What CCR Was Really Saying
Friday February 15, 2008
As a rule, misheard lyrics tend to occur at the rate of about one per song. You know, like, there's a bathroom on the right instead of "there's a bad moon on the rise" or seven midgets in the midday sun instead of "seven inches from the midday sun."
Prepare yourself now for an entire song made up of misheard lyrics.
Thanks to my radio rocker buddy, John Quincy (WTMA - Charleston SC) for pointing me to this YouTube gem. I must warn you that you'll never be able to listen to Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Have You Ever Seen The Rain?" the same way again.
Do you have a favorite misheard lyric? Come on, share it!
Comments
I just had to comment on misheard lyrics. Probably the one that stands out for me is the song “I Fought The Law” by The Bobby Fuller Four. What they sang was: “I Fought the Law, And the Law Won”. What I heard was: I Fought With Maw, and Maw Won.” Imagine my snickering years later when the classic rock band I was in played it.
{;>) Good one, Daniel. I had a friend who first thought it was “I fought the wall …”
Dave
excuse me while i kiss this guy from Dave’s World sitcom circa ?
The keyboard player in our band swears the lyrics to Twist and Shout are: “Chick & a Baby now” instead of shake it up baby now.
We cannot convince him otherwise, and when we play this song he sings that line for his harmony!! LOL
Has no one ever heard “Big ole’ Jed had a light on.” (”big ole’ jet airliner”) ??
How about Elton John’s Tiny Dancer where he says “Hold me close I’m tiny dancer” I always thought he said “Hold me close I’m trying to dance slow.” And lets not forget the Beastie Boys, “Ceeda eeda podameeda odadatime” which is actually…what heck DID they say?
My ex-wife swore that Joni Mitchell was singing “raised on rubber knees” instead of “raised on robbery.” Hard to imagine, given that “Raised on Robbery” is the title of the song.
My sister always insisted that it was, “It never rains in California, but girl, don’t they warn ya, it pours, menopause.” I gave up arguing with her after a while.
Back when the song first came out, I had a lady friend who thought that “Panama” was “Padded Bra”.
My ex thought the Beach Boys were singing about ice cream – two scoops instead of deuce coup!
Back when “Paperback Writer” was first released, I had a friend who swore that the Beatles were singing “Take Her Back a Chrysler”.
How bout Deep Purple’s “Smoke on the Water” being rendered as “Slow Motion Walter, the fire-engine guy”? This one is famous hereabouts (Regina, Saskatchewan), due to a radio broadcast where a listener sang these lyrics. It has become such a local icon that a band has taken up the moniker – Slow Motion Walter!
One of the best ones I ever heard was the BeeGee’s “More than a Woman” was “BALD HEADED woman.” That one will stick in your brain forever.
Can’t forget one of the best. Herman’s Hermits song “She’s a Must to Avoid” sounds more like “She’s a Muscular Boy”. Listen & you’ll agree.
These are so great and hilarious! The one I discovered is Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ “You Got Lucky.” The lyric sounds like “poodle love is hard to find.” My uncle once had his poodle attack his hand while he was driving, so he could vouch for that lyric! I guess it’s actually “put a little love,” but in Petty’s hemped-out world, who knows! I think we need to make a compilation of these songs, complete with the misunderstood alternative lyrics. Thanks for the great topic and selections!
iam the walrus took a look at you
Another misheard lyric my sister was famous for was in Manfred Mann’s (or Bruce Springsteen’s) “Blinded By the Light” – “wrapped up like a douche.” Well I guess she wasn’t the only one, after looking at Wikipedia, but she insisted that was what they were saying, to Ma’s great consternation.
I just did some searching and laughed right out loud when I saw this one:
“my sister-in-law sang:
don’t ever leave your pizza burning – instead of “I’ll never be your beast of burden” by the Stones. i have never laughed so hard in my life.”
No kiddin’
http://testpattern.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/09/12/356249.aspx
My kids thought “Little Deuce Coup” was “little goose poop”. They’re 14 and 16 now and when we hear the song when we’re in the car, we all sing it that way.
My mom had a few that always cracked me up. Remember Mark Lindsay’s song, “Arizona”? She thought he was saying “cherry soda”. And Glen Campell’s song, “Country boy, you’ve got your feet in L.A.” She thought it was “country boy, you’ve got your feet in the lake”> She claims that makes more sense, lol.