Friday, January 16, 2009

Mismatched Lyrics

We've all had that experience of hearing lyrics and getting them not quite right ... and what we're hearing either doesn't make sense or twists the entire song around. Two of mine:

Actual: "Til a man of low degree stood by her side ..." (Delta Dawn, Helen Reddy)
Heard: "Til a man of loaded grease stood by her side ..." (This is actually fairly similar. It just doesn't make sense.)

Actual: "A dollar says it's true: this town gets hold of you ..." (New York City Lights, Sophie Ellis-Bextor)
Heard: "Our daughter says it's true: this town gets hold of you ..." (Right, okay then.)

3 comments:

Daniel Ausema said...

Here's one of mine:

Actual "I have squandered my resistance for a pocketful of mumbles, such are promises."

What I thought "I have squandered my existence for a pocketful of mumbled, sweat-shop promises."

and then the next line:

Actual "All lies and jests, still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest."

What I thought "All I suggest is a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest."

(I found that especially ironic...that I would mishear a line about people hearing what they want to hear... ;) )

The Boxer, Paul Simon

Daniel Ausema said...

PS Someday I want to write a story with the title "Sweat-shop Promises" :p

Lindsey Duncan said...

I think yours are more interesting. *grin*

I want to see a story entitled "Pocketful of Mumbles."