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Every week, msnbc.com entertainment producers Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, Denise Hazlick, Paige Newman, Kurt Schlosser and Anna Chan weigh in on topics ranging from TV commercials to movie hype to the latest celebrity blunder. We're not ashamed to admit our love for bad TV or reveal what's on our iPods, and invite you to join the conversation via your comments.



Get dressed, ye merry gentlemen

Posted: Monday, December 22, 2008 6:00 AM by Gael Fashingbauer Cooper
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How about one last Christmas-themed post? I've written about TV specials, goofy links, and annoying holiday commercials. Now let's tackle holiday music. No, not reviews or favorites or anything like that -- let's talk misheard lyrics (also known as "mondegreens").

Snopes.com has a great entry about misheard holiday lyrics. "Round John Virgin" is perhaps the most famous one. I can totally imagine kids mishearing that, because "yon" is just not a word we hear much these days.

Some of the Snopes entries seem like they might be made up, but they're so much fun I'm willing to go with it. No one could really have thought "deck the halls with boughs of holly" was "deck the halls with Buddy Holly," but imagining it is pretty funny.

I also love "Joy to the world! The Lord has gum!", "Get dressed, ye merry gentlemen," and "Police got my dad" (for "Feliz Navidad").

Another great misheard-lyrics site, Kiss This Guy, has holiday mondegreens mixed in with its regular lyrics, too, but I like how Snopes pulls out the holiday ones all on one page.

Am I Right.com has a lot of misheard holiday lyrics, usually tagged under "Traditional." ("On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me / a poached egg in a pear tree!")

Ever misheard a holiday lyric? If this conversation meanders over into non-holiday misheard lyrics, I'll let that go, too.

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Comments

When I was a kid, every time we sang "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" I was singing, "Ohh tidings of comforters and joy."  I guess I assumed it was a song about bed accessories.

Leslie, Albuquerque (Sent Monday, December 22, 2008 9:24 AM)

My son sings "We wish for a Merry Christmas." I don't have the heart to correct him. I was kind of sad when he realized it was "in a one-horse open sleigh" instead of "with one horse on a sleigh," too.

Katie, Hendersonville, NC (Sent Monday, December 22, 2008 9:56 AM)

My favorite comes compliments of my daughter, who used to gleefully sing along to O Christmas Tree.  The only problem was she thought they were singing "How lovely are thy Grinches".

Chris, Denver, CO (Sent Monday, December 22, 2008 9:57 AM)

Not a Christmas song, but I thought the last line of America the Beautiful was "from sea to Chinese sea."

Lin Lewis, Charleston, SC (Sent Monday, December 22, 2008 9:58 AM)

My grandfather told me that when he was a kid, when they sang: Noel, Noel, he thought it was: Oh well, Oh well. So he sang The First Noel that way.

Gary, Boise (Sent Monday, December 22, 2008 10:00 AM)

My husband has always thought that "Feliz Navidad" was "Maurice Habidaad" -- figure that one out!  Hilarious!

Ohioniece, Cleveland, OH (Sent Monday, December 22, 2008 10:01 AM)

My 4 year-old sings Jingle Bells like this "Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, jingle all the way. No ones fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh."

Lori G. Birmingham, AL (Sent Monday, December 22, 2008 10:03 AM)

Let's not forget "Olive, the other reindeer"  which was enough to inspire the children's book (now also a Christmas special)of the same name.  As a former kindergarten teacher, I used to hear a lot of strange lyrics.

Debi C., Queensbury, NY (Sent Monday, December 22, 2008 10:12 AM)

They made a whole movie out of "Olive, the other reindeer".  I don't think one about Round John Virgin would work out as a family film though.  

Megan (Boston, MA) (Sent Monday, December 22, 2008 10:16 AM)

Not a song lyric.....but, in reciting the Lord's Prayer as a child, I thought it went." Our Father who 'art in heaven Howard be thy name ". I thought God's first name was Howard.....

Mike Tully, Parsippany, NJ (Sent Monday, December 22, 2008 10:16 AM)

When I was a kid, I thought sure "O tannenbaum" was "O atomic bomb!"
...this was in the late 50's.

Russ Hanchin (Sent Monday, December 22, 2008 10:18 AM)

The Eagles - Lyin' Eyes/ for years I thought they were saying, Hawaian Eyes

Bob Seger - Old Time Rock and Roll  -  Call me a relic call me what you will / I always thought he was saying, call me a rabbit call me what you will.

RK (Sent Monday, December 22, 2008 10:19 AM)

Not a Christmas song, but when I was younger I thought that the line from the Lord's Prayer "and lead us not into temptation"  was "and lead a snot into temptation."  It made sense to me, all those little snots were not going to heaven anyway, why wouldn't you lead them into temptation.

