Misheard song lyrics (also called mondegreens) occur when people misunderstand the lyrics in a song. These are NOT intentional rephrasing of lyrics, which is called parody.
This page contains all the misheard lyrics for Elvis Costello that have been submitted to this site and the old collection from inthe80s started in 1996.
For more information about the misheard lyrics available on this site, please read our FAQ.
There are 103 misheard song lyrics for Elvis Costello on amIright currently.
There are also Elvis Costello misheard lyrics stories also available.
"(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes"
But since the Windsor got rusted.
Y'know, the angels wanna wear my red shoes
But since their wings have got rusted,
You know, the angels wanna wear my red shoes.
"(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes"
But when they told me 'bout the side lot parking
That's when I knew that I could not refuse.
But when they told me 'bout their side of the bargain
That's when I knew that I could not refuse.
"(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes"
Oh, I said, 'I'm so happy, I could die.'
She said, 'Drop dead,' then left with another guy
That's what you get when you go chasing after b**ches.
Oh, I said, 'I'm so happy, I could die.'
She said, 'Drop dead,' then left with another guy
That's what you get if you go chasing after vengeance.
"45"
Here comes Saddam Hussein.
Here is a song to sing.
"Accidents Will Happen"
Excellence will happen
Accidents will happen
"Accidents Will Happen"
There are so many people to see
So many people you can sh*t upon
At your pleasure
There are so many people to see
So many people you can check upon
And add to your collection
This portion of the song is heard in the movie "E.T. - The Extra-Terrestrial" in the scene where Michael comes home from football practice and checks the fridge for something to eat; he starts singing this song. Ever since 1982 I thought he was saying the "misheard" lyrics I wrote above!
"Alison"
Allison, my anus, too.
Allison, my aim is true.
"Alison"
Anacin, my pain is through.
Allison, my aim is true.
"Alison"
Have a son.
Alison
"Alison"
I'm not gonna get too sentimental
Like those other sickly valentines.
or
Like those other stickin' valentines.
I'm not gonna get too sentimental
Like those other sticky valentines.
"Alison"
I'm not gonna get too sentimental
Like those other stick of valentines.
or
Like those other stinkin' valentines.
I'm not gonna get too sentimental
Like those other sticky valentines.
"Alison"
Like those other sickened valentines
Like those other stickin' valentines
"Alison"
Like those other stick around types.
Like those other sticky valentines.
"Alison"
My Miss True
My aim is true.
"Alison"
My an#s tube
My aim is true.
"Alison"
My name is Drew.
My aim is true.
"Alison"
Oh, it's so funny to be seeing you at the soda shop.
Oh, it's so funny to be seeing you after so long, girl.
"Beyond Belief"
Be locked in Geneva's deepest vault,
Just like the cadavers of men in the great barrier reef.
Be locked in Geneva's deepest vault,
Just like the canals of Mars and the great barrier reef
"Beyond Belief"
Through a two-way looking glass
You see you're Alice.
Through a two-way looking glass
You see your Alice.
Very subtle difference, but changes the meaning completely.
"Clubland"
Going off with booty
Golden opportunity
"Clubland"
Lead to a higher in-command
Who calls in for air raid strikes.
Lead to a higher ranking man
Or a face with thin red stripes.
"Clubland"
Lead to higher in command
Or a face within their stripes.
Lead to a higher ranking man
Or a face with thin red stripes.
"Clubland"
Something's coming, Communist days
Your hands at work aren't steady.
Some things come in common these days
Your hands and work aren't steady.
"Clubland"
The boys install the merchandise
New weights are nearly dates.
The boys next door, the mums and dads
Newlyweds and nearly-deads.
"Clubland"
The long arm of the law
Slides up to nice girls in town.
The long arm of the law
Slides up the outskirts of town.
"Clubland"
They lead you halfway to paradise
They lead you halfway to bliss
The latest invitation never seemed like this.
They leave him half way to paradise
They leave you half way to bliss
The ladies' invitation never seemed like this.
