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Misquoted Song Lyrics

L

Lee Van Kief

(CNN) -- There's no bathroom on the right, and Jimi Hendrix never asked to be excused so he could kiss a dude. And, no, no matter how blinded by the light you may have been, you weren't wrapped up like ... a feminine hygiene product.
But all those are among the world's most frequently misquoted song lyrics -- at least according to Spotify.
The popular music-streaming service conducted an unscientific poll to find the most commonly botched lines from popular songs.
(Of course, nobody had to fess up to getting the words wrong themselves. The poll, of 1,042 people, asked for the songs they most commonly hear other people singing incorrectly.)
Manfred Mann's Earth Band performs in 2012 in Cologne, Germany. We bet the crowd sang along incorrectly.


The winner? By a long shot, Manfred Mann's Earth Band confused the most folks with "Blinded By the Light," the 1976 hit written and first recorded by Bruce Springsteen. Fifty-two percent of respondents reported hearing "Wrapped up like a douche/when you're rollin' in the night" instead of the correct lyric: "Revved up like a deuce/another runner in the night."

Jimi Hendrix took the second spot (19%) with his line "Excuse me while I kiss the sky," from "Purple Haze" being confused for the less abstract, albeit more open-minded, "Excuse me while I kiss this guy."
And in third place, 14% of respondents said they've heard "Rock the Casbah," by The Clash, mangled into "Rock the Cat Box."
We're not happy about these garbled lyrics, either.
Seventy percent of respondents said they get annoyed hearing other people sing lyrics wrong. They said the most common places they hear frustratingly mangled wording is concerts (34%), followed by karaoke bars (23%), public transportation (20%) and the office (18%).
Also ... hubris alert. Five percent of the people who responded to the poll said they "never" get lyrics wrong themselves.
No, Elton John didn't sing, "Hold me closer, Tony Danza."


Here's the rest of Spotify's top 10:
-- "Tiny Dancer," Elton John. "Hold me closer, Tony Danza." Actual lyric: "Hold me closer, tiny dancer."
-- "Bad Moon Rising," Creedence Clearwater Revival. "There's a bathroom on the right." Actual lyric: "There's a bad moon on the rise."
-- "Paradise City," Guns N' Roses. "Take me down to a very nice city." Actual lyric: "Take me down to Paradise City."
-- "Panama," Van Halen. "Animal!" Actual lyric: "Panama!"
-- "Like a G-6," Far East Movement. "Like a cheese stick." Actual lyric: "Like a G-6."
-- "Waterfalls," TLC. "Don't go, Jason Waterfalls." Actual lyric: "Don't go chasing waterfalls."
-- "I Try," Macy Gray. "I blow bubbles when you are not here." Actual lyric: "My world crumbles when you are not near."
 

k-s-p

Well-known member
Veteran
From people I've known through the years, I've heard these takes:

Powderfinger: Look out mama there's some white folks comin up the river

Wanted Dead or Alive: On a stale horse I ride

Suffragette City: Suckin that titty
 

cravin morehead

Active member
Veteran
my buddy was singing metallica's master of puppets one time. the lyrics say "promised only lies". my buddy sang "Thomas Dolby lies". i was cracking up
 

Crusader Rabbit

Active member
Veteran
In the lyrics to the Dead's Truckin which refer to the death of Janis Joplin;

"what in the world ever became of sweet Jane? She lost her sparkle you know she isn't the same. Livin on reds, vitamin C, and cocaine, all a friend can say is, "ain't it a shame"."

In a LA Times article on the need to police popular song lyrics, the words were changed to, "all our friends can say is ain't it a shame."

Totally changed the meaning, and in a bad way.


"Excuse me while I kiss this guy." ??? You've got to be kidding me.
 

SetHeh

Member
Bob Marley - No Woman, No Cry

A lot of people think that Marley is singing about being single, that you don't need a woman to be happy etc. Once I've even heard that it's a gay song, haha. It's Jamaican English and basically he's singing, "Don't cry, woman".
 

Harry Gypsna

Dirty hippy Bastard
Veteran
Bob Marley - No Woman, No Cry

A lot of people think that Marley is singing about being single, that you don't need a woman to be happy etc. Once I've even heard that it's a gay song, haha. It's Jamaican English and basically he's singing, "Don't cry, woman".

Thank you, nobody ever believes me when I explain this, even though it's pretty bloody obvious when you listen to the lyrics.

"Whoah-oh, I'm an idiot, I'm a little idiot"
Englishman in New York.


"He used to be man with a Shit in his hand" (actual lyric= Hey used to be a man with a stick in his hand) Headlong by Queen
 
M

moodster

my little one thought another one bites the dust was "a bulldog bites a bus" I think I like that better LOL
 

red rider

Well-known member
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Me too

Me too

Bob Marley - No Woman, No Cry

A lot of people think that Marley is singing about being single, that you don't need a woman to be happy etc. Once I've even heard that it's a gay song, haha. It's Jamaican English and basically he's singing, "Don't cry, woman".

Thanks for clearing that up, I've had it wrong all these years.

red rider
 

Harry Gypsna

Dirty hippy Bastard
Veteran
"You had distemper, Like my Jealous Eel"
Wuthering Heights by Kate bush. I got this from a TV show, maybe Never mind the Buzzcocks.
 
Speaking of "Tiny Dancer" by Elton John, I had a friend who sung the "Hold me closer, tiny dancer" part correctly, but the next line, she sung as, "count the headlice on the highway." (supposed to be "count the headlights on the highway").

Umm...??? And exactly how does that make sense??
 
L

Lee Van Kief

Speaking of "Tiny Dancer" by Elton John, I had a friend who sung the "Hold me closer, tiny dancer" part correctly, but the next line, she sung as, "count the headlice on the highway." (supposed to be "count the headlights on the highway").

Umm...??? And exactly how does that make sense??
ha ha you'd have to have some pretty good eyesight or be counting some huge head lice

that's quite a song, getting held close by tony danza whilst counting headlice on the highway, good effing times....
 

dagnabit

Game Bred
Veteran
leprosy
all my skin is falling off of me
im not half the man i used to be
oh why did i get leprosy

not a mistake but ive always liked it ;)
 
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