Jane, Omaha, NE (Sent Monday, December 22, 2008 10:26 AM)

For years I thought the line was "...we'll perspire as we lay by the fire..." I was probably in my teens before I finally heard it the correct way

KT (Sent Monday, December 22, 2008 10:30 AM)

My friend Maria, leaning/clinging on a speaker at a Creighton frat party singing 'big ole jet got a light on' instead of 'big ole jet airliner' courtesy of Steve Miller Band.  

Scout in Nebraska (Sent Monday, December 22, 2008 10:30 AM)

My daughter's favorite "Mark the Herald Angel sings!"

Karen, Maryland (Sent Monday, December 22, 2008 10:31 AM)

I teach nursery school and had the children singing "Away In A Manger."  I could hear certain children sing louder than others - one of whom sang "The little George Jesus asleep on the hay."

Colleen, New York, New York (Sent Monday, December 22, 2008 10:32 AM)

I once heard a Christmas song parody (sung by a man)  that instead of going "walking in a winter wonderland..." went "walkin' 'round in women's underwear."  Still makes me giggle when I hear "Winter Wonderland."  :)

Amy, WV (Sent Monday, December 22, 2008 10:39 AM)

Not christmas related, but my husband sang his heart out, "i get knocked down, by an elephant..." instead of "i get knocked down, but i get up again."

Jennifer, Columbia, Sc (Sent Monday, December 22, 2008 10:45 AM)

My daughter keeps singing the 12 days of Christmas with "portrait of a gingerbear tree" instead of partridge in a pear tree.  

Stephanie, Missouri (Sent Monday, December 22, 2008 10:47 AM)

Here is an example of getting lyrics wrong becoming apart of Christmas. The song "The Tweleve Days Of Christmas" is usually sung as "my true love sent to me, 4 calling birds," but the actual line is "4 colly birds". "Colly" is an English dialect word for coal dust. Black birds were hence known as colly birds.

Rick B., Austin, Texas (Sent Monday, December 22, 2008 10:49 AM)

I used to think that on the theme song for "Good Times" that they were singing "chicken baby laid off" instead of temporary lay-off!

Renee (Sent Monday, December 22, 2008 10:49 AM)

Jane, I thought that in the 23rd Psalm when it says, "Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow you, all the days of your life..." that those were three girls.  Three chics named Shirley, Gooness and Mercy that would follow you around in heaven.

Scout in Nebraska (Sent Monday, December 22, 2008 10:52 AM)

As a kid,I thought at the end of Silent Night, it said "Sleep in heavenly peas" & it would make me laugh. Sort of like "visualize whirled peas"

Lynne, Indianapolis (Sent Monday, December 22, 2008 10:54 AM)

My daughter sang the other verse of Joy to the World as ..."the wonders of his GLOVE" instead of "wonders of his love"

dana, crete, il (Sent Monday, December 22, 2008 10:55 AM)

I thought angels were hairy after thinking the song was "Hark, the Hairy Angels"

V, Vermont (Sent Monday, December 22, 2008 10:58 AM)

Not Christmassy, but my son (almost two) sings along when we sing "Eidelweiss" as a lullaby - "Hey, We White - Hey, We White...", and when I was younger, I sang that great ol' hymn as "Bringing in the Cheese" (instead of "sheaves").

Heather, Conway, Arkansas (Sent Monday, December 22, 2008 11:01 AM)

(NOT HOLIDAY RELATED) My Two year old son sings    
 " Happy Birthday Cake to you!" instead of the traditional " Happy Birthday to you"

dee dee (Sent Monday, December 22, 2008 11:09 AM)

My son used to pray before meals, "Bless us oh Lord, for these thy gifts which we are about to receive from thy Mountie."  It conjured up visions of a Canadian Mounted Police Officer galloping up to our table with a tray of food.  He also prayed," Hail Mary....and blessed is the Fruit of the Loom, Jesus."

Barbara D, Little Rock, Arkansas (Sent Monday, December 22, 2008 11:10 AM)

True story...as a child my brother would sing "release my peanut!" (Feliz Navidad)! We still remind him of that every Christmas.

Bertrand, McKinney TX (Sent Monday, December 22, 2008 11:12 AM)

In the original song rocking around the christmas tree, it sounds as if she says "and we'll eat some f-ing pie" instead of pumpkin pie. I have even some heard some radio stations bleep it out.

James, PA (Sent Monday, December 22, 2008 11:14 AM)

When I was a kid, my parents liked the Beach Boys, and I used to think the words were "my little loose toot, you don't know what it's like" instead of "my little deuce coupe,  you don't know what I got"!! They STILL give me a hard time!

Rachael, AR (Sent Monday, December 22, 2008 11:15 AM)

When I was a child, I used to think that Feliz Navidad went "Feliz Navidad, Feliz Navidad, Feliz Navidad, potato, lasagna and a piece o' pie..."

