Do you hear what I hear: The mondegreen thread

[rockland6674]

Originally Posted by Ramblin' Dave

My favorite Beach Boys mondegreen is the first line of "Help Me Ronda"...it's really "Well since she put me down I've been out doing in my head," but when I was a kid I always heard "She said she put me down, yeah, but I do it in my head." Hey, middle school can certainly be like that.

I thought it was "Well, since she put me down I've been ah-chooin' in my head."

[musicgeek]

Originally Posted by Cowboy Joe

Judas Priest “Private Property”
Actual Line: Keep your hands off, private property
My Version: Keep your a**hole, right in front of me

Was this before or after Rob Halford's sexual orientation was common knowledge?

There are some songs that I used to hear on the radio as a kid that I'm sure I've never known the proper words to - for instance, "Whenever I Call You Friend" (which I just learned the name of now by googling the phrase "such a beautiful sight," apparently the only words I remembered accurately). I remember singing along with the radio something along the lines of "Sweet dreams on a Saturday night;" apparently it's actually "Sweet love showin' us a heavenly light."

[Cowboy Joe]

Originally Posted by musicgeek

Was this before or after Rob Halford's sexual orientation was common knowledge?

At least 10 years before he came out.

[Habsfan]

Originally Posted by Cowboy Joe

Pat Benatar “Heartbreaker
Actual Line: The Invincible Winner
My Version: The Events of a Winner

Until this moment I too thought it was The Events of a Winner. And now I have an earworm. With the incorrect lyrics. Curse you Cowboy Joe.

[Lainie]

I thought the "Help Me, Rhonda" lyric was "out to it in my head," which didn't make much sense, but I figured it being "out to it" was sort of like being "out to lunch."

[Brad from Georgia]

Sadly, all the bizarre lyrics I thought I heard in Elton John songs turned out to be the real words.

[A Turtle Named Mack]

Originally Posted by Brad from Georgia

Sadly, all the bizarre lyrics I thought I heard in Elton John songs turned out to be the real words.

Of all the acts you could have used that line about, you chose Elton John!? You might as well accuse The Carpenters of fostering drug abuse.

[smittykins]

Originally Posted by A Turtle Named Mack

Of all the acts you could have used that line about, you chose Elton John!? You might as well accuse The Carpenters of fostering drug abuse.

Oddly enough, I *do* have a Carpenters one: In "We've Only Just Begun," I--until just recently, mind you, misheard "We'll find a place where there's room to grow" as "We'll find a place where there's room to run." I still like mine better. Hey, it rhymes with "We've only just begun"!

[remarkgullabull]

I always heard the first line in the Van Halen song, Jamie's crying as:

She stared and looked at his ass. The actual lyrics are, She saw the look in his eyes.

I know where my mind was that day.

[musicgeek]

Originally Posted by A Turtle Named Mack

Of all the acts you could have used that line about, you chose Elton John!? You might as well accuse The Carpenters of fostering drug abuse.

Elton John's hasn't always been lite FM Disneyfied adult contemporary easy listening, you know:

Once a fool had a good part in the play
If it's so would I still be here today
It's quite peculiar in a funny sort of way
They think it's very funny everything I say
Get a load of him, he's so insane
You better get your coat dear
It looks like rain

Come on Jamaica
Everybody say
We're all happy in Jamaica
Do Jamaica Jerk-off that way

And, of course:

Oh ma cameo molesting
Kee pa a poorer for tea
Solar prestige a gammon
Lantern or turbert paw kwee

Solar prestige a gammon
Kool kar kyrie kay salmon
Har ring molassis abounding
Common lap kitch sardin a poor floundin

Cod ee say oo pay a loto
My zeta prestige toupay a floored
Ray indee pako a gammon
Solar prestige a pako can nord

(Of course, if you want to criticize the lyrics, then point the finger at John's songwriting partner Bernie Taupin.)

[Ramblin' Dave]

Originally Posted by Brad from Georgia

Sadly, all the bizarre lyrics I thought I heard in Elton John songs turned out to be the real words.

Surely you at least thought Bennie had electric boobs rather than electric boots?

[KingDavid8]

Originally Posted by Ramblin' Dave

Surely you at least thought Bennie had electric boobs rather than electric boots?

Or that he wanted Tony Danza to hold him closer?

[Tabbyclaw]

I always heard "Hold me close, I'm tired of dancing." And "lay me down in sheets of linen" was "Maybe, darling, she's still playing."

-Tabby
the princess with claws

[Lainie]

Originally Posted by A Turtle Named Mack

Of all the acts you could have used that line about, you chose Elton John!? You might as well accuse The Carpenters of fostering drug abuse.

You do know the man was a major cokehead, right?

ETA: That's a not a rumor, either, he freely admits he was an addict. In fact he recently told an NPR interviewer that he still, after years of sobriety, sometimes has vivid dreams (nightmares, really) about snorting cocaine.

[A Turtle Named Mack]

Originally Posted by Lainie

You do know the man was a major cokehead, right?

ETA: That's a not a rumor, either, he freely admits he was an addict. In fact he recently told an NPR interviewer that he still, after years of sobriety, sometimes has vivid dreams (nightmares, really) about snorting cocaine.

You mean Richard Carpenter, or Elton John?

[Alarm]

Originally Posted by KingDavid8

Or that he wanted Tony Danza to hold him closer?

I wonder what people heard before "Who's The Boss" (1984) or "Taxi" (1978)?

Because I know I also heard "Hold me closer, Tony Danza"

[Lainie]

Originally Posted by A Turtle Named Mack

You mean Richard Carpenter, or Elton John?

Elton John.

[Seaboe Muffinchucker]

My best friend used to insist that in Abba's Summer Night City the lyrics run "f***ing in the moonlight, love-making in the park" whereas I've always heard the actual correct lyrics: "walking in the moonlight, love-making in the park."

Seaboe

[smittykins]

Originally Posted by Alarm

I wonder what people heard before "Who's The Boss" (1984) or "Taxi" (1978)?

Because I know I also heard "Hold me closer, Tony Danza"

"Hold my clothes and tie me down, sir"?(saw it in that series of mondegreen books)

Originally Posted by A Turtle Named Mack

You mean Richard Carpenter, or Elton John?

FWIW, Richard was addicted to Quaaludes.

[NorthernLite]

Bruno Mars' song Marry You has a line in it

"Is it that look in your eyes
or is it this dancin' juice?"

I always hear that as Dancing Jews

and from this video I get the feeling I'm not the only one.