Misheard
Music Lyrics
Misheard music lyrics are a dime a dozen (so, I'll
take three dozen, please). In fact, you can't swing a dead cat without
hitting someone who has sung some misheard music lyrics to whatever
has been playing on the radio.
Why all the confusion with misheard music lyrics? It's as simple
as elocution, enunciation and just plain saying the words loudly
and correctly. The fact is, that misheard music lyrics are so common
that there are several large websites devoted entirely to this subject.
Perhaps some of the most famous misheard music lyrics are by Jimi
Hendrix in his song Purple Haze, when he sings the line "Excuse
me while I kiss the sky". This line has been misheard in many
different ways over the years including "Excuse me while I
kiss this guy". But, that's not what Jimi was talking about.
Other misheard music lyrics include those by Manfred Mann in his
hit song Blinded by the Light with the line, "Revved
up like a deuce, another runner in the night." Bruce Springstein
actually penned the song and its meaning remains a mystery to many,
so no wonder many were left guessing at the words since to many
the meaning was nonsensical.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers also join the ranks of the misheard music
lyrics with their song Scar Tissue and the line "A young
Kentucky girl in a pushup bra" and several other lines from
the song as well.
But, perhaps no song has quite risen to the ranks of the top of
the misheard music lyrics pile as the Go Go's song Our Lips Are
Sealed, which is also the line in the song that most people
have trouble with. In fact, there has been so much confusion over
this one line that there are literally hundreds of published variations
of misheard music lyrics for this line.
Now, misheard music lyrics can be fun, funny or sometimes even
embarrassing. This is especially true if one has a microphone in
one's hand. What is most embarrassing about misheard music lyrics
is that those who sing them will most invariably protest in all
self-righteousness that their version is the correct one. When this
person's version has been proven to be incorrect, he or she will
most likely state that they prefer their version better.
Misheard lyrics would most likely not happen at all if they were
clear to begin with, so blame the band and blame the artist or even
the techies doing the mixing. And, then continue to sing it your
way - the heck with them all.
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