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Misheard lyrics: Take your cap, or your cat? Sure as Kilimanjaro rises like ... a what?

Posted: Wednesday, September 19, 2007 10:50 AM by Gael Fashingbauer Cooper
Filed Under:

The misheard lyrics comments have been hilarious. Two songs especially have started debates -- Keith Urban's "You'll Think of Me" and Toto's "Africa." In Urban's song, he does indeed sing, "Take your CAT and leave my sweater," but a reader comment saying that he hears "take your CAP" has started a bunch of readers buzzing, thinking they've been hearing it wrong all this time. Now I'm no Keith Urban expert, but the "CAT' version is indeed given on his Web site as the correct lyrics for the song. Meow!

RISES LIKE A ... WHAT?
The Toto song is even more fun. I confessed that, in Toto's "Africa," I always heard a certain lyric wrong. The actual line, according to Toto's own Web site, is "Sure as Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengeti." I always heard it as "Sure as Kilimanjaro rises up like Memphis above the Serengeti" (or even the nonsensical, "rises like a membrus," whatever a "membrus" is...it sounds kinda sexual to me).

Happily, I was not the only confused listener. From your comments:
• "Whoa, all this time I thought it was 'rises like an empress....'  Hmmm."    --Kristen
• "Oh my God. Kilimanjaro rises 'like Olympus'? I always thought it rose 'like a leopard!' What a disappointment."    --Lori
• "I always thought it was 'like a leopress'... isn't that a female leopard, and doesn't that make more sense?"    --Rick
• And from a different part of the song, Sue confesses "Growing up my sister and I always sang Toto's "Africa" as 'I left my brains down in Africa,' rather than 'I bless the rains down in Africa.' "

PAY THE RENT, COLETTE
Another song that came up often: Prince's "Little Red Corvette." Now for this one, I thought the title alone would give it away, but here are some of the versions you heard:
• "My sister used to sing 'Pay the rent, Colette' instead of 'Little Red Corvette' whenever the Prince song came on the radio.  She's grown now, with daughters of her own, and they think that is the funniest thing in the world!"    --Jen
• "My brother swore it was 'pay the rent collect' which even he admitted didn't make sense."  --Rob
• My mom, when she was young, used to think 'Little Red Corvette" was 'pay the rent or else.' "    --Des
• When I was a kid, I always thought Prince's 'Little Red Corvette' was 'Live in Corvette.' "  --Julie
• "When Prince would sing 'Little Red Corvette,' I always thought it was 'Livin' in Quebec.' I think I was around 19 when I realized I was wrong."    --Tiffany

REVEREND BLUE JEANS?
It's funny when we can't even get the song's title correct. Neil Diamond has a famous song that half the country sings one way, half the other.

It's actually called "Forever in Blue Jeans," but that hasn't stopped several million of us from hearing it as "Reverend Blue Jeans." Keith is just one reader who admits to being confused, saying "I'm surprised no one mentioned 'Reverend Blue Jeans'  -- I'm still not sure what that one really is."

According to AmIRight.com, there's another misheard version of this: At least one person reports hearing it as "a farmer in blue jeans."

One thing we can all agree on: Blue jeans are somehow involved.

Keep sharing your misheard lyrics in the comments.

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Comments

For a long time I thought that the Credence song lyrics to "Bad Moon Risin" were "There's a bathroom on the right" instead of "There's a bad moon on the right".

Jo Ann Mather, Arlington, WA (Sent Wednesday, September 19, 2007 7:46 PM)

How about "Fly" by Sugar Ray.  Listen to the chorus and I guarantee you will hear "I just swallowed a fly".

Barry, Bowmanville, ON (Sent Wednesday, September 19, 2007 8:13 PM)

god how will they ever get "condoms in her purse, some of them used.." ?

chip naverro (Sent Wednesday, September 19, 2007 8:19 PM)

Had a classmate destroy KD Lang's "Constant Craving" for me when she sang it as "God Sent Gravy." It's never been the same...
Ruth

Ruth Shaver, Tampa, FL (Sent Wednesday, September 19, 2007 8:21 PM)

My daughter has always had a problem with the chorus of "Africa" by Toto. Instead of "There's nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do" she hears "There's nothing that a hundred men FROM MARS can ever do." She still sings it like that--and she's 25!

