...but I thought they said....

Subject: ...but I thought they said....
From: GUEST,denise:^)
Date: 25 Sep 02 - 05:18 PM

Okay, I've been reading along in the "Worst Pop Songs Ever" thread, and came across 2 that I remember from my childhood--songs where I totally misunderstood the lyrics! (Don't get me wrong. I remember more than 2 songs from my childhood. These are just 2 with goofy misunderstandings attached...) 1)Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport--we learned this in elementary school music class, and I thought it was a "TIMEY Kangaroo!" I could see, in my mind, a giant kangaroo with an oversized pocket watch on a chain...Although I now know the words, the visual image persists!!! 2)You're So Vain--"Well, you're where you should be all the time, and when you're not, you're with some underworld spy, or the WIFE OF A CLOTHESPIN, WIFE OF A CLOTHESPIN..." (for the uninformed, it's actually "wife of a CLOSE FRIEND.") Yep, I could see 'em, trotting 'round in their nuptial finery...

Anybody else have these persistent childhood mental images? Or am I the only one who misunderstands in pictures?

denise:^)

Subject: RE: BS: ...but I thought they said....
From: Leadfingers
Date: 25 Sep 02 - 05:40 PM

Oh Gawd-More Mondegreens.

Subject: RE: BS: ...but I thought they said....
From: jimmyt
Date: 25 Sep 02 - 05:51 PM

What are the worst lyric screwups you.ve is a thread I started a couple weeks ago. Sorry I don;t know how to do the blue clicky thing! Check it out! lots of info there! Jim

Subject: RE: BS: ...but I thought they said....
From: Mudlark
Date: 25 Sep 02 - 06:03 PM

Denise: Loved the "clothespin" screw-up...I'll never hear that song any other way again.

The visual mondegreen that I'm dealing with is my misreading of a recent thread title: "Dedicated Follower of Fascism" which I persist in seeing as "Delicate Flower of Fascism." I'm glad it has now disapeared from my screen. As the subject matter is dead serious, I'm uncomfortable with this glitch....

Subject: RE: BS: ...but I thought they said....
From: katlaughing
Date: 25 Sep 02 - 07:39 PM

No childhood ones that I can think of, denise, but there is that pop one with the refrain "blinded by the light" and the next bit I swear always sounded like "wrapped up like a douche-en in the middle of the night." That was before I even knew what a douche was and I remember really puzzling over what in the heck was being wrapped up! Even then, I still wondered what a "douche-en" was and how one would go about wrapping it!

Subject: RE: BS: ...but I thought they said....
From: tar_heel
Date: 25 Sep 02 - 07:52 PM

gee,when i was a kid there was this christmas song about ...(are you ready for this?)Round John Virjun!!!lol...but of course i never knew then that it was, Silent Night and the correct phrase was....'round yon virgin,mother and child...etc.,etc.,etc.,......

Subject: RE: BS: ...but I thought they said....
From: Snuffy
Date: 25 Sep 02 - 08:02 PM

Back in '59/60(?) I thought Rolf was singing "Tiny Kangaroo Town"

WassaiL! V

Subject: RE: BS: ...but I thought they said....
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Sep 02 - 08:10 PM

Tar_Heel- you have a new take on the old story. "Round yon virgin, mother and child." All three of them.

Subject: RE: BS: ...but I thought they said....
From: GUEST,bubbles
Date: 25 Sep 02 - 11:45 PM

You want a weird visual image? How about that song by Gerry Rafferty--I think it's called "Right Down the Line?" It says--"You know I need your love, you've got that hold over me, As long as I got your love, you know that I'll never leave. When I wanted you to share my life, I had no doubt in my mind, And it's been you, woman, right down the line." But I heard "When I wanted you to shave my legs..." ---and I *saw* this guy with shaving cream all over his legs, going at them with a razor --- and, worst of all, I KNEW that those weren't the words!!! I KNEW what he was saying, but my brain wouldn't let me hear it right!!! It kept insisting that I hear, "shave my legs" in that spot, complete with illustration. So, I think in pictures, too!!

Subject: RE: BS: ...but I thought they said....
From: Chip2447
Date: 26 Sep 02 - 03:02 AM

To this day I can stil hear Steve Winwood sing "BRING ME AN IRON LUNG" in lieu of "A higher love"

And my sister in law (happy b-day Tams) nearly caused an laugh explosion of epic proportions when she started singing along at her first Jimmy Buffett concert. Now some of you may remember or have children who remeber this pull along toy from the late 70's or so. But, how she associated the two is still any ones guess. The line she used really reads "SEARCHING FOR MY LOST SHAKER OF SALT." and not "Searching for my lost DIGGER THE DOG". We all moved away from her on the group W bench.

