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Misheard Song Lyrics -> Stories -> Mamas And The Papas
Misheard lyrics (also called mondegreens) occur when people misunderstand the lyrics in a song. These are NOT intentional rephrasing of lyrics, which is called parody. For more information about the misheard lyrics available on this site, please read our FAQ.
This page contains a list of the songs that have stories about their misheard lyrics submitted.
Song names are sorted by first letter, excluding A and The. This is sorted by song title only, not by song title and performer. So if two different performers preformed the same song, you'll see misheard lyrics for both on the same page (provided the song title was spelt the same both times, and misheard lyrics have been submitted for both!).
California Dreamin album at Amazon.com
Mamas And The Papas', "California Dreamin'"
The Misheard Lyrics:
California dreamin'
Accentuator's Bay
Accentuator's Bay
The Real Lyrics:
California dreamin'
On such a winter's day.
On such a winter's day.
The Story: How did I come up with with a lyric like that as an 11 year old kid, while listening to my mama's and papa's Mamas and the Papas records? I must have been influenced by a advertising jingle for a furniture store, with the lyrics "Accentuate your living room." - Submitted by: Will
Mamas And The Papas', "California Dreamin'"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Oh, Louisa Brown
The Real Lyrics:
All the leaves are brown.
The Story: For years, I thought this was about a girl called Louisa Brown and 'a sky of clay'. The funny thing was years after I worked out the right lyric, I was discussing the lyrics with my brother. He had up to that moment still thought the song began, 'Oh Louisa Brown'. - Submitted by: Kevin Murphy
Mamas And The Papas', "California Dreaming"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Ebenezer Brown
The Real Lyrics:
All the leaves are brown.
The Story: One day my teenage son asked me to put the 'Ebenezer Brown' song on. It took me awhile to figure out which song he was talking about. - Submitted by: Merlin Walter
Mamas and The Papas', "California Dreaming"
The Misheard Lyrics:
I began to pray
The preacher lights the cove.
The preacher lights the cove.
The Real Lyrics:
I pretend to pray
The preacher likes the cold.
The preacher likes the cold.
The Story: I made this mstake because I was an altar boy. I lost a bet to my cynical sister who knew the real, very cynical lyrics. - Submitted by: charles
Mamas and The Papas', "Go Where You Wanna Go"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Not to be the cry in time
Not to be the girl you left behind.
Not to be the girl you left behind.
The Real Lyrics:
Not to be the crying kind
Not to be the girl you left behind.
Not to be the girl you left behind.
The Story: I always thought it was "cry in time". But suddenly I heard it different, and I checked on a lyrics site. Yup, I was wrong. I've sung this so many times out loud, I wonder what people must think of me! - Submitted by: Emmy
Mamas and the Papas', "California Dreamin'"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Can't afford the treatment
The Real Lyrics:
California dreamin'
The Story: A friend of mine had been singing along to this song one afternoon. I heard him sing, 'Can't afford the treatment ...on such a winter's day'. I pretended nothing was wrong. A minute later, I asked 'What was the name of that song you were singing?' 'Can't Afford The Treatment' he replies. And then he went on to tell me that the song is about the state of the US health care system in the mid 60's - Submitted by: Pat Foley
Mamas and the Papas', "California Dreamin'"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Condoleezza Brown and the skies are grey
The Real Lyrics:
All the leaves are brown and the skies are grey
The Story: I first heard the song many years after its release (I was born in 1993), and I was learning about the Iraq War, and I found myself hearing this song like this, obviously associating Condoleezza Rice with this song somehow. - Submitted by: Kaz
Mamas and the Papas', "California Dreamin'"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Old valise is brown...
The Real Lyrics:
All the leaves are brown...
The Story: it made sense to me - California Dreamin' - leaving on a trip, old valise (suitcase) is brown. It wasn't until many years later that I saw the words come up on a Karoke screen that I was stunned to know I'd been singing the wrong words for years! - Submitted by: Do
Mamas and the Papas', "California Dreamin'"
The Misheard Lyrics:
You know the creature likes the cold.
The Real Lyrics:
You know the preacher liked the cold.
The Story: My mother and I sing to alot of songs, and I was doing the lead. In the song, 'you know the preacher..' comes out really loudly, and I tried to simulate it. Unthinking, I came out with creature. Mum fell apart, and we can't sing that song anymore, or we get to that point and burst out laughing. - Submitted by: Killashandra
Mamas and the Papas', "California Dreamin'"
The Misheard Lyrics:
You know the preacher lights the coal
The Real Lyrics:
You know the preacher likes the cold.
The Story: I thought "lights the coal" would be more appropriate because the following line is "he knows I'm gonna stay." Lighting a coal heater because he knows the visitor is staying is more fitting than the preacher's opinion of the cold. - Submitted by: Denise Warner
Mamas and the Papas', "California Dreamin'"
The Misheard Lyrics:
You know the preacher likes the cold (preacher likes the cold)
The Real Lyrics:
You know the preacher lights the coal (preacher lights the coal)
The Story: "Stopped into a church I passed along the way Well, I got down on my knees (got down on my knees) And I pretend to pray (I pretend to pray) You know the preacher lights the coal (preacher lights the coal) He knows I'm gonna stay (knows I'm gonna stay)" The preacher "likes the cold" makes no sense in this context. Why would the preacher "like the cold" and how would that relate to the story?? The preacher would light the coal in the heater (remember this is an old church in NYC circa 1963) because he realizes the author is pretending to pray in the church order to escape the cold. He would not have bothered to light the coal if he believed there was nobody planning to stay in the church. - Submitted by: Philip Hanbidge
Mamas and the Papas', "California Dreamin'"
The Misheard Lyrics:
You know the preacher likes the cold
The Real Lyrics:
You know the preacher lights the coals
The Story: Makes sense as it was a winter's day. I cannot see how the preacher "liked the cold"! - Submitted by: David Shipley
Mamas and the Papas', "Creeque Alley"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Ma and my hitchie were gettin' kinda b****y.
or
Tom and Mitchie were gettin' kind of b****y.
or
Tom and Mitchie were gettin' kind of b****y.
The Real Lyrics:
Tom and Mitchie were gettin' kind of itchy.
The Story: This happened to be in a movie, and I thought 'I don't know the Mamas and the Papas that well, but that's a bit much for the 60s and 70s!' Even now, I can still hear it! It still makes me snicker! - Submitted by: Diddims
There are more Mamas And The Papas misheard lyrics available.
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