
I blame the crappy speakers in her '76 Buick Century, but my mother used to think AC/DC's Drity Deeds Done Dirt Cheap Was Drity Things Done To Sheep
Trivium Lyrics "Pull Harder On The Strings Of Your Martyr" The face and the lips tremble as it rips Your breath quickening as heat rushes in Pull harder strings martyr Stop you cry that's a lie Flush gasping white reddening You smile and destroy it - it's time that we end this It's our curse that makes this world so hopeless Allowing our king to spread his genocidal wings Clawing the skin each kill your weakness Annihilation your masturbation- tyrant, I'll burn you down PULL, HARDER, STRINGS, MARTYR STOP, you CRY, that's, a LIE! FLUSH, GASPING, WHITE, REDDENING! You SMILE, and destroy it - it's time that we end this! It's our curse, that makes this world so hopeless Allowing, our, king to spread his genocidal wings! It's our curse, that makes this world so hopeless Allowing, our, king to spread his genocidal wings! My hands grip your throat I need your end Burned, staked, ripped apart - I avenge For every life you have taken I am here to repay You ask me oh God why 'Cause I'm God that's fucking why For every life you have taken I am here to repay PULL, HARDER, STRINGS, MARTYR STOP, you CRY, that's, a LIE! FLUSH, GASPING, WHITE, REDDENING! You SMILE, and destroy it - it's time that we end this! It's our curse, that makes this world so hopeless Allowing our king to spread his genocidal wings! It's our curse, that makes this world so hopeless Allowing our king to spread his genocidal wings!
Hardly fair to expect anyone to understand death metal (not sure which subgenre) lyrics first time around. Or ever.
They are not Death Metal, they are kinda Heavy/Thrash with the intermediate growl vocals. It really comes down to the singer in most Death/Heavy growl cases. I can understand both Cannibal Corpse's front men Chris Barnes and George Fischer, and Randy Blythe from Lamb of God. But there are many Death Metal singers that sound like pigs being beaten, and it seems people can understand them so IDK how the threshold works. Takes time and reading along with the songs to get a grasp of the vocal style, provided you can actually hear some semblance of actual lyrics.
I heard a story about a child who attended a lot of church picnics. After the picnic, they would sing hymns, one of which was "Weak and Sinful Though We Be." One child thought the words were "We Can Sing, Full Though We Be." It made perfect sense to her. And then there's the old hymn about the ursine with ophthalmic issues: "Gladly, The Cross-eyed Bear." I'll stop now.
Pretty sure I thought that was the line, too at one point. Elton and Mick Jagger, man...two of the most indecipherable singers ever, and I've got dog ears.
I only recently learned the correct lyrics to bits of Ziggy Stardust: I thought it was: Apparently the real version goes like this: I'll keep my leather messiah, thanks.
As usual, you have to go to the Straight Dope for the straight dope: https://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/281/what-are-the-real-lyrics-to-louie-louie/ I love that line about the "extraordinary lack of elocution." More Mondegreens: "I was born a rebel" ---> "I was Barney Rubble." Credence Clearwater's "There's a bad moon on the rise" --> "There's a bathroom on the right." Chuck McDerrmott's "I woke up a mess again today" --> "I woke up a Mexican today." And for a full video-length series of Mondegreens, I give you
My mum thought that the Craig David song Rewind was singing about an interesting letter, when in actual fact, the lyrics were the crowd say bo selecta. Spoiler Although I still couldn't tell you what the actual lyrics mean!
Speaking of what moms hear, I remember a friend of mine telling me that her mother was remarking on a song she'd heard on the radio about Adam and Eve, or so she thought. "What song was that?" my friend asked. "In the Garden of Eden," her mom replied. The song was "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida."
Discovered this one the other day when I was listening to “All Over You” by Live and happened to see the lyrics scroll by. Ever since the release of the song in 1994, I’ve heard the line “Pay me now / Lay me down” as “Baby now / Lay me down” And “Pay me now, pay me now” as “Baby now, Baby now.”
