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!).
Badmotorfinger album at Amazon.com
Lyin' like Nedo I'm Forrest Gu-ump
Lyin' like needles
On forest earth
The Story: I knew it wasn't right, Chris' lyrics are much to poetic to be that goofy. But we had fun with it until we finally looked it up. - Submitted by: Don-ee-el
Backhoe fun, won't you come, and wash away the pain
Black hole sun, won't you come, and wash away the rain
The Story: I was in the car with a friend and Black hole sun come on the radio and i started singing it my way, not even wondering why someone would write a song about an earth moving machine. Needless to say i never heard the end of it. - Submitted by: Kirby
Black Olson
Black Hole Sun
The Story: My wife thought it was Black Olson. She asked me if this song was racist or about a pirate. - Submitted by: Wez
Black hole sun
Makes you run.
Black hole sun
Won't you come?
The Story: My 7-year-old sings it this way no matter how many times I tell him it's not that way. - Submitted by: Maggie
Nothing seems to tell me
Nothing seems to kill me
The Story: I still prefer my misinterpretation! - Submitted by: Cody Finke
I sh*t on my na-chase
I sure don't mind the change
The Story: For the longest time I couldn't figure out what this lyric was. I told my buddy who also liked Soundgarden about it, and then every time we heard it we would sing along and do the part I misheard the loudest. Then he complained that he couldn't listen to the song anymore without thinking of my stupid lyric. :) - Submitted by: Chris Durkin
S*** on my new chaise
or
Sure don't mind the chaise
I sure don't mind the change.
The Story: My friend and I were driving along in her 280Z when this song came on, and she was singing the bastardized lyrics. I asked her to repeat the lyrics, and she did. I pointed out the true lyrics and that hers didn't make any sense! [Ed.'s note: Sara's lyrics were also wrong, so I added hers to her sisters lyrics. Sorry, Sara.] Still, she replied that she liked hers better, and was a little miffed at me for pointing out the mistake. By the way we are both doctors now! - Submitted by: sara
Sit on my new chairs.
I sure don't mind a change.
The Story: When I first heard it , I had no clue what he (Chris Cornell) was singing. At first I thought it was, 'Pseudo-minded change.' Then, 'S*** on my new chains!' Finally, I decided it sounded most like, 'Sit on my new chairs!'. My friends agree when listening to the song, all the while bursting out in laughter. - Submitted by: Frank
Sit on my guitar
I sure don't mind the change.
The Story: A friend of mine thought this was the lyric, she sang it that way - Submitted by: ed9871
Don't come over here
Peas on my gate
Keep it off my wave
Don't come over here
Pi'' on my gate
Keep it off my wave
The Story: I heard it when I brought Soundgarden's 1994 album Superunknown - Submitted by: Karl
And I don't like what you got me hangin', Franz.
And I don't like what you got me hangin' from.
The Story: I often wondered who the h*** this Franz was. 'Maybe he was Chris Cornell's roommate in college who once hung a rope from their ceiling, and Chris didn't like it,' I thought. - Submitted by: Greg
I got the perfect stain, I cleaned it off, with a dirty feel
I got the perfect steal
A cleaner love with a dirty feel.
The Story: As of 2015-11-14 I still thought those were the real lyrics - Submitted by: Daniel
I got the perfect steel
or
I got the perfect deal
I got the perfect steal
The Story: I still think about hearing it either of those ways. - Submitted by: Cody Finke
I got the perfect steel
I got the perfect deal
The Story: I still think about hearing it either of those ways. - Submitted by: Cody Finke
All my friends are idiots
All my friends are Indians
The Story: I always thought about mishearing it as "idiots". - Submitted by: Cody Finke
Feel the river with your hands
Feel the rhythm with your hands
The Story: I thought how “rhythm” often sounds like “river” - Submitted by: Cody Finke
Strawman
Spoonman
The Story: My girlfriend and I were on a trip with another woman, and we were listening to this song. I pompously asked why they chose the term "strawman" for the song. You see, I had heard the term "strawman argument" and to me, it was an interesting use of it in the song. Both women burst out laughing and ridiculed me for the rest of the trip. In fact, the humiliation continues to this day. - Submitted by: Tim Brown
Said seize the day, pull the trigger
Drop the plate watch the rolling heads
Said seize the day, pull the trigger
Drop the blade and watch the rolling heads
The Story: I thought it was drop the plate because Beavis and Butthead said that! - Submitted by: Jeff Fowler
I'm hitting, f*** you all.
Hard headed f***, you all.
The Story: With Ty Cobb being a baseball player, I always thought the lyrics were about him being at the plate and taunting the opposing team by saying "I'm hitting, f*** you all!" Couldn't believe I completely misheard this for years after seeing the actual lyrics. - Submitted by: Shane Stein
There are more Soundgarden misheard lyrics available.
New entries in this section are currently reviewed by Brian Kelly. Previous editors (if any) are listed on the editors page.