Making fun of music, one song at a time. Since the year 2000.

Check out the two amIright misheard lyrics books including one book devoted to misheard lyrics of the 1980s.

Neil Young

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!).

After The Gold Rush album at Amazon.com

Neil Young's, "Cinnamon Girl"

The Misheard Lyrics:

I wanna live with a simian girl.

The Real Lyrics:

I wanna live with a cinnamon girl.

The Story: I always thought it had something to do with Planet of the Apes! - Submitted by: Miranda

Neil Young's, "Cortez the Killer "

The Misheard Lyrics:

Hank was just a legend.

The Real Lyrics:

Hate was just a legend.

The Story: I first heard this in my much younger formative years, when Young was becoming a hero of mine, and his vast works exposing me to whole different genres of music. I was also too young to grasp the meaning of this song, and thus genuinely thought the misheard lyric was a tribute to the guitar playing prowess of Hank Marvin because he was presumably an influence on Young. - Submitted by: Zippy P

Neil Young's, "Harvest"

The Misheard Lyrics:

Will I see you give more than I can take?
Well, I own this Harvest song.

The Real Lyrics:

Will I see you give more than I can take?
Will I only harvest some?

The Story: From the first time I heard the song at the age of 13 in 1972 until I looked on the Internet I always thought the lyrics were "Well, I own this Harvest song!" - Submitted by: Robert Sissons

Neil Young's, "Heart Of Gold"

The Misheard Lyrics:

I'd kill a minor for a heart of gold

The Real Lyrics:

I've been a miner for a heart of gold

The Story: My mother-in-law really likes this song & it was playing on the radio when I was visiting. I liked it too, and I asked how killing a minor would achieve getting a heart of gold! Everyone looked at me weird. But then, later, when the line came again, my mother-in-law complained that now she heard the 'minor' version too! - Submitted by: AJ Sweater

Neil Young's, "Heart of Gold"

The Misheard Lyrics:

I've been in Rhine wine, it's such a fine wine

The Real Lyrics:

I've been in my mind, it's such a fine line

The Story: I had a girlfriend back in 1972 who misheard that and sang it that way. When I told her the correct lyrics, she laughed and laughed, and said she likes her version better! - Submitted by: Tom

Neil Young's, "Heart of Gold"

The Misheard Lyrics:

I’ve been searching for a carnivore.

The Real Lyrics:

I've been searching for a heart of gold.

The Story: I was listening to it in a noisy truck. - Submitted by: Robert Wilcrest

Neil Young's, "Like a Hurricane"

The Misheard Lyrics:

There's cum in your eyes

The Real Lyrics:

There's calm in your eyes

The Story: It sounded like it! And then the part "and I'm getting BLOWN away" made me think about it in a perverted way. I think I've gone insane. - Submitted by: Fred

Neil Young's, "Motorcycle Mama"

The Misheard Lyrics:

And we'll see the world from the high lights.

The Real Lyrics:

And we'll see the world from my Harley.

The Story: Since I actually started riding a Harley and became a "Motorcycle Mama", I figured out the real lyrics, which then made sense to me. - Submitted by: Peggy Schmidt

Neil Young's, "Ohio"

The Misheard Lyrics:

4 diddle-ee o-i-o

The Real Lyrics:

4 dead in Ohio

The Story: A band I was in played this song for years, then one day the bass player's girfriend popped out with, 'You know, that song 4 diddle-ee o-i-o?', we looked and went, 'Are you talking about Ohio?' , and she said, 'What does that mean?' Like what she said made any sense??? - Submitted by: Val Pope

Neil Young's, "Ohio"

The Misheard Lyrics:

Oh Daddy and Oh Hi Ho

The Real Lyrics:

Four dead in Ohio

The Story: I was just a kid. I hadn't heard about Kent State yet. - Submitted by: Garve

Neil Young's, "Pocahontas"

The Misheard Lyrics:

I got Indian blood and I fight with Cher

The Real Lyrics:

I got an Indian rug and a pipe to share

The Story: This was the way my grandmother misheard the lyric. - Submitted by: Jeff Missinne

Neil Young's, "Sugar Mountain"

The Misheard Lyrics:

With the barkers and the colors of the moon

The Real Lyrics:

With the barkers and the coloured balloons

The Story: I thought this line was about dogs howling at the moon, not carnival barkers. - Submitted by: David Neman

Neil Young's, "Unknown Legend"

The Misheard Lyrics:

Somewhere on a desert island
She rides a Harley-Davidson

The Real Lyrics:

Somewhere on a desert highway
She rides a Harley-Davidson

The Story: During karaoke I realized that it wasn't island and all I could picture was some girl driving round and round an island in the middle of the ocean on a Harley. I choked on my words and couldn't finish the song. - Submitted by: stephanie wilton

Indexes:

[#]

[A]

[B]

[C]

[D]

[E]

[F]

[G]

[H]

[I]

[J]

[K]

[L]

[M]

[N]

[O]

[P]

[Q]

[R]

[S]

[T]

[U]

[V]

[W]

[Y]

[Z]

New entries in this section are currently reviewed by Brian Kelly. Previous editors (if any) are listed on the editors page.

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Disclaimer: amIright.com makes no claims to the accuracy of the correct lyrics. All correct lyrics are copyrighted, amIright.com does not claim ownership of the original lyrics.