"Everyday I Write The Book"
Everyday I rock the boat
or
Everyday I ride the bus
or
Everyday I ride the bus
Everyday I write the book
"Glitter Gulch"
Every step might be your last
Put a sizer in your ass
Every step might be your last
Money signs are in your eyes
"Hand In Hand"
You sit in your underwear but
It's gonna be syndicated.
You sit and you wonder whether
It's gonna be syndicated.
"Hand in Hand"
You sit in your underwear but
it's gonna be syndicated
you sit and you wonder whether
it's gonna be syndicated
"Hoover Factory"
Greenford oh Greenford From Park Royal to North Acton
Green for go, green for action From Park Royal to North Acton
"Miracle Man"
I've been doing everything to try and please her
Even crawling 'round Otto Falls.
I've been doing everything to try and please her
Even crawling 'round on all fours.
"My Dark Live"
And you think you're a guest,
You're a Taurus at best
And you think you're a guest,
You're a tourist at best
"Oliver's Army"
Alba Tralba
Oliver's army
"Oliver's Army"
All of the zombies
Oliver's army
Not misheard by me, track listing on a bootleg
"Oliver's Army"
All of us only are here to stay.
Oliver's Army are here to stay.
"Oliver's Army"
Call Korea's information
Call careers information
"Oliver's Army"
Don't start me porking I could pork all night
Don't start me talking I could talk all night
"Oliver's Army"
Eye of the zombie
Oliver's army
"Oliver's Army"
I was always here to stay
Olivers army is here to stay
"Oliver's Army"
I was wrong and I'm here to stay
I was wrong and I'm on my way
Oliver's Army is here to stay
Oliver's Army is on their way
"Oliver's Army"
Llandudno's full of Arabs.
London is full of Arabs.
I only got to know the correct lyric when Frank Skinner impersonated Costello singing this on 'Stars In Their Eyes'!
"Oliver's Army"
London is full of apps
London is full of Arabs
"Oliver's Army"
My Nan goes sleepwalking
While I'm putting the world to right
My mind goes sleepwalking
While I'm putting the world to right
"Oliver's Army"
Olive Assami is on the way
Oliver's army is on the way.
"Oliver's Army"
Olive the zombie is on her way.
Oliver's army is on the way.
"Oliver's Army"
Oliver Zombie
Oliver's Army
"Oliver's Army"
Only takes one itchy trigger
One more little old less white nigger
Only takes one itchy trigger
One more widow, one less white nigger
"Oliver's Army"
Our love is always.
Oliver's army
"Oliver's Army"
Out of the zombie, you're here to pay.
Oliver's Army is here to stay.
"Oliver's Army"
There was a Czech born Charlie
He didn't crack a smile
There was a Checkpoint Charlie
He didn't crack a smile
"Oliver's Army"
There was a chap called Charlie
He did a crocodile
There was a checkpoint Charlie
He didn't crack a smile
"Oliver's Army"
There was a crap on Charlie
There was a checkpoint Charlie
"Oliver's Army"
We could sell you to Joanna's book
We could send you to Johannesburg
"Oliver's Army"
We could send you to Japan or Spain
We could send you to Johannesburg
"Oliver's Army"
We could send you to jump an iceberg
We could send you to Johannesburg
"Oliver's Army"
We could send you tutors and a clerk.
We could send you to Johannesburg.
"Oliver's Army"
We could send you two Joes and a Burt.
We could send you to Johannesburg.
"Oliver's Army"
With just the way they miss the judge's ear.
With just a word in Mr. Churchill's ear.
"Oliver's Army"
With the fires from the Mersey and the Thames and the Tyne
With the boys from the Mersey and the Thames and the Tyne
"Pills And Soap"
There are ashtrays of emulsion.
There are ashtrays of emotion.
"Pump It Up"
Down in the fashion show,
Down in the parking bin
Out in the fashion show,
Down in the bargain bin
"Pump It Up"
Listen to the Tropicana,
listen to the latest stats
Listen to the propaganda,
listen to the latest slander
"Pump It Up"
You wanna talk to her,
You wanna talk to her
You wanna torture her,
You wanna talk to her
"Radio Radio"
They say you better listen to the boys of reason.