Maressa Travis, Birmingham, Alabama (Sent Wednesday, September 19, 2007 8:39 PM)

When I was in high school, we had a thirty minute bus ride to get to school. The song "Indiana Wants Me" was popular then (1970-71) and everyday I sat with my normally quiet friend. Well, one day, after we had gotten our good mornings out of the way and I was just looking out of the window,she just started singing "Inthianna mossne" and I looked at her and said "WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?" and being a redhead, she turned the brightest shade of red, because she didn't mean to sing it out loud! She admitted she didn't know what they were saying!  Now, over 35 years later, I STILL can crack up over her that morning. If only we had had camera phones back then!

Tricia, Vicksburg, MS (Sent Wednesday, September 19, 2007 9:44 PM)

When I was I kid I thought the line from Nine Inch Nails "Down in It" was "I was a muppet now I'm doubted". The line is really "I was up above it now I'm down in it".  Yeah, I know.  At the time it made sense.  "Stand Back" by Stevie Knicks was a tough one for me too...instead of "Like a willow I can bend", I heard "Like a flock of weirdos..."

Laura, Cleveland, Ohio (Sent Wednesday, September 19, 2007 10:06 PM)

ACDC's dirty deeds done dirt cheap...I always thought it was a song about two friends.  Dirty Deke and the Thunder Chief.  All of my friends sing it this way now.

Meg, Galt, CA (Sent Wednesday, September 19, 2007 10:11 PM)

My little sister, who normally knows every word to every song ever written, cracked me up one day when we were listening to Elvin Bishop's "Fooled Around And Fell In Love." She whispered to me, "I can't believe they let them say that on the radio!"

"Say what?" I asked.

She looked at me like I was crazy and replied, "I must have been screwed by a million girls!"

My youngest daughter used to sing Dobie Gray's "Drift Away" like this: "Give me the Beach Boys and free my soul."

But my favorite misheard lyrics were to Kenny Rogers' "The Gambler." My oldest daughter, about five years old at the time, loved this song. Instead of "there'll be time enough for countin'", she sang "they'll be climbing up the counter!"

Pat, Benton, Louisiana (Sent Wednesday, September 19, 2007 10:17 PM)

In my opinion, there's nothing funnier than misheard lyrics.  It takes a lot to make me snort, but these always do.  My sister had a friend who sang "I know you're mince meat, I know you're mince meat, I know you're mince meat pie" to Boy George's "I know you'll miss me" - it made me snort again! I had a friend who thought Cher was singing "Alfie!" instead of "Half Breed".  You cannot be depressed singing misheard lyrics.  

Kay, Albany, Georgia (Sent Wednesday, September 19, 2007 10:37 PM)

There is so many, the most recent I heard someone say was on Fear Factory's Linchpin.  The lyric is 'Can't Take Me Apart'...someone said it sounded like 'Cat Give Me your Paw!' I YouTube'd the video, sure enough, it sounds like it.  I've always heard the song and the right lyric, but I could easily see how it could sound like something else.

AnneBelle, Kearney, Missouri (Sent Wednesday, September 19, 2007 10:56 PM)

Some of these are priceless. My sister thought that Nazareth's Love Hurts was Laverne!!!!

Karen Davis, Waukegan, IL (Sent Wednesday, September 19, 2007 11:00 PM)

I never knew the words to "Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting) by Elton John...I knew it wasn't right, but a friend and I swore that "Don't give us none of your aggravation / we've had it with your discipline" sounded like "Don't give us none of your aggravation / We hide it with the Death Star plans". Spoken like a true Star Wars geek.

Oh, and to the poster above who ribbed a friend who confused the song "Paper Lake" by Genesis for "Paper Plate"...the song is actually called "Paperlate" :)

John, Clifton Park, NY (Sent Wednesday, September 19, 2007 11:01 PM)

A friend had a little different take on the KD Lang song "Constant Craving". She thought she was singing "go make gravy". And in Journey's "Open Arms" she thought they were singing "broken arms". Kinda gives the song a whole new meaning.

