Misheard music lyrics or Misunderstood song lyrics, They're singing and you misheard that music lyrics? With the often fast-talking Red Hot Chili Peppers' new album release, we were reminded of songs we've sung forever, only to find out we've been belting out the wrong lyrics. Did you know this phenomenon actually has a name? Misheard lyrics are called mondegreens. Read on to see some of the most common mondegreens to top the music charts.
Abba
The Song: "Dancing Queen"
The Europop disco anthem drew inspiration from George McCrae's 1974 hit "Rock Your Baby. " The original working title was "Boogaloo. " ABBA's manager eventually came up with the final title.
Misheard lyric: "See that girl; watch her scream, kicking the dancing queen."
The Beatles
The song: "Michelle"
This is a lovely song to an apparently lovely woman.. To whom did The Beatles write it? No one in particular. They chose the name because it sounded good and rhymed well with other words.
Misheard lyric:"Michelle ma belle, Sunday monkey won't play piano song, piano song."
Bee Gees
The Song: "More Than a Woman"
This disco tune is different from most others because its focus is not about dancing. The singer discovers new love for a woman and he just wants to shout it to the world.
Misheard lyric: "We can take forever just a minute at a time, bald-headed woman."
The Black Eyed Peas
The Song: "Just Can't Get Enough"
Band member apl.de.ap said this tune is the follow up to another chart topper. This sequel has "a different tempo and it's also paying homage to the ladies. It's a love song," he said.
Misheard lyric: "I'm addicted, wanna German size your love."
The Beatles
The Song: "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds"
Did you know there was a real Lucy? John Lennon's son came back with a drawing he had made of his classmate named Lucy, pictured among stars and with the eventual song title also written on the page. The identity of Lucy was revealed in 2009.
Misheard lyric: "Somebody calls you, you answer quite slowly; That girl with colitis goes by."
blink-182
The Song: "What's My Age Again?"
The original song title was "Peter Pan Complex." Can you interpret the song's meaning from that? Blink's Mark Hoppus wrote the song after having been told often by women that he was immature.By the end of the song, his interpretation of that statement is clear.
Misheard lyric: "My friends say I should act my age; Where's my Asian friend?"
Creedence Clearwater Revival
The Song: "Bad Moon Rising"
These lyrics were inspired by a movie about hurricane destruction. The classic misheard lyric below is something that even band singer John Fogerty has slipped into performances.
Misheard lyric: "There's a bathroom to the right."
Miley Cyrus
The Song: "Party in the USA"
Smiley Miley didn't even seem to identify with the hit's lyrics. When asked by a reporter about Jay-Z,Cyrus responded: "I've never heard of a Jay-Z song."
Misheard lyric: "With a dream and my cardigan; Welcome to the land of fame and sex."
Def Leppard
The Song: "Pour Some Sugar on Me"
The lyrics of this track are a little risqué, but throughout the song they're so cloaked in metaphor that it was easy to get it on radio and MTV. Lead singer Joe Elliott came up with the title of the song from the end of a tune by this band.
Misheard lyric: "Break the bubble, break it up; Pour some shook up ramen."
Bob Dylan
The Song: "Blowin' in the Wind"
You will never guess how long it took Dylan to write this song -- 10 minutes. He wrote the words to the melody of an old slave song and first sang it at a nightclub in Greenwich Village.
Misheard lyric: "Before they're forever banned? These ants are my friends; they're blowing in the wind."
Eiffel 65
The Song: "Blue"
Band member Maurizio Lobina's explanation of the song title may not sound too complex at first: "I started thinking about this character I invented called Zoroti… Then I came up with a color, a color I thought described the way he saw things." But listen all the way through the track and we might want to take that statement back.
Misheard lyric: "I'm blue and I'm in need of a guy" and "I'm blue; if I were green, I would die."
Elton John
The Song: "Tiny Dancer"
John's writing partner Bernie Taupin wrote the lyrics. The "blue jean baby" was Taupin's girlfriend, Maxine Feibelmann. A popular sitcom character once incorrectly sang the common mondegreen of this tune.
Misheard lyric:"Hold me close, young Tony Danza."
Fall Out Boy
The Song: "Sugar, We're Going Down"
Fall Out member Pete Wentz was in the car with his dad wondering why today's songs don't contain the" sugars" and "honeys" like they used to. This song simmers with jealousy, but the singer still refers to his dream girl as sweet.
Misheard lyric: "We're going down, down, little girl in Iran."
Tom Jones
The Song: "Sexbomb"
Is this one not self-explanatory? Tommy is very pleased with his woman.
