Top 10 Mondegreens
July 7, 2008 – 5:05 pm by Jeff
Monde-what??? Merriam-Webster dictionary recently added about 100 new words to their collegiate dictionary of the English language. One of them was mondegreen, which refers to a word or phrase that results from a mishearing of something said or sung.
The word comes from an old Scottish ballad in which the lyric “laid him on the green” has been confused over time with “Lady Mondegreen.” Misquoted song lyrics happen all the time in popular music. To honor this, we are happy to present Buzz Pirates’s Top 10 list of Mondegreens of Popular Music.
#10
“Lucy in the sky with Linus” - The Beatles, Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds
[actual lyric: "Lucy in the sky with diamonds"]
“Lucy in the sky with Linus” - The Beatles, Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds
[actual lyric: "Lucy in the sky with diamonds"]
#9
“It doesn’t make a difference if we’re naked or not” - Bon Jovi, Living On A Prayer
[actual lyric: "It doesn't make a difference if we make it or not"]
“It doesn’t make a difference if we’re naked or not” - Bon Jovi, Living On A Prayer
[actual lyric: "It doesn't make a difference if we make it or not"]
#8
“I’ll never leave your pizza burning.” - Rolling Stones, Beast of Burden
[actual lyric: "I'll never be your beast of burden"]
“I’ll never leave your pizza burning.” - Rolling Stones, Beast of Burden
[actual lyric: "I'll never be your beast of burden"]
#7
“Hold me closer Tony Danza” - Elton John, Tiny Dancer
[actual lyric: "Hold me closer Tiny Dancer"]
“Hold me closer Tony Danza” - Elton John, Tiny Dancer
[actual lyric: "Hold me closer Tiny Dancer"]
#6
“Got my first real sex dream. Thought I was 5 at the time.” - Bryan Adams, Summer of ‘69
[actual lyric: "Got my first real six string. Bought it at the five and dime."]
“Got my first real sex dream. Thought I was 5 at the time.” - Bryan Adams, Summer of ‘69
[actual lyric: "Got my first real six string. Bought it at the five and dime."]
#5
“Here we are now, in containers” - Nirvana, Smells Like Teen Spirit
[actual lyric: "Here we are now, entertain us"]
“Here we are now, in containers” - Nirvana, Smells Like Teen Spirit
[actual lyric: "Here we are now, entertain us"]
#4
“All of those tunas covered with oil” - Jimmy Buffet, Margaritaville
[actual lyric: "All of the tourists covered with oil"]
“All of those tunas covered with oil” - Jimmy Buffet, Margaritaville
[actual lyric: "All of the tourists covered with oil"]
#3
“Excuse me while I kiss this guy” - Jimmy Hendrix, Purple Haze
[actual lyric: "Excuse me while I kiss the sky"]
“Excuse me while I kiss this guy” - Jimmy Hendrix, Purple Haze
[actual lyric: "Excuse me while I kiss the sky"]
#2
“There’s a bathroom on the right” - Credence Clearwater Revival, Bad Moon Rising
[actual lyric: "There's a bad moon on the rise."]
“There’s a bathroom on the right” - Credence Clearwater Revival, Bad Moon Rising
[actual lyric: "There's a bad moon on the rise."]
And the winner is….
#1
“Revved up like a douche, another runner in the night.” - Manfred Mann, Blinded By the Light (written by Bruce Springsteen)
[actual lyric: "Revved up like a deuce another runner in the night"]
“Revved up like a douche, another runner in the night.” - Manfred Mann, Blinded By the Light (written by Bruce Springsteen)
[actual lyric: "Revved up like a deuce another runner in the night"]
Special thanks to KissThisGuy.com for some of these ideas.
Jeff
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3 Responses to “Top 10 Mondegreens”
Don’t forget “Big old jet had a light on”
The funniest part of #6 is if you think of the next line…”I played it till my fingers bled”.
#1 reminds me of a Vacant Lot sketch from about 14 years ago:
http://www.unoriginal.com/tvl/blinded.html
“Blinded by the light, held up like a loufa by the foreman of the night…”