Rick in SD (Sent Wednesday, September 19, 2007 11:20 PM)

Stevie Ray Vaughn's song Cold Shot  the line i heard was "lets go shopping, baby" instead of "that's a cold shot, baby" my wife loves my version but it's expensive.

Murray, Saskatchewan, Canada (Sent Wednesday, September 19, 2007 11:29 PM)

A friend of my brother's used to think Morris Albert's song "Feelings" was about a guy named Felix! Can't get that out of my head whenever I hear the song... "Felix, nothing more than Felix...."

Louise, Wisconsin (Sent Wednesday, September 19, 2007 11:33 PM)

To this day whenever I hear the old 80's song "When Smokey Sings" by ABC, I can hear my sister singing "When I smoke incense, I forget everything..." AND I just recently found out that Quarterflash is not singing, "I'm gonna swallow my T-bird" in the song "Harden my Heart"....

Christine Bonow, Scottsdale, AZ (Sent Wednesday, September 19, 2007 11:38 PM)

Big Ole Jet Airliner...in high school my friend's mother always sang: Big Ole Jed and Lionel coming to carry me home.

She also sang Hall and Oates' Private Eyes watching you, watching you as Rabbit Eyes watching you, watching you.

Christopher, Illinois (Sent Wednesday, September 19, 2007 11:50 PM)

My youngest sister (by 9 years) loved to hang around me and my friends when we were teens, because we had the radio on all the time and knew all the words to all the songs.  To prove she belonged with us, she sang along to Bobby Vinton's "Blue Velvet," as "Blue Melvin, whoa whoa."  Good thing she had that cute baby voice; she could get away with everything, and that's how I hear it to this day!

Ellen Toubail, Las Vegas, Nevada (Sent Wednesday, September 19, 2007 11:51 PM)

My high school friend swore The Who's "Eminence Front" was really "Living is Fun."  And when Billy Idol sings "les yeux sans visage" in Eyes without a Face, it sounds a heck of a lot like "passion always dies." Umm...except maybe to the French.

Shelley, Las Vegas, NV (Sent Wednesday, September 19, 2007 11:52 PM)

Jimi Hendrix, "Purple Haze":

"Excuse me while I kiss this guy!"  

I always used to laugh.

OR

The Rolling Stones, "She's So Cold":  

"I'm the burning bush, I'm the burning fire
I'm the bleeding potato"

I always wondered growing up what the heck a bleeding potato was!

Jen, San Diego, CA (Sent Thursday, September 20, 2007 1:21 AM)

One of my children who had epilepsy thought "Seasons In The Sun" was "WE had joy,we had fun, we had siezures in the sun"

Z.R.Allgire (Sent Thursday, September 20, 2007 1:47 AM)

My nephew was riding in the car with my husband, son and I many, many years ago when Jose Feliciano's Feliz Navidad was on the radio and Michael say "fleas notty-da".  We still laugh about it 20 years later.

Bonnie Fritz, Buckeye, AZ (Sent Thursday, September 20, 2007 2:09 AM)

How about the classic "Grovin'"

The line is "You and me endlessly" and I still swear they are sing "You and me and Leslie".  When I was younger, I thought they were talking about their daughter, Leslie.
I still like my version better.

Mary, Fairfax, Virginia (Sent Thursday, September 20, 2007 2:36 AM)

The song that popped into MY head when I read this article was "My Eyes Adored Ya (though I never laid a hand on you)" - when I was in the middle school, I always thought it was "My eyes of Georgia" - go figure.

And I always sang "Dirty Deeds - and they're done to sheep" - even though I knew the correct way - the sheep way was MUCH more funnier to me.

