Often times I’ll mishear song lyrics and merrily sing the wrong words.
Even when I learn they aren’t the right words, it would take a nuclear bomb covered in salsa to get me to stop using the lyrics I first thought I heard.
So, here’s the first installment in a continuing series of lyrics that only exist in my head.
Moby – Natural Blues
What I Hear/Say
Oh no, trouble with God
Oh no, trouble with God
Actual lyrics
oh lordy, trouble so hard
oh lordy, trouble so hard
Harry Belafonte – The Banana Boat Song
What I Hear/Say
A beautiful bunch of ripe bananas
Highly deadly black tarantula
Actual lyrics
A beautiful bunch of ripe bananas
Hides the deadly black tarantula
I believe I still own a copy of a book called “He’s got the whole world in his pants – commonly mis-heard lyrics”
Fun stuff.
After I posted this I stumbled upon a site that’s been there for ages, The Archive Of Misheard Lyrics.
Clever domain name of the site :).
I added my Moby lyric to it.
They give you a form where you can answer a couple questions, one of which is are your misheard lyrics better than the actual ones?
Most the time, people say yes.
Hey, I misheard the Moby lyrics in the same way!
I’ve had many misheard lyrics, but my favorite-ever were from my father. When Thin Lizzy’s “Boys Are Back In Town” was a hit, the song was playing one day on the kitchen radio while he and I happened to be in there, and his jaw suddenly dropped, and he asked, during the part where Phil Lynott sang “She got up and she slapped Johnny’s face.” He astoundedly said “Did you hear what he just said? He said ‘She got up and she sat on Johnny’s face!'”
When I was done laughing, I told him what the actual lyrics were.
I’m convinced that Blue Oyster Cult’s “Don’t Fear the Reaper” was a hit because millions of hard-of-hearing metal-head stoners thought they were singing “Don’t Fear the Reefer.”
BTW, saw in your profile that you like the Feelies. I saw them open for Lou Reed in 1990. My late friend Mark, who I went to the show with, was a huge fan of the Feelies.
Did you know that they’re the band playing at the high school reunion in Jonathan Demme’s movie “Something Wild?”
That is crazy that you heard that Moby song the same way. I love that lyric so much better than the real one.
It’s funny you mention that BOC song.
You haveta be a pretty thick metalhead to mishear *those* lyrics, especially since they are in the damn title of the song. Then again, I have met some pretty thick metalheads.
Whenever I hear that song I always sing it as “Please Don’t Feed The Reaper”. He’s on a strict diet and all.
I am envious of your Feelies experience! I have never seen them live. I am in sporadic contact with a drummer who is friends with Stanley Demeski. I told him to let me know if they ever are playing a reunion show. I’d be willing to drive from Chicago to Hoboken for the day to see them at Maxwell’s if I could.
I have seen parts of Something Wild, but haven’t caught the part with The Feelies. I think they do Daydream Believer and a couple other songs, right?
I bought a VHS copy of the early Susan Seidelman movie “Smithereens” which they supposedly did the music for. I haven’t watched it yet, though. Some fan, eh?
You’re too busy mishearing to watch Splotchy, a forgiveable offense. Hilarious Moby lyric, I like yours a lot better too.