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!).
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'Cause we are born in a sink
Believe me, Adia
We are still in a sink.
'Cause we are born innocent
Believe me, Adia
We are still innocent.
The Story: My daughter, Gabrielle, who was born in 1989, was sure, completely sure, that "sink" was the right word and made a lot of sense. She even convinced me! She thought the idea, that we are still in a sink, meant something that adults understood. I prefer "in a sink" to "innocent"... :-) - Submitted by: Christine
We are born in a sack
Believe me, Adia
We are born in a sack.
We are born innocent
Believe me, Adia
We are born innocent.
The Story: I told my friend what I thought the song said, and she cracked up. And she couldn't believe I kept singing it like that even after she told what it said. - Submitted by: JKQ
You keep me hangin' on
Believe me, Adia
The Story: It sounded like she could have made a Motown reference. - Submitted by: Cody Finke
From this dark, old, cotillion
And the end is not such a fear
From this dark, cold, hotel room
And the endlessness that you fear
The Story: I was driving through Wichita the first time I heard this song and I could not figure out what she was singing at that point in the song. I passed a sign that said 'Cotillion' on it, and I thought, 'Huh, maybe that's what it is. . .' Finally, after belting out the lyrics in my car with my friend, she corrected me. - Submitted by: Kevin
There's vultures and thieves at your bank
There's vultures and thieves at your back
The Story: I seriously thought she said "bank", because the misheard lyrics do make sense since bank robbery does exist. - Submitted by: Cody Finke
And the vampires roll
And the vampires roam
The Story: This one got a chuckle out of me, it made me imagine a robotic vampire that rolls around on wheels and drains energy from other robots. - Submitted by: Hu’s On First
You stretched your ass away
You strut your Rasta wear
The Story: Used to think that's what she sang. - Submitted by: Cody Finke
Make up for the memories
Weep not for the memories
The Story: I wondered what it was. - Submitted by: Cody Finke
I realized
I'm reunited
The Story: Once again, why we mishear "fool" as "food". - Submitted by: Cody Finke
I sold it to my guy
And solitude my guide
The Story: Kept thinking she had sold it to some guy! - Submitted by: Cody Finke
Listen as the wind blows from across the great divide
Horses trapped in urine, and we're trapped in time.
Listen as the wind blows from across the great divide
Voices trapped in yearning, memories trapped in time.
The Story: At the time when I first heard this song, I worked for an NHS Helpline. We had been doing some publicity about the controversial use of urine from pregnant horses being put into certain types of hormone replacement therapy. I was very surprised at how topical the song was and what an animal rights supporter Sarah McLachlan was being. - Submitted by: Faith Frost
Love has made me a food
Love has made me a fool
The Story: Once again, why we mishear "fool" as "food". - Submitted by: Cody Finke
Are you an angler?
Am I already a goat?
Are you an angel?
Am I already a ghost?
The Story: As I was listening to this song, I suddenly imagined Sarah McLachlan eating grass by a fisherman. I told my friend Andreea, who was with me at the time, and then she started imitating it! I was the angler or fisherman and she was the goat...ahhh good times. =) - Submitted by: kitty
I knew you wanted some jelly
I knew you wanted to tell me
The Story: Once again, why we mishear "fool" as "food". - Submitted by: Cody Finke
Believe me, 80 uh.
Believe me, Adia.
The Story: At first, I thought it was an ode to the year 1980. - Submitted by: Jw
New entries in this section are currently reviewed by Brian Kelly. Previous editors (if any) are listed on the editors page.