Renee, Michigan (Sent Thursday, September 20, 2007 5:06 AM)

Another one I just thought of -

"Wrapped up like a douche another roamer in the night" - instead of "Wrapped up like a deuce another runner in the night" -
Blinded By The Light

Renee, Michigan (Sent Thursday, September 20, 2007 5:36 AM)

I don't know who sang the song, but when I was in college and home on a break my dad asked me why in the song Dirty Laundry they were singing "kick him in the nuts" I pointed out that the actual lyrics were "kick them when they're up" I don't think it changed his opinion of the sung much though...

THanks for all the laughs!

Jen Davis Montpelier VT (Sent Thursday, September 20, 2007 7:31 AM)

The WHO...the song "Emminance Front"...they still play it on WXRT in Chicago all of the time.  Until my wife corrected me, I always thought Daltrey was singing "Livin' in a Funk" in the chorus.

Andy, Ft. Wayne, IN (Sent Thursday, September 20, 2007 7:37 AM)

My husband loved that song 'It Never Rains in California' but honestly thought the chorus, which he sang really loud said 'Man, it pours...Matadors.'  He said he always pictured cars falling from the sky.

Jean Cohen, Philadelphia, PA (Sent Thursday, September 20, 2007 7:55 AM)

My daughter, who was 5 at the time , thought the first line to "Tambourine Man" by the Byrds went "Hey Mr. Dan Marino".

My favorite story of misheard lyrics came from my aunt who told me that when my cousin was 3 they used to take him to church, and one Sunday while the congregation was belting out "Onward Christian Soldiers", he joined in. When they reached the line about "with the cross of Jesus", he belted out the words "with the cross-eyed Jesus". Everyone cracked up and, they couldn't finish the hymn.

Suzie, Virginia Beach, VA (Sent Thursday, September 20, 2007 8:08 AM)

AS a child, a song called "Guantanemera," apparently a patriotic Cuban song, was played on the radio a LOT.  My sister and I would sing along "Juan got a medal..."  It still makes us laugh to thing about it.

Annette Ruff, Michigan (Sent Thursday, September 20, 2007 8:08 AM)

In Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall"  I thought instead of "No dark sarcasm in the classroom", they were saying "no Dukes of Hazzard in the classroom."  It made perfect sense to me, since I was 9 at the time.  Those Dukes of Hazzard guys could probably cause a lot of trouble at school!

Jennifer Lockport, NY (Sent Thursday, September 20, 2007 8:18 AM)

Can't believe you are all forgetting the infamous one from Eddie Money written by Bruce Springsteen.
The actual lyrics are:

Blinded by the light,
revved up like a deuce,
another runner in the night

If you are like me revved up like a duece has and always will be "wrapped up like a (feminine hygiene product)
another runner in the night"

Erik, Rochester, New York (Sent Thursday, September 20, 2007 8:20 AM)

My wife insisted for the longest time that the lyrics for Rose Royce's "Car Wash" were "And the boss don't mind sometimes if your'e at the pool." It really is "And the boss don't mind sometimes if ya act a fool."

Brian V (Sent Thursday, September 20, 2007 8:32 AM)

I though Paper Lace was singing "The night she called (Chicago) died" and The Bee Gee's wanted you to "Stay in the light (alive)"

Ray, Dormont, PA (Sent Thursday, September 20, 2007 8:41 AM)

In the Def Leppard song "Pour Some Sugar On Me", my sister always thought they were singing "You got the pieces, I got the cream, sweet potatoes save for me" when they are really saying "You got the peaches, I got the cream, sweet to taste, sacharine".

Kat, Philadelphia, Pa (Sent Thursday, September 20, 2007 8:44 AM)

My aunt used to sing "closer than my briefs you are to me" rather than "closer than my peeps you are to me" on the Angel song by Shaggy...I still laugh whenever I hear it on the radio.

Sarah, Columbus, Ohio (Sent Thursday, September 20, 2007 8:46 AM)

My friend's sister thought Depeche Mode was singing
"People high! People low!"

And yes, Sandi from CO, as a kid, I, too, puzzled over poor Lucille and her four hundred children.

