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Talitha

(7,589 posts)
Sat Aug 30, 2025, 09:38 PM Aug 30

Sorry if 'misunderstood song lyrics' has been covered in the past.

No doubt we've all misunderstood song lyrics. When very young, I asked Mom to get some Jackson Beans - she had no idea what I was talking about.

That's when I found out the lyrics of the Maverick series theme said he lived on "Jacks and Queens" .

28 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Sorry if 'misunderstood song lyrics' has been covered in the past. (Original Post) Talitha Aug 30 OP
My personal favorite: Coventina Aug 30 #1
Hey, True Dough Aug 30 #2
lol! Coventina Aug 30 #3
There was a 1970 song by Mark Lindsay called Arizona. LeftInTX Aug 31 #12
lol! Coventina Aug 31 #14
the mother of all misunderstood-lyrics-videos: ret5hd Aug 30 #4
OK, that had me howling with laughter! Coventina Aug 30 #6
I had to take a 'safety break' halfway through, lol... Talitha Aug 30 #9
Oh hell, I never saw that before - thanks!!! Talitha Aug 30 #8
Reminds me when Joe sang that on the Ed Sullivan Emile Aug 31 #21
A former girlfriend's mother: johnnyfins Aug 30 #5
A friend of mine: Dulcinea Aug 30 #7
I had a friend (a fellow disc jockey) who swore the England Dan/John Ford Coley lyric rsdsharp Aug 30 #10
It does sound like "I'm not talkin' about millennium." LeftInTX Aug 31 #16
Millennium doesn't really make any sense. Especially in 1976. rsdsharp Aug 31 #19
I asked my Mom if she could get the "Harlem Doctor" record for me when I was a kid. Tikki Aug 30 #11
This sounds familiar - was it used as a tv series theme? Talitha Aug 31 #17
It's been around since 1939.. Tikki Aug 31 #22
Classically... Morbius Aug 31 #13
The lyrics to Paranoid are kinda hard to understand. I really don't care about the lyrics to hard rock anyway, LeftInTX Aug 31 #15
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Free Fallin' Marthe48 Aug 31 #18
Back in the early web days. . . UniqueUserName Aug 31 #20
Might as well ask about these, too. Talitha Aug 31 #23
Who can forget "Rock The Catbox" by The Clash? NoPasaran Aug 31 #24
There was a song when I was young "Kind of a Drag." Sogo Aug 31 #25
Creedence Clearwater Revival.. Permanut Aug 31 #26
Mine is "Let My Love Open the Door" by Pete Townshend. boonecreek Aug 31 #27
"B String" (a.k.a "Peace Train") by Cat Stevens. Mister Ed Sep 1 #28

Coventina

(28,710 posts)
1. My personal favorite:
Sat Aug 30, 2025, 09:40 PM
Aug 30

"Bring Me A Higher Love"

was misunderstood by a coworker of mine as

"Give me an iron lung!"

LeftInTX

(34,006 posts)
12. There was a 1970 song by Mark Lindsay called Arizona.
Sun Aug 31, 2025, 03:22 AM
Aug 31

My mom could never understand the lyrics to top 40 music. One day she say, "I know what he's singing: Cherry Soda!"

OMG...I was dying.

&ab_channel=MarkLindsay-Topic

Emile

(37,583 posts)
21. Reminds me when Joe sang that on the Ed Sullivan
Sun Aug 31, 2025, 02:04 PM
Aug 31

show. My mother seriously looked at me and asked, what's wrong with him? I laughed then and whoever did this close caption reminds me of my mother.

rsdsharp

(11,310 posts)
10. I had a friend (a fellow disc jockey) who swore the England Dan/John Ford Coley lyric
Sat Aug 30, 2025, 10:32 PM
Aug 30

“I’m not talkin’ about moving’ in” was actually “I’m not talkin’ about millennium.”

This was the guy Harry Chapin signed an autograph to “Thanks for listening so closely.”