Chip2447

Subject: RE: BS: ...but I thought they said....
From: Pied Piper
Date: 26 Sep 02 - 07:51 AM

Cilla Black
With your hand resting in mine
I feel a power saw divine.
Check it out; thats what she sings.
PP

Subject: RE: BS: ...but I thought they said....
From: The Walrus at work
Date: 26 Sep 02 - 08:20 AM

Linking in to the "Beans and Toast" thread, as a child I always used to think "The Israelites" had the line
"Wake up every morning, baked beans for breakfast"

Walrus

Subject: RE: BS: ...but I thought they said....
From: GUEST,Bullfrog Jones (on the road)
Date: 26 Sep 02 - 08:38 AM

Slight thread creep -- how about things that get into songs that shouldn't be there? There's the rogue letter 'd' for example. Listen to the Platters 'Only You cand make this world seem right', or that awful Celine Dion dirge 'My heart will go ond and on'. Was no-one listening in the control booth?

BJ

Subject: RE: BS: ...but I thought they said....
From: GUEST,BDog
Date: 26 Sep 02 - 08:56 AM

I always heard the chorus of 'You picked a fine time to leave me Lucille' as Four hundred children and crop in field.

No wonder she left.

Subject: RE: BS: ...but I thought they said....
From: JJ
Date: 26 Sep 02 - 09:23 AM

A friend of mine heard the same Jimmy Buffett line ("Searchin' for my lost shaker of salt") as "Searchin' for my outlaw jigger and saw," whatever that might mean...

Subject: RE: BS: ...but I thought they said....
From: GUEST,alex
Date: 26 Sep 02 - 09:35 AM

I used to work with a lass who was convinced that Hot Chocolate (mid 70s) hit song was I believe in mackeral (miracles). Haven`t thought about it for years till I read this lot

Subject: RE: BS: ...but I thought they said....
From: Bagpuss
Date: 26 Sep 02 - 09:59 AM

My other half always used to sing "she's so popular" instead of "jeux sans frontiers" in Peter Gabriel's Games without Frontiers.

Subject: RE: BS: ...but I thought they said....
From: SharonA
Date: 26 Sep 02 - 11:45 AM

Bagpuss: I misheard the same line from the same song. I interpreted it as "She's so fluffy – ah!!" and imagining a pleasingly plump woman... kind of like an overstuffed chair (an acquaintance described my figure in just those terms once!).

Subject: RE: ...but I thought they said....
From: GUEST,Maria the ok
Date: 06 Jun 19 - 02:28 PM

OH. MY.GOODNESS.   I FINALLY!!! see evidence of at least one other person on earth who hears that G-DAMN extra "d" in Celine's warbling of "onD and onnnnnnn..." What the HELL?!???!!

For as gigantic as this song was/still seems to be in our musical society, this has always grated on me when I hear it. Anyone listening during the original recording, indeed!!! GRRRR! Hope she enjoys her millions yet to come....as I sit here rolling my eyes so hard it hurts.

Thanks Buddy!

Subject: RE: ...but I thought they said....
From: Stanron
Date: 06 Jun 19 - 03:17 PM

My pet hate is not separating 'your' and 'eyes' so you get 'your rise'. Once you've heard this the rest of the song is ruined.

Subject: RE: ...but I thought they said....
From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 08 Jun 19 - 03:24 PM

Northern pronunciation gives two vowel sounds to the word "our" while southerners often have one vowel sound for the word.
This makes a lot of hymns interesting as they contain the words "our souls".

Robin

Subject: RE: ...but I thought they said....
From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 08 Jun 19 - 03:34 PM

And I think it might be "Pentonville" that has the line "his honour round about", which is inevitably sung as "he's on a roundabout".

Robin

Subject: RE: ...but I thought they said....
From: Mrrzy
Date: 08 Jun 19 - 07:43 PM

If it is of any help, new directions is the same as nude erections.

Subject: RE: ...but I thought they said....
From: Mr Red
Date: 11 Jun 19 - 03:19 AM

stands to reason!



I'l get my coat .....................

Subject: RE: ...but I thought they said....
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 11 Jun 19 - 07:15 AM

I hear Desmond Decker singing, ' Oh no me ears are alight '

Gee but it's great after raping your date.
Dragging the body back home.

I'll get me coit.

Dave H

Subject: RE: ...but I thought they said....
From: Manitas_at_home
Date: 11 Jun 19 - 07:45 AM

What a wonderful fish a sole is.
What a wonderful fish, are soles.
The finest of fish ever served on a dish
Are soles, are soles, are soles!