Misheard lyric: "Love struck a hole in your tights."
Elton John
The Song: "Bennie & the Jets"
"Bennie" is a female member of a fictional band, whom Elton has described as a "sci-fi rock goddess."
Misheard lyric: "Oh Bennie she's really keen; She's got electric boobs and mohair shoes."
Madonna
The Song: "La Isla Bonita"
If you speak Spanish, you'll know that Madge is singing about "the beautiful island." The name of the island is San Pedro, but it doesn't really exist. In a 2009 interview with Rolling Stone Madonna confessed, "I don't know where came from. I may have been on the way to the studio and seen an exit ramp for San Pedro."
Misheard lyric: "Just like I'd never gone, I knew the song; A young girl with eyes like potatoes."
Nickelback
The Song: "How You Remind Me"
Lead singer Chad Kroeger said the song is about his dysfunctional relationship with an ex-girlfriend. By keeping the lyrics ambiguous, many people were able to relate to the heartbreak of the song.
Misheard lyric: "And it must have been so bad; Those little women must have damn near killed you."
Nirvana
The Song: "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
A young woman’s toiletry inspired the name of this hit. Singer Kurt Cobain had a romance with Bikini Kill member Tobi Vail and after a night of drinking, other member Kathleen Hanna spray-painted "Kurt Smells like Teen Spirit" on his bedroom wall.
Misheard lyric: "With the lights out, it's less dangerous; Here we are now, in containers."
Katy Perry
The Song: "I Kissed a Girl"
Perry has revealed that the song was inspired by a friendship she had with a girl at the age of 15 .Although Perry didn't actually kiss her, she was "totally obsessed with her. She was beautiful—porcelain skin, perfect lips. I still talk to her, but I've never told her the song is about her."
Misheard lyric:"It felt so wrong, it felt so right; Don't need a pillow tonight."
The Police
The Song: "Message in a Bottle"
In this song, a castaway finds a bottle, puts a message in it and throws it out to sea in hopes that someone will find it and come save him. Read on to see how his cry for help plays out.
Misheard lyric: "A year has passed since I broke my nose."
Red Hot Chili Peppers
The Song: "By the Way"
The RHCP are a fun group. We start by telling you "By the Way" is just fun wordplay by lead singer Anthony Kiedis.The music video doesn't have anything to do with the song lyrics, but tells a completely different story. If you have time, search it and watch it.
Misheard lyric: "Ooh ahh, kiss your little milkshake."
R.E.M.
The Song: "Dancing Queen"
The Europop disco anthem drew inspiration from George McCrae's 1974 hit "Rock Your Baby. " The original working title was "Boogaloo. " ABBA's manager eventually came up with the final title.
Misheard lyric: "See that girl; watch her scream, kicking the dancing queen."
The song: "Michelle"
This is a lovely song to an apparently lovely woman.. To whom did The Beatles write it? No one in particular. They chose the name because it sounded good and rhymed well with other words.
Misheard lyric:"Michelle ma belle, Sunday monkey won't play piano song, piano song."
The Song: "More Than a Woman"
This disco tune is different from most others because its focus is not about dancing. The singer discovers new love for a woman and he just wants to shout it to the world.
Misheard lyric: "We can take forever just a minute at a time, bald-headed woman."
The Song: "Just Can't Get Enough"
Band member apl.de.ap said this tune is the follow up to another chart topper. This sequel has "a different tempo and it's also paying homage to the ladies. It's a love song," he said.
Misheard lyric: "I'm addicted, wanna German size your love."
The Song: "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds"
Did you know there was a real Lucy? John Lennon's son came back with a drawing he had made of his classmate named Lucy, pictured among stars and with the eventual song title also written on the page. The identity of Lucy was revealed in 2009.
Misheard lyric: "Somebody calls you, you answer quite slowly; That girl with colitis goes by."
The Song: "What's My Age Again?"
The original song title was "Peter Pan Complex." Can you interpret the song's meaning from that? Blink's Mark Hoppus wrote the song after having been told often by women that he was immature.By the end of the song, his interpretation of that statement is clear.
Misheard lyric: "My friends say I should act my age; Where's my Asian friend?"
The Song: "Bad Moon Rising"
These lyrics were inspired by a movie about hurricane destruction. The classic misheard lyric below is something that even band singer John Fogerty has slipped into performances.
Misheard lyric: "There's a bathroom to the right."
The Song: "Party in the USA"
Smiley Miley didn't even seem to identify with the hit's lyrics. When asked by a reporter about Jay-Z,Cyrus responded: "I've never heard of a Jay-Z song."
