The Commercial Appeal - Go Memphis
15 hilarious misheard lyrics to popular songs
Wait. What did they just sing?
We’ve all been there. Music cranked up but the lyrics we’re listening to just ... don’t ... make ... sense.
A city built on sausage rolls? Sweet dreams about cheese? Excuse me while I kiss this guy? Who can forget the “Friends” episode when Phoebe thought the lyrics to Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer” were “Hold me close, young Tony Danza”?
Misheard lyrics have spawned plenty of memes and jokes as well. “Last night I dreamt of San Pedro” from Madonna’s “La Isla Bonita” becomes “Last night I dreamt of some bagels” and Pat Benatar’s “Hit me with your best shot” comes across as “Hit me with your pet shark.”
There’s even a term for mishearing a phrase: mondegreen. It happens when the listener’s brain doesn’t understand what it’s hearing and substitutes familiar words and sounds to fill in the blanks.
We just call it hilarious. Here are 15 of our favorite misheard lyrics in popular culture:
‘We Built This City’
Starship, 1985
What you thought you heard: built this city on sausage rolls.”
What you actually heard: “We built this city on rock ‘n’ roll.”
‘Purple Haze’
Jimi Hendrix, 1967
What you thought you heard: cuse me while I kiss this guy.”
What you actually heard: me while I kiss the sky.”
‘Sweet Dreams’
“We
“Ex
“Excuse
Eurythmics, 1983
What you thought you heard: “Sweet dreams are made of cheese.”
What you actually heard: “Sweet dreams are made of these.”
‘I Can See Clearly Now’
Johnny Nash, 1972
What you thought you heard: “I can see clearly now, Lorraine is gone.”
What you actually heard: “I can see clearly now, the rain is gone.”
‘Livin’ on a Prayer’
Bon Jovi, 1986
What you thought you heard: “Doesn’t make a difference if we’re naked or not.”
What you actually heard: “Doesn’t make a difference if we make it or not.”
‘I’m A Believer’
The Monkees, 1966
What you thought you heard: “Then I saw her face, now I’m gonna leave her.”
What you actually heard: “Then I saw her face, now I’m a believer.”
‘Sex On Fire’
Kings of Leon, 2008
What you thought you heard: dyslexics on fire.”
What you actually heard: “You. Your sex is on fire.”
‘Losing My Religion’
R.E.M., 1991
“Oh,
What you thought you heard: “Let’s pee in the corner. Let’s pee in the spotlight.”
What you actually heard: “That’s me in the corner. That’s me in the spotlight.”
‘More Than A Woman’
Bee Gees, 1977
What you thought you heard: “Bald-headed woman. Bald-headed woman to me.”
What you actually heard: “More than a woman. More than a woman to me.”
‘Tiny Dancer’
Elton John, 1972
What you thought you heard: “Hold me close, young Tony Danza.”
What you actually heard: “Hold me closer, tiny dancer.”
‘La Isla Bonita’
Madonna, 1986
What you thought you heard: “Last night I dreamt of some bagels.”
What you actually heard: “Last night I dreamt of San Pedro.”
‘You Sexy Thing’
Hot Chocolate, 1975
What you thought you heard: “I remove umbilicals.”
What you actually heard: “I believe in miracles.”
‘Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It’
Will Smith, 1997
What you thought you heard: “Kick a chicken with it.”
What you actually heard: jiggy wit it.”
‘Gonna Make You Sweat’
“Gettin’
C+C Music Factory, 1990
What you thought you heard: erybody’s dead now.”
What you actually heard: body dance now.”
‘Creep’
“Ev
“Every
Stone Temple Pilots, 1992
What you thought you heard: erybody run, Barbie’s got a gun.”
What you actually heard: “Everybody run, Bobby’s got a gun.”
Follow Gary Dinges on Twitter @gdinges
“Ev
Right this moment, you may not be able to explain how dust connects the Sahara and the Amazon rain forest — and keeps us all alive — but never fear, Latif Nasser will both explain it and entertain you at the same time.
In the new Netflix show, “Connected,” Nasser takes the viewer on a fun, educational and, at times, emotional six-episode journey to show us how no matter where we live in the world we are all tied together by the same basic threads of science and nature.
The top-notch storytelling in this series is primed to enthrall almost anyone, from the most avid nature documentary watcher to the casual science enthusiast. Each episode has a single-word theme that leads Nasser on a whirlwind tour of the planet, discussing research on the topic with experts along the way.
It is no surprise the structure and storytelling aspects of the documentary
Latif Nasser takes viewers on a fun, educational and emotional six-episode journey in Netflix’s “Connected.”
series are top notch: Nasser is the director of research at the popular WNYC podcast Radiolab and holds a doctorate in the history of science. He has seamlessly taken his artful storytelling from radio to screen and even made it better
by injecting more of his boundless enthusiasm for exploration.
There is an incredible amount of information packed into each episode, but Nasser keeps it moving along in a thoughtful manner as he jumps from country to country connecting the dots of episodes titled with the subject matter, like “Poop” and “Dust.” Watching him travel the world both illustrates the connected nature of scientific inquiry across society and inspires jealousy as world travel is a distant memory at the moment.
Importantly, Nasser doesn’t just focus on the bright spots of science and innovation. He brings in humanity and relevancy, like when he talks with a survivor of the bombing of Hiroshima in the “Nukes” episode and considers the ramifications of privacy-invading technology in “Surveillance.”
He strikes a tone that celebrates research and innovation, but also doesn’t shy away from discussing the negative implications of humanity’s greatest discoveries.
“Connected” is a great series to watch on Netflix, especially now, because it serves as a vital reminder that the world around us links us all, no matter which patch of dirt we call home.