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.
Misheard Song Lyrics -> Stories -> Roy Orbison
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!).
16 Biggest Hits album at Amazon.com
Roy Orbison's, "Blue Bayou"
The Misheard Lyrics:
I'm going back Sunday
The Real Lyrics:
I'm going back someday
The Story: Once again, why we mishear "someday" as "Sunday" and vice versa. - Submitted by: Cody Finke
Roy Orbison's, "California Blue"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Dallas on the moon dreaming all alone Nothing else to do Dallas on the moon Everyday I pray I'll be on my way Saving love for you Dallas on the moon
The Real Lyrics:
California blue dreaming all alone Nothing else to do california blue Everyday I pray I'll be on my way Saving love for you california blue
The Story: I did not mishear these lyrics. Actually, the person who misheard the words to this song, was the late Grandmother of a friend from high school. Forgive me for making fun of the fact that older folk can develop hearing problems, which leads to them mishearing song words. - Submitted by: Sc
Roy Orbison's, "Oh, Pretty Woman"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Come do me, baby
The Real Lyrics:
Come to me, baby
The Story: Thinking it was a similarity to Bell Biv DeVoe's song titled "Do Me!", whereas in the most often played remix of "Pretty Woman" that part was changed to "Come With Me, Baby". - Submitted by: Shutterbug
Roy Orbison's, "Oh, Pretty Woman"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Pretty woman, cantaloupe to meet.
The Real Lyrics:
Pretty woman, kind I'd like to meet.
The Story: When I heard this as a child, I always heard it as "cantaloupe to meet". I would sing it that way and some folks gave me really funny looks. - Submitted by: Kristin Carpenter
Roy Orbison's, "Only The Lonely"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Only baloney
The Real Lyrics:
Only the lonely
The Story: It's actually one my wife misheard lyrics, but she doesn't web surf looking for dumb stuff like I do. - Submitted by: Rick Karrasch
Roy Orbison's, "Only The Lonely"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Phoney baloney
The Real Lyrics:
Only the lonely
The Story: As a kid in the 50's, my mother used the phrase "phoney baloney'" much as "B.S." is used today. Every time I heard the song I actually thought Roy Orbison was singing "phoney baloney" - Submitted by: Randy Krohn
Roy Orbison's, "Only the Lonely"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Odie Cologne
The Real Lyrics:
Only the lonely
The Story: I first got a copy of this classic record when my cousin gave me her old 45s--I was about three years old then. I used to play it on my Close-n-Play phonograph--remember those?--and I'd walk around singing 'Odie Cologne' to that, despite the fact that the label clearly said "Only the Lonely"! Odie Cologne was the skunk character in the King Leonardo cartoon, which shows you where my head was at back then...I was REALLY warped by bad TV cartoons...LOL! - Submitted by: Mark Speck
Roy Orbison's, "Only the Lonely"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Tony Baloney knows the way I feel tonight,
The Real Lyrics:
Only the lonely know the way I feel tonight,
The Story: Our family was going to church one Sunday and my dad had the radio on. When this song came on, he started yelling (which he was apt to do at any given moment) "Who the hell is Tony Baloney? What a stupid blank-blank song!" Explaining his mistake didn't help, and my siblings and I still bring this up when talking about our childhood memories! - Submitted by: Louise Kush
Roy Orbison's, "Pretty Woman"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Dirty woman
The Real Lyrics:
Pretty woman
The Story: As with other misheard lyrics, I would sign this one when the song played on the radio, and a family member would correct me. I guess 'dirty woman' would sound sexist in today's climate. - Submitted by: Doug Montgomery
Roy Orbison's, "Shadaroba"
The Misheard Lyrics:
John the Robot
The Real Lyrics:
Shadaroba
The Story: heard it first on Mad men Episode 13, Season 3. - Submitted by: Mary
Roy Orbison's, "You Got It"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Every time I look into your lovin' ass
The Real Lyrics:
Every time I look into your lovin' eyes
The Story: One of the last songs Roy Orbison recorded prior to his death on December 6, 1988; his last album he recorded, Mystery Girl, which features this song, was released two months after his death on February 7, 1989, although it was not his last studio album released; his album King of Hearts, which features the first recording of "I Drove All Night" (recorded in 1987) was released on October 20, 1992, nearly four years after his death. - Submitted by: Cody Finke
| 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.
Submissions!
Would you like to Submit some Misheard Lyrics for a song We're always looking for more entries.
Disclaimer
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.