LeftInTX

(34,006 posts)
16. It does sound like "I'm not talkin' about millennium."
Sun Aug 31, 2025, 04:46 AM
Aug 31

If I would have sung them, that's what I would have sung. The theme of the song in a nutshell is: "This relationship isn't gonna last forever, I only wanna see you tonight"

rsdsharp

(11,310 posts)
19. Millennium doesn't really make any sense. Especially in 1976.
Sun Aug 31, 2025, 01:09 PM
Aug 31

I'm not talkin' 'bout moving in
And I don't wanna change your life
But, there's a warm wind blowing, the stars are out
And I'd really love to see you tonight

Tikki

(14,938 posts)
11. I asked my Mom if she could get the "Harlem Doctor" record for me when I was a kid.
Sat Aug 30, 2025, 10:45 PM
Aug 30
?si=M1d3QM2v1YhZoEPc

Tikki

Talitha

(7,589 posts)
17. This sounds familiar - was it used as a tv series theme?
Sun Aug 31, 2025, 09:58 AM
Aug 31

Or maybe my older brother (10 years my senior) had it. Hmmm...

Tikki

(14,938 posts)
22. It's been around since 1939..
Sun Aug 31, 2025, 03:34 PM
Aug 31

Pretty much a standard and a light orchestra favorite.

She found the Johnny Otis version for me but didn’t tell me I misheard the song title.
She let me figure it out myself when I looked at the 45rpm label.

Tikki

Morbius

(667 posts)
13. Classically...
Sun Aug 31, 2025, 03:45 AM
Aug 31

"'Scuse me, while I kiss this guy!"

Hendrix was aware that people got this wrong, and one time, he was performing Purple Haze, and he deliberately sang the lyrics incorrectly and pointed at Noel Redding. Of course, the actual lyric is, "Kiss the sky."

And then there's this:

"I tell you to end your life, I wish I could but it's too late."

John "Ozzy" Osbourne told reporters in a press conference that the lyrics were actually, "enjoy life," but we all know what people are like when they've made up their mind.

LeftInTX

(34,006 posts)
15. The lyrics to Paranoid are kinda hard to understand. I really don't care about the lyrics to hard rock anyway,
Sun Aug 31, 2025, 04:25 AM
Aug 31

because the music itself is so good.

Marthe48

(21,843 posts)
18. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Free Fallin'
Sun Aug 31, 2025, 10:36 AM
Aug 31

Loves Cheez-Its and America, too is Loves Jesus and America, too. I listen to the song and still think it could go either way

UniqueUserName

(378 posts)
20. Back in the early web days. . .
Sun Aug 31, 2025, 01:21 PM
Aug 31

kissthisguy.com was a funny website collecting misheard lyrics. The layout is a bit clunky.

https://www.kissthisguy.com/funny.php

some of the better ones:
padded bra = panama (Van Halen)
"And the last known survivor stocks his bread in the night" = misheard from Eye of the Tiger
"See that girl, watch her scream, kicking the dancing queen" = Dancing Queen (ABBA)

Talitha

(7,589 posts)
23. Might as well ask about these, too.
Sun Aug 31, 2025, 07:03 PM
Aug 31

I've looked up the lyrics to 'Louis, Louis' and couldn't find anything wrong with them - but IIRC, didn't some radio stations ban it for being obscene?

Also - from what I understand, Iron Butterfly's 'In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida' was actually 'In the Garden of Eden' but supposedly the guy was stoned and slurred the words. Lucky for us, though - what a classic!

Sogo

(6,622 posts)
25. There was a song when I was young "Kind of a Drag."
Sun Aug 31, 2025, 10:33 PM
Aug 31

Kind of a drag, when your baby don't love you.
Kind of a drag, when you know she's been untrue......
etc., etc.

My friend thought it was an ad for Canada Dry.

Permanut

(7,552 posts)
26. Creedence Clearwater Revival..
Sun Aug 31, 2025, 10:42 PM
Aug 31

"There's a Bad Moon on the Rise" was heard by some as "There's a bathroom on the Right".

boonecreek

(1,222 posts)
27. Mine is "Let My Love Open the Door" by Pete Townshend.
Sun Aug 31, 2025, 11:32 PM
Aug 31

I heard it as "Let Linus Open the Door". Thought it was Peanuts tribute.

Mister Ed

(6,687 posts)
28. "B String" (a.k.a "Peace Train") by Cat Stevens.
Mon Sep 1, 2025, 01:31 AM
Sep 1

I honesty thought Steven was singing about the B string of his guitar, and I thought it sounded really stupid:

B string soundin' louder
Ride on the B string...

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