Misheard lyric: "With a dream and my cardigan; Welcome to the land of fame and sex."
The Song: "Pour Some Sugar on Me"
The lyrics of this track are a little risqué, but throughout the song they're so cloaked in metaphor that it was easy to get it on radio and MTV. Lead singer Joe Elliott came up with the title of the song from the end of a tune by this band.
Misheard lyric: "Break the bubble, break it up; Pour some shook up ramen."
The Song: "Blowin' in the Wind"
You will never guess how long it took Dylan to write this song -- 10 minutes. He wrote the words to the melody of an old slave song and first sang it at a nightclub in Greenwich Village.
Misheard lyric: "Before they're forever banned? These ants are my friends; they're blowing in the wind."
The Song: "Blue"
Band member Maurizio Lobina's explanation of the song title may not sound too complex at first: "I started thinking about this character I invented called Zoroti… Then I came up with a color, a color I thought described the way he saw things." But listen all the way through the track and we might want to take that statement back.
Misheard lyric: "I'm blue and I'm in need of a guy" and "I'm blue; if I were green, I would die."
The Song: "Tiny Dancer"
John's writing partner Bernie Taupin wrote the lyrics. The "blue jean baby" was Taupin's girlfriend, Maxine Feibelmann. A popular sitcom character once incorrectly sang the common mondegreen of this tune.
Misheard lyric:"Hold me close, young Tony Danza."
The Song: "Sugar, We're Going Down"
Fall Out member Pete Wentz was in the car with his dad wondering why today's songs don't contain the" sugars" and "honeys" like they used to. This song simmers with jealousy, but the singer still refers to his dream girl as sweet.
Misheard lyric: "We're going down, down, little girl in Iran."
The Song: "Sexbomb"
Is this one not self-explanatory? Tommy is very pleased with his woman.
Misheard lyric: "Love struck a hole in your tights."
The Song: "Bennie & the Jets"
"Bennie" is a female member of a fictional band, whom Elton has described as a "sci-fi rock goddess."
Misheard lyric: "Oh Bennie she's really keen; She's got electric boobs and mohair shoes."
The Song: "La Isla Bonita"
If you speak Spanish, you'll know that Madge is singing about "the beautiful island." The name of the island is San Pedro, but it doesn't really exist. In a 2009 interview with Rolling Stone Madonna confessed, "I don't know where came from. I may have been on the way to the studio and seen an exit ramp for San Pedro."
Misheard lyric: "Just like I'd never gone, I knew the song; A young girl with eyes like potatoes."
The Song: "How You Remind Me"
Lead singer Chad Kroeger said the song is about his dysfunctional relationship with an ex-girlfriend. By keeping the lyrics ambiguous, many people were able to relate to the heartbreak of the song.
Misheard lyric: "And it must have been so bad; Those little women must have damn near killed you."
The Song: "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
A young woman’s toiletry inspired the name of this hit. Singer Kurt Cobain had a romance with Bikini Kill member Tobi Vail and after a night of drinking, other member Kathleen Hanna spray-painted "Kurt Smells like Teen Spirit" on his bedroom wall.
Misheard lyric: "With the lights out, it's less dangerous; Here we are now, in containers."
The Song: "I Kissed a Girl"
Perry has revealed that the song was inspired by a friendship she had with a girl at the age of 15 .Although Perry didn't actually kiss her, she was "totally obsessed with her. She was beautiful—porcelain skin, perfect lips. I still talk to her, but I've never told her the song is about her."
Misheard lyric:"It felt so wrong, it felt so right; Don't need a pillow tonight."
The Song: "Message in a Bottle"
In this song, a castaway finds a bottle, puts a message in it and throws it out to sea in hopes that someone will find it and come save him. Read on to see how his cry for help plays out.
Misheard lyric: "A year has passed since I broke my nose."
The Song: "By the Way"
The RHCP are a fun group. We start by telling you "By the Way" is just fun wordplay by lead singer Anthony Kiedis.The music video doesn't have anything to do with the song lyrics, but tells a completely different story. If you have time, search it and watch it.
Misheard lyric: "Ooh ahh, kiss your little milkshake."
The Song: "Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight"
"The Lion King" fans might recognize the intro in this song, which has a strong resemblance to a tune by The Tokens. The sidewinder refers to the payphone and how its cord resembles a snake.
Misheard lyric: "The sidewinder sleeps, sleeps, sleeps in a coil; Calling Jamaica, ha!"
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