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!).
Gunfighter Ballads & Trail Songs album at Amazon.com
"Out in the west Texas town of El Piso, I fell in love with a Mexican tile..."
"Out in the west Texas town of El Paso, I fell in love with a Mexican girl..."
The Story: El Piso means "The floor" in Spanish. - Submitted by: weirdoyankeevic
Night tangled finely and roses can twinkle
Nighttime would find me in Rosa's Cantina
The Story: First heard the song as a child, when I would have been unable to understand that line for reasons including having no idea what a cantina is and no understanding of such a figure of speach as 'nighttime would find me'. As I grew up I gradually learned enough to make out more and more of the correct lyrics. But I wasn't completely sure of them until singing it as a karaoke song as a grownup. - Submitted by: Robert Jones
When a northern gun exploded
When a norther commenced blowin'
The Story: When I was a child, my father once really chided me for mangling this song and trivializing its story by singing the above line as misheard. Then he explained to me how a 'norther' in the great plains is a sudden northerly wind causing extreme and violent weather changes. - Submitted by: Trina Lufkin
Forgive me; amply say you are mine.
Forgive me and please say you are mine.
The Story: After listening to this song repeatedly, I eventually heard the real lyrics correctly. But at first, all I could make out of this line was the misheard version I've cited. - Submitted by: Francesca Burleson
I rode in the Hammil Railroad as the sun sank in the West
or
I rode into Hammil Railroad as the sun sank in the West
or
I rode in the flannel railroad as the sun sank in the West.
I rode into Amarillo as the sun sank in the West.
The Story: This must have been a particularly hard line for me to understand as a child, considering that I misheard it as one or more of the misheard versions above, even after I'd been to Amarillo, and was well aware of there being such a place. So not being familiar with a place name could hardly be the full explanation for my mishearing in this case. As a grown-up, I've suspected what the real lyrics were, and eventually confirmed them by a website. - Submitted by: Kirsten Abercrombie
He's about the worst f***er I've seen on the range.
He's about the worst bucker I've seen on the range.
The Story: I was listening to the song for the first time and, in disbelief, played it over and over. This was the fifties, mind you, and casual swearing was still a few decades away! - Submitted by: Evan
But in leaning lost her balance
Fell in front of that while tied
'Lay still, Lenoir Rhyne coming'
Were the words that Utah cried.
But in leaning lost her balance
Fell in front of that wild tide
'Lay still, Lenore, I'm coming'
Were the words that Utah cried.
The Story: When I heard this song as a child, I had no idea of its meaning. Not until the internet provided lyrics sites, did I have any chance of understanding it all and deciphering the intricate story it tells. Hearing 'Lenoir Rhyne' in it was a pretty natural mishearing for me, as I grew up within 50 mies of Hickory, nc, where Lenoir Rhyne College is located. - Submitted by: Kirsten Abercrombie
New entries in this section are currently reviewed by Brian Kelly. Previous editors (if any) are listed on the editors page.
