Has everyone heard of that new reality show "The Singing Bee?" I have yet to see it, but this thing is right up my alley. I have always prided myself in knowing all of the words to every song on the radio. Lyrics just make the song for me, so it's important for me to know them ALL. Of course, there is the occasional exception - Sweet Home Alabama is one of my all-time favorites and not only do I not know all the words, I don't even care what they are because I feel confident that they are not profound... I just love to belt out the chorus and enjoy the great guitar riffs. But I digress...
The other day while driving I started daydreaming about myself being on the show. My heart actually started pounding as I pictured myself standing on the stage in front of millions, putting my lyrical expertise on the line for the big bucks. I realized that more than winning the cash, I just want to prove that I know all of the lyrics. What if they played a song I didn't know? I'd be so humiliated! I blew a huge lead in the 800m run at my 8th grade district track meet and sometimes I still lay in bed thinking about what I could have done differently to win. (I shouldn't have run that 1st lap at quarter speed!!!) I realize that this is a personal problem and I need to just let it go. This is why I can never enter a contest like this. I'm simply too competitive. But just for kicks, I'm driving down the road rehearsing for The Singing Bee - just in case. I quickly recall several songs with tricky lyrics and rattle them off to make sure I would be ready when the music stopped. Yep, I know that one, that one, that one. Boy, am I good.
And then I begin to think of some songs I did not have the correct lyrics to. The first that comes to mind:
"I get knocked down
Like an elephant
You're never gonna keep me down..."
Of course, these guys weren't singing "like an elephant." Any who remember this jazzy hit probably know the true lyrics, and there is no mention of an elephant in this song.
Then there's the classic song Kyrie Elaison. Don't remember it?
Kyrie Elaison down the road that I must travel
Kyrie Elaison through the darkness of the niiiight...
Come on, now, did ANYBODY know these were the lyrics? I always sung it:
Carrying a laser down the road that I must travel...
The guy is on a mission. It's dark, it's scary, he's carrying a laser. Carrying a laser down the road that he must travel - I mean, you never know when a light saber is going to come in handy.
And then, for you Church of Christers out there, there are always the hymns gone wrong. I don't have any personal stories about mondegreens (I just learned that this is the official word for misheard lyrics in songs) when it comes to church songs, but here are some of my favorites I've heard through the years:
Now let us have a little chocolate Jesus
Let us tell him all about our troubles...
Low in the gravy lay
Jesus my savior...
Well, you get the point. I'm sleepy now, so I'm going to stop this ceaseless rambling. If any of you out there would like to share your own mondegreens, I'd LOVE to hear them! Goodnight, and be careful out there. I don't want anyone getting knocked down like an elephant (especially if you're not carrying a laser)...
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13 comments:
I'm glad to hear you're practicing - it never hurts! I like that commercial where the guys are singing "Rock the Kasbah" (?) with the words - "The sheep don't like it, lock the cat box, lock the cat box."
So funny! I used to think that the lyrics to Unto Thee O Lord was - Oh my God, a trusting bee.
I've always wondered about that song "blinded by the light...wrapped up like a douche...something somthing somthing night" or light or however it ends.
You guys are cracking me up! Thanks for sharing these! I drove home from school yesterday singing, "The sheep don't like it..."
Becky, it's especially funny that you should mention that song - that was one of the songs I couldn't figure out the words to the other day, and I couldn't think of it when I was writing this post. I don't know if I'll ever figure out the lyrics. If anyone reading this knows how these song goes, PLEASE save us from our ignorance!
I always say "hey they are singing it wrong on the radio"
ps I am so glad to find your blog, Ilove it and it is so funny.
when all else fails, look it up! I looked on google and found these are the lyrics:
Blinded by the light,
revved up like a deuce,
another runner in the night
I would have Never gotten that on my own.
Hey Tobin! I found your blog through Abbe's, I love this post! I was cracking up! I love the line about "let have a little chocolate Jesus!" So funny! I love the show the spelling bee. I dream about being on it daily! Hope your doing good!
I'm so glad you have a blog!! I heard a really funny slip up. A friend of mine was teaching the pre-school class at church and let each kid lead their favorite song. One little boy picked "This Little Light of Mine" and sang his favorite verse really loud: "Hide it under a bush, hell no! I'm gonna let it shine." That makes me laugh every time I hear it!! Thanks for making me think about funny song word slip ups! There are so many.
Tobin,
I am so glad I found your blog (on Amberly's) It has been fun reading your posts so far. I am envious of your sense of humor. I love Singing Bee and the other one Don't Forget the Lyrics. Like you, I thought I would do really good until I watched them and then I realized that for about 20 years now I have only listened to Contemporary Christian and so I don't know any of the more recent pop songs and never have known the heavier Rock songs. I remember when I was single driving and singing the Pointer Sisters "I Want A Man With A Slow Hand" and then it dawned on my what I was singing unaware of the words just blurting them out. It was then I switched to contemporary Christian. Anyway...look forward to more blogging from you!
Tobin, you rekindled my love for frequently misunderstood song lyrics. They've been a fascination of mine for a long time and they actuall have a name: mondegreens. The word comes from a misunderstood line in an old Scottish ballad that was heard as "And Lady Mondegreen" instead of "And they layd him on the green" -- which caused some confusion.
Jon Carroll, a humor columnist for the San Francisco Gate frequently writes about mondegreens. Here's a list of his columns that talk about them and an better account of the origin of the term.
http://sfgate.com/columnists/carroll/mondegreens.shtml
Oh yes, and the mondegreen hall of fame:
http://www.rulefortytwo.com/mondegreenhall.htm
By the way, I'm 32 years old and it was only last year that I found out that Huey Lewis and the News did not . . .
Want a new truck,
One that drives with a stick,
One that won't leave me in the mud,
Piled three feet thick.
But he in fact wanted . . .
. . . a new drug,
One that won't make me sick,
One that won't make me crash my car,
Or make me feel three feet thick.
Ok, so I was right about something being three feet thick, but I was shocked to find out Huey Lewis was wanting drugs. Ozzy -- I could get behind that, but Huey Lewis? Come on!
Katy corrected me after I quoted the song to her. She looked at me like I was some kind of crazy person.
"Are you sure," I asked Katy. "I kinda think you've got to be wrong on this one. I know my mondegreens. It was about looking for a truck."
She just laughed at me. "No, Josh. Huey Lewis did not sing a song about shopping for a new truck with a stick shift."
"Well what was the name of that song," I asked.
"Um . . . 'I Wan't a New Drug'," she answered.
"Oh," I said.
In highschool, a dance/techno song that went "Please don't go"
I, being my book wormy self (that is its own joke), thought it was saying "Read the book."
Probably one of the worst mondegreens I have suffered from. You can use that word like it's a disease, right?
Oh my gosh, you are so funny. Your blog is HILARIOUS!!! You don't know me, I stumbled upon your blog while blog hopping at work, although, if you went to ACU we may know each other. Anyway, funny that you mention "The Singing Bee"! I was acutally on it and won!
I found this great mondegreen video and, because of your post (almost a year ago), I thought of you among those I figured would enjoy it.
Here you go . . .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4_MsrsKzMM
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