They say you better listen to the voice of reason.
"Radio Radio"
They say you better listen to the vice of reason.
They say you better listen to the voice of reason.
"Radio Sweetheart"
Hydro love
Hydro love
Hide your love
Hide your love.
"Senior Service"
Silver service
Is it to your satisfaction?
Senior service
Junior dissatisfaction
"She"
She may be the song the summer sins
May be the chill the autumn brings.
She may be the song that summer sings
Maybe the children autumn brings.
"Sour Milk-Cow Blues"
Sour cat food
or
Sour cat Pooh
or
Sour cat Pooh
Sour milk-cow blues
"Spooky Girlfriend"
I could be your stupid girlfriend.
or
I could be your school-kid girlfriend.
I could be your spooky girlfriend.
"Sulky Girl"
She left her, your up being down.
She left her European town.
"This Year's Girl"
Jesse's girl
This year's girl
"This Year's Girl"
Vicious Girl
This year's girl
"Tokyo Storm Warning"
Tell Keo, "stop whining"
Tokyo storm warning
"Tramp The Dirt Down"
When they farted in your face as you lined up for punishment
When they flaunt it in your face as you line up for punishment
"Veronica"
And her name is Bionicle
And her name is Veronica
"Veronica"
And they call her gay
And they call her a name
"Veronica"
Barometer
Veronica
"Veronica"
I'm the empress of emptiness
On the Empress of India (a ship)
"Veronica"
Moronic
or
Ironic
Veronica
"Veronica"
Well I used to know a girl that I used to know
And her name was Veronica
Well I used to know a girl and I could've sworn
That her name was Veronica
"Waiting for the End of the World"
The man from the television crawling through the train
I wonder whose scum is stinking up this town
The man from the television crawled into the train
I wonder who he's gonna stick it in this time
"Watching The Detectives"
Nice girls that's one with a defect.
Nice girls, not one with a defect.
"Watching The Detectives"
Red Datsun narrowly connects
Red dogs under illegal legs
"Watching The Detectives"
Red dogs under illegal eggs
Red dogs under illegal legs
"Watching The Detectives"
She looks so good that he can't stand her face
She looks so good that he gets down and begs
"Watching The Detectives"
She's washing her protectives
She's watching the detectives
"Watching the Detectives"
She's filing her nails while they drag in the lake
She's filing her nails while they're dragging the lake
"Watching the Detectives"
She’s what you want - detectives
She’s watching the detectives
"Watching the Detectives"
That girl's not one with the feet that sell fame. Shrink that - so correct
Red dolls and derelict eagle eggs.
Nice girls not one with a defect, cellophane shrink-wrapped, so correct.
Red dogs under illegal legs.
"What's So Funny Bout Peace, Love And Understanding"
And each time I feel like pure suicide
And each time I feel like this inside
"What's So Funny Bout Peace, Love And Understanding"
What's so fun about peace, love and understanding?
What's so funny 'bout peace, love and understanding?
Editor's note: The whole title, including the apostrophe, will not fit in the "Song name" field; there is a character limit.
"What's So Funny Bout Peace, Love And Understanding"
What's so funny 'bout me slugging Ernie Stanley?
What's so funny about peace, love and understanding?
"What's So Funny Bout Peace, Love And Understanding"
What's so funny about this little earth were standing on?
What's so funny about peace, love and understanding?
"Why Don't You Love Me (Like You Used To Do)"
How come you treat me like a one-eyed Jew?
How come you treat me like a worn out shoe?
"Why Don't You Love Me (Like You Used To Do)"
Why don't you love me like you used to do?
How come you treat me like a one-eyed Jew?
Why don't you love me like you used to do?
How come you treat me like a worn out shoe?
"You'll Never Be A Man"
Did you make out across the lane?
Are you made out of porcelain?