A Writer’s Life

It’s no secret that I’m a music junkie. I love listening to something new, particularly while I’m writing. If there’s one thing I hate, though, it’s discovering a new artist and then finding out that everyone has heard them first. I’m not sure why it happens but I’ve discovered some of my favourite artists that way.

That’s why I was thrilled when I heard Feist’s 1234; I had the feeling it might be big, and then Apple used it in their iPod commercials. But it’s kind of ironic because, much as I love the song, I didn’t realise until a few days ago that I had actually misheard the lyric all this time. It was fairly minor; I thought Oh, you’re changing your heart was Oh, changing is hard. But I still feel a bit silly. Good thing I didn’t try to sing it in front of anyone.

It can be embarrassing when you mix up lyrics, but a good mondegreen can be a lot of fun as well. The name comes from a line in The Bonnie Earl o’ Moray which was misheard as “they have slain the Earl of Murray, and Lady Mondegreen” (“laid him on the green”) and many people swear that they sound better than the original.

So I thought after my mistake with Feist that it’d be fun to post some of my favourite mondegreens. The list is a mix of a couple I’ve misheard myself and others which are common. I wonder if you have any favourites?

• Purple Haze
  Jimi Hendrix
  Original lyric: ‘Scuse me while I kiss the sky
  Misheard as: ‘Scuse me while I kiss this guy
  (Hendrix used to sing it at some of his concerts, adding to the confusion)

• (Build Me Up) Buttercup
  The Foundations
  Original lyric: Build me up, Buttercup
  Misheard as: Fill me up, Buttercup

• Advance Australia Fair
  Original lyric: Australia’s Sons let us rejoice for we are young and free
  Misheard as: Australia, Sunset Ostriches for we are young and free
  (The line ended up being changed to “Australians all let us rejoice”)

• Truly Madly Deeply
  SavageGarden
  Original lyric: I want to lay like this forever until the sky falls down on me
  Misheard as: I want to lay like this forever until this guy falls down on me
  (One of mine. Major embarrassment)

• Tiny Dancer
  Elton John
  Original lyric: Hold me closer tiny dancer,
  Count the headlights on the highway
  Misheard as: Hold me closer, Tony Danza,
  Count the head lice on the highway

• Bad Moon Rising
  Creedence Clearwater Revival
  Original lyric: There’s a bad moon on the rise
  Misheard as: There’s a bathroom on the right

• Bohemian Rhapsody
  Queen
  Original lyric: Mama mia, Mama mia, let me go
  Misheard as: Mama mia, Mama mia, Mexico
  (Another of mine. Does anyone really understand Bohemian Rhapsody?)

• Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
  The Beatles
  Original lyric: The girl with kaleidoscope eyes
  Misheard as: The girl with colitis goes by

• Radio Nowhere
  Bruce Springsteen
  Original lyric: Is there anybody alive out there?
  Misheard as: Is there anybody in love out there?
  (One of mine again. It actually gives the song a different meaning)

• Tangled up in Blue
  Bob Dylan
  Original lyric: We split up on a dark, sad night
  Misheard as: We split on the docks that night

• Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
  Original lyric: All of the other reindeer used to laugh and call him names
  Misheard as: Olive the other reindeer used to laugh and call him names
  (Inspired a children’s book and TV show Olive, the Other Reindeer)