There used to be a website called Mondegreen; a repository of misheard song lyrics. It was named for the misunderstood line in a folk song, "And laid him on the green." The author misinterpreted this line as "And Lady Mondegreen." Nowadays, the lyrics of any song can be Googled in an instant, but that wasn't always the case.
My mother once had a notebook filled with the carefully written lyrics of all her favourite 50's songs. One song was "That's Amore", and the line that puzzled me appeared in the notebook as "When the stars make you drool just like parsnip arool". What the heck was parsnip arool? Not a dish she had ever cooked. It wasn't until years later that I listened carefully and realized it was her interpretation of "pasta fazool". Fair enough. Italian food was not something anyone in my childhood home had ever heard of, let alone eaten.
The last line of the jingle announcing a popular 60's comedy "Car 54, Where Are You", about cops in New York City, had me stumped. For as long as the show ran, I heard, "Khrushchev's due at Idlewild" as "Khrushchev's due and I go wild". The penny finally dropped when I found out what and where Idlewild airport was.
So now there's a subreddit called r/boneappletea (bon appetit) for common words and phrases that some folks get wrong. Here are just a few:
Slava Ukraini
Glory to Ukraine
Posts
5 comments:
As you can imagine, I see this all the time in my work. I wish I could remember some of the ones that made me laugh out loud. But it's usually stuff like this:
"She plummeted her fists against his chest." (pummeled)
"Everyone was eloquently dressed." (elegantly)
Car 54, Where Are You!
I loved that show and the theme song, whatever it said. And Officer Muldoon, I think, is the guy who went on to play Herman Munster and the judge in My Cousin Vinny.
Also a girlfriend of mine hear “a piece for easy feeling” instead of the Eagles’ classic.
Rosco
There was a British comedian who talked about how his grandmother once misheard "Deck the Halls" as "Dick the Horse", which became a favourite joke in his family. When she died some years later, they put a horse on her tombstone.
For the song "Freight Train", I misheard "diesel locomotive" as "decent locomotive".
Love this Hermione! Misheard/misinterpreted lyrics, phrases etc are always funny. I've certainly been guilty of a few doozies lol
Hugs
Roz
I Love these. THanks.
Jimmie Hendrix sang Purple Haze - I thought he sang Excuse me while I kiss the guy, but is Excuse me while I kiss the sky.
Love
Ronnie
xx
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