Comments on: What is a Mondegreen?

By: Abby

Abby — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 20:55:57 +0000

For the Catholics out there, there was a part of Mass when we sang, “Jesus, prince of peace, you take away the sins of the world…” As a small child, I could never understand why they kept calling Jesus the Prince of Thieves, because I was pretty sure that was Robin Hood.

My dad almost had to leave church when I finally asked him about it.

By: Emma B

Emma B — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 02:18:19 +0000

I still maintain that the lyrics to Hanson’s \Mmmbop\ is:

Mmmbop, the bitch is damn fine

By: Laurel

Laurel — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 05:57:50 +0000

Since I was a kid, I have been mishearing lyrics. The classic one that has become a staple joke in my family was The Beatles’ “Twist and Shout”:

Mondegreen lyrics:
Shakin’ the baby now (Shakin’ the baby)

Original lyrics:
Shake it up baby now (Shake it up baby)

Another, from my dad:

Mondegreen lyrics:
Cold jelly on the mountain

Original lyrics:
Go tell it on the mountain

And…

Mondegreen lyrics:
There’s a bathroom on the right

Original lyrics:
There’s a bad moon on the right

By: ann

ann — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 18:35:10 +0000

one more ‘Blinded by the Light’ mondegreen: as a kid, I thought it was ‘stranded by the lihgt’

By: ashcof

ashcof — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 16:33:15 +0000

“… and you come to me, on a submarine…”

(how deep is your love)

By: Jenny

Jenny — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 04:02:48 +0000

Julia, back in high school, my sectionmates and I would all sing “Secret Asian Man” during pep band at the basketball games. :)
“Secret Aging Man” was always a favourite as well.

By: PJ

PJ — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 22:47:37 +0000

In “Games without Frontiers” by Peter Gabriel I always heard “She’s so funky, yeah” when they sing “Jeux sans frontiers”.

By: tona b.

tona b. — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 21:08:24 +0000

The Who’s “Eminence Front”. I could never figure out what they were saying…. was it
“it’s a lemon in front”, or “it’s an imminent spurt”, or
“it’s lenin in spurs”, or “it’s an imminent front” ?

And “Rock me Amadeus” was “Rock Me on a Dais” to me…

By: Greg

Greg — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 20:39:48 +0000

In the beginning of the Rolling Stones tune, the choir is singing, “You can’t always get what you wa-ant. No you can’t always get what you wa-ant.”

I had never given that a second thought until someone pointed out that it sounded exactly like:
“You can’t always get a chihuahua. No, you can’t always get a chihuahua.”

Now I can’t hear anything else.

By: Patty

Patty — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 17:36:58 +0000

“The Thing That Should Not Be” by Metallica

I heard:

“Lurking beneath the sea
Great old one
For Pete’s sake
He searches”