Laura, Fort Worth, TX (Sent Thursday, September 20, 2007 8:49 AM)

I always thought "rock the kasbah" (or however you spell it) was "rock the cash bar" which i think makes morse sense anyway

Kristin, Boston, MA (Sent Thursday, September 20, 2007 8:54 AM)

Limp Bizkit's "Nookie".  To this day I still hear "I did it all for the cookies, the cookies..."  My friend's 5 year old used to love that song and in his mind, it was all about the "cookies".

Steve, Omaha, NE (Sent Thursday, September 20, 2007 9:02 AM)

One day my ex-husband and I were driving in the car and the song "Elvira" came on.  We were singing along and all of a sudden he said, "Hell, fire up!"  I asked him what he said and he repeated it to me like I was the idiot.  It took a while to convince him otherwise.  You notice that I said EX-husband.

Tricia, Lubbock, TX (Sent Thursday, September 20, 2007 9:09 AM)

It's even funnier to me to find out that it is, indeed, "take your cat and leave my sweater!"  (My first response was hell, yeah, I'm taking my cat!)  I finally convinced myself that it was "cap," because, well, that made more sense (one item of clothing for another).  For whoever posted yesterday about the line in "Afternoon Delight" ("I always thought a fish could not be caught who didn't bite.")  What IS the real line???  I've always thought that was what they were saying, too!  LOL

Laurah in NY (Sent Thursday, September 20, 2007 9:10 AM)

1984 or '85, 'Til Tuesday, "Voices Carry:"
The line is "Hush hush, keep it down now, voices carry."
My wife's older sister - college age at the time - thought it was,
"Hush hush, we go downtown, it's so scary."

Dave, Massapequa, NY (Sent Thursday, September 20, 2007 9:13 AM)

I have two that I can think of that are funny to me.
First is Unholy by KISS.  My son heard it when he was four, so I told him they were singing I'm bowling, instead of Unholy.  And when my brother was little, he thought the line from the Cranberries, where she sings Do you have to let it linger, was Do you have too many fingers?!

Tara Robins (Sent Thursday, September 20, 2007 9:14 AM)

Artist: Four Tops
Song: Reach Out / I'll Be There  
When I was about 6 years old, I thought the Four Tops lyric "I'll be there" was "I'll be damned," which I figured was a bad word to sing on the radio.

Dave, Massapequa, NY (Sent Thursday, September 20, 2007 9:18 AM)

I don't know that it's a misheard lyric, but I've long had a penchant for singing, "And after all, I'm your Wonder Bra," to Oasis' "Wonderwall."

One of the more notorious ones, of course, is from "Blinded by the Light": I'm fairly sure they're not singing, "Wrapped up like a douche, another roller in the night..."

And I remember reading an artist thought Bush was singing, "Kiss the Rain" when he was singing, "Glycerine" and then the artist wrote a song called "Kiss the Rain."

Pamela, Charlotte NC (Sent Thursday, September 20, 2007 9:19 AM)

The title song for CSI-  well- when I first heard it I thought they were singing "Cool, water, Coo Coo cool-"  because they were in Las Vegas and it was the desert!  My husband about died and informed me (much later) it's "Who are you-  Who, Who, Whooooo?"  Which, I have to admit- makes much more sense!

Mary- midwest (Sent Thursday, September 20, 2007 9:21 AM)

okay floks how about this one My friend and I were hanging drywall when The steve miller band song big ol jet airliner came on. As I was returning from getting some screws I heard my friend at the top of his lungs singing the chours as
"Bingo Jed had a light on!"

Ted Turko (Sent Thursday, September 20, 2007 9:24 AM)

I always thought that "Heard It In a Love Song" (an old Marshall Tucker Band song) was "Pretty Little Love Song".  Didn't realize it was wrong until I saw the title on one of those greatest hits CD commercials on television.  Unfortunately my husband was in the room at the time. He still laughs about it.

Kari, Prestonsburg, KY (Sent Thursday, September 20, 2007 9:24 AM)

How about The Police classic, "Message on a Barstool" instead of Message in a Bottle?

Susan (Sent Thursday, September 20, 2007 9:28 AM)



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