July 17, 2008
Did I hear that right?
Last week, I blogged about the new words that will appear in the next edition of Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. I thought that one of them, “mondegreen,” deserved some more attention.
A mondegreen is defined as “a word or phrase that results from a mishearing of something said or sung.” The term was coined by writer Sylvia Wright in 1954, who confessed to having misheard a line from an old Scottish ballad. The actual line is, “They had slain the Earl of Moray and laid him on the green,” but Wright heard, “They had slain the Earl of Moray and Lady Mondegreen.” Funny, right?
Well, this got me thinking about my own experience with mondegreens. Here are some of my favorites:
For years, I was convinced that the line in the Christmas carol “Winter Wonderland” that goes, “Later on, we’ll conspire as we dream by the fire,” went like this: “Later on, we’ll PERSPIRE as we dream by the fire.” Hey, it makes sense—people sweat when they lie by a fire, don’t they?
There’s a great episode of “The Simpsons” where the band R.E.M. performs in Homer’s garage bar. Homer mishears the lyrics to “It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine),” and sings this mondegreen: “Leonid what-his-name, Herman Munster motorcade, birthday party, Cheetos, pogo sticks and lemonade, you idiotic stupid jerk, that’s right Flanders, I am talking about you!” (As if R.E.M. would be singing about Homer’s neighbor.)
The real line goes like this: “Leonid Brezhnev, Lenny Bruce and Lester Bangs, birthday party, cheesecake, jelly bean, boom! You symbiotic, patriotic, slam, but neck, right? Right.”
My friends and I listened to the Counting Crows constantly in college. One guy we hung out with comically misheard the lyrics to the song “Omaha,” and instead of singing, “I think you better turn your ticket in and get your money back at the door,” he sang, “I think you better turn your CHICKEN in and get your money back at the door.” I’ve never sang it without the word “chicken” since.
So, what are your favorite mondegreens?
Filed by rebecca at 11:21 am under For the love of words
“Blinded By the Light
Revved up like a Douche another Rowner in the Night”.
I later heard it explained:
Revved up like a Deuce, another runner in the night
(A “Deuce” being slang for a souped-up hot rod).
Friar: LOL. I can just picture people’s faces as you screamed out your version of the lyrics …
Oh, I never screamed out the lyrics. I was too embarassed.
Another one I always got wrong until I googled it:
“I’m not talkin’ ’bout my LINEN,
And I dont’ wanna change your mind..”
Classic topic. I didn’t know there is a pending word for it. My fave is probably from the Police’s Every Breath You Take.
Where Sting sings “how my poor heart aches” was always “i’m a pool hall ace.”
@Friar: You? Embarrassed?? I never would have guessed it. Me, I’m a song screamer. Thanks a lot. Now I have that damn song stuck in my head …
@bretthead: Thanks for stopping by! Great mondegreen addition — I hadn’t heard that one before. Who knew that Sting was into billiards?
Oh, I know I have a few, and of course now I can’t think of them. The funny thing is, even once you know the right words, it’s impossible to hear them that way. I still hear my own version.
Wish I could remember which ones, I know they’re funny. On the tip of my tongue…
Steph: They’ll come back to you when you least expect them (at which time, I fully expect you to share them with us here!)
Kenny Roger’s song, “You picked a fine time to leave me, Lucille. Four hungry children and a crop in the field.”
Mandy’s childhood rendition: “You picked a fine time to leave me, Lucille. Four hundred children and a crap in the field.”
Mandy: LOL. That Lucille sure knew how to make an exit …
How about “Jumping Jack Flash?”
I guess that doesn’t really count. I don’t make up my own lyrics.
Basically because I don’t even understand what I’m hearing in the first place…!
@Friar: I think Mick makes them up as he goes along. Who would argue? No one knows what the heck he’s saying anyway!
What about the correctly heard, intentionally misspoken words often used in knock knock jokes? Could we say that is a reverse mondegreen? Here is Arlo’s latest: Knock, knock. Who’s there? Ivan. Ivan who? Ivan working on the railroad all the livelong day. Sorry if it takes you a while to get this song out of your head. If you want a little variation, Arlo actually sings “Ivan been working…..”. He’s only 3.
A “reverse mondegreen” … I like that! Arlo’s joke is hilarious! What a comedian that little cutie is. I miss him already.
i can’t think of a single one, as I have all of the above songs in my head now!
Tess: Thanks for dropping by
I’m with you! Thanks to Friar, I can’t stop singing “Blinded by the light …”
I always thought the line in “Bad Moon Rising”: “There’s a bad moon on the rise” was “There’s a bathroom on the right”. But then again, when you talk to me all I hear is the teacher from Charlie Brown. I really should get my hearing checked.
Yes, and while you’re at it, maybe a full psychiatric evaluation is in order