Christine, Waynesville, Missouri (Sent Monday, December 22, 2008 11:18 AM)

Sitting at church one Christmas morning a few years ago, The choir was singing selections from Handel's Messiah.  They started singing "Oh Comfort Ye" and you could hear a small child say, "Daddy, why does that man want us to 'come for tea'.  They had to stop the song due to the laughter.

Matt - San Antonio (Sent Monday, December 22, 2008 11:18 AM)

My son, when he was about 4, used to think that it was "Lasagne in the highest" instead of "Hosanna in the highest" in church.  Also, when he got a little older, the song by Heart, "How Can I Get You Alone", he though was "how can I get to a phone" - cracks me up whenever I hear the song, and he's now 32!

Linda, Blackwood, NJ (Sent Monday, December 22, 2008 11:20 AM)

we always sang "police want your dad" for feliz navidad.

K, Dallas, TX (Sent Monday, December 22, 2008 11:20 AM)

I used to sing "You give love a band aid" rather than "You give love a bad name".

Lil (Sent Monday, December 22, 2008 11:23 AM)

In Hark the Herald Angels Sing, I heard "Cream and Jelly Toast Proclaim" instead of "Three Angelic Hoast Proclaim" :o)

Jen Howard, Eugene, Oregon (Sent Monday, December 22, 2008 11:26 AM)

Not Christmas, but when I was younger, I thought Glory Days by Bruce Springsteen was "Oye Ve".

Meghan, VA (Sent Monday, December 22, 2008 11:27 AM)

My oldest misheard the line "The Christmas we get we deserve" from Emerson, Lake, and Palmer "I Believe in Father Christmas" as "...it's Christmas now get me dessert!". We all chime in with that line every time we hear the song now.

Bill, New Jersey (Sent Monday, December 22, 2008 11:29 AM)

while helping my mother decorate one Christmas, the song, "Feliz Navidad" was on and we were singing.  My son who was 11 at the time asked "Mom, who is Maurice Navidad?"

Janice Hickman, Charleston, SC (Sent Monday, December 22, 2008 11:32 AM)

My daughter was singing Ho Ho the Missing toe and Walking around the Christmas tree.

Chuck, Lynn, MA (Sent Monday, December 22, 2008 11:33 AM)

A friend used to sing "Jeff's nuts roasting on an open fire" But she had a brother Jeff, so I think it was intentional.

joy, Maui, Hi (Sent Monday, December 22, 2008 11:42 AM)

In Winter Wonderland I always thought that Parson Brown was a type of brown.  I couldn't imagine why people wanted to pretend their snowman was brown though.

August, Seattle WA (Sent Monday, December 22, 2008 11:43 AM)

As a kid I sang "I'm a long dong daddy" rather than "I'm a long gone Daddy in the U.S.A." which made Bruce Springsteens "Born in the USA" seem rather perverted;it didn't occur to me that I could have been wrong and my parents just let me go.

BROOK, NORTH CAROLINA (Sent Monday, December 22, 2008 11:45 AM)

"Hark! the Herold Angels Sing" was always "Part the Hair On Angels Wings" My Brother sang it that way for years before we clued him in.

Joy Phoenix Az (Sent Monday, December 22, 2008 11:49 AM)

This isn't a Christmas song but The Police, Message in a Bottle the line "a year has passed since I wrote my note" I always thought Sting was singing "a year has passed since I broke my nose".  I think I was in college before I figured that one out.

E, Phoenix (Sent Monday, December 22, 2008 11:53 AM)

Many years ago an elementary teacher with a piano in her classroom asked the students which Christmas song they wanted to sing. One little boy responded, "The Whale Song".  When the teacher indicated she didn't know that one, the little boy sang, "No Whale, No Whale (Noel).

Barbara Williams, Washington, DC (Sent Monday, December 22, 2008 11:55 AM)

When I was younger my mom told me I use to sing "Frosty the Snowman was a jolly SOB"..my mom said it was too funny to correct me. She's great!

St. Louis, Mo (Sent Monday, December 22, 2008 11:57 AM)

I have a few Christmas tunes that I've misheard:

-- "Simply having a wonderful Christmas time" (I don't know the song title) used to sound to me like "Simply Allen a one little Christmas time"

-- "Here Comes Santa Claus": "He doesn't care if you're rich or poor" always sounded to me like "He doesn't care if you rinse your floor".  Blame my upbringing with a neatnik mom.

-- Not misheard, but misunderstood: "The Little Drummer Boy", "The ox and lambs kept time".  Although I first heard it as "odds", I misunderstood the line until just a few years ago.  I thought they were magic animals who could read a timepiece, like the man timing the racers in a marathon.  I finally figured out in my late 20's that it meant their hoofbeats.

BV, Joliet IL (Sent Monday, December 22, 2008 11:57 AM)



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