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!).
Cars - Complete Greatest Hits album at Amazon.com
Its just a fecking alibi
By my love
It's just a broken lullaby
Bye bye love
The Story: Been singing along this way forever and never been corrected, so I'll keep on singing it that way - Submitted by: Danny b
They wanna crack your crussworth smile
Oo can I take you out for awhile
They want to crack your crossword smile
Oo can I take you out for awhile
The Story: I've heard the lyric as "crussworth smile" for nearly thirty years. :-O - Submitted by: Craig Johnson
You can't go on thinking nothing's wrong, but I...
You can't go on thinking nothing's wrong, but bye...
The Story: I used to think that's what the late Ric Ocasek said. - Submitted by: Cody Finke
Let the cross you rock roll bear
Let them brush your rock 'n' rock hair.
The Story: Does Ric mean that you should bear your own cross but have a good time anyway? - Submitted by: Kawasaki Lets The Good Times Roll!
The Cars',
"I'm In Touch With Your World"
I'm an island, only better.
I been lying on your feathers.
The Story: Oh geez...I just found this out today and I was crushed. The Cars' debut album is my favorite ever and I love Ric Ocasek, but he has eluded me many times. Really, I misheard the whole goddamn song! I thought a little later he was saying 'I'm a suicidal poet/You're a big fat macaroni' (a mistake I only recently found out that many others share) but I figured out my wrongness pretty quickly for that. But this one...I dunno why, but I thought it made sense of a sort...it certainly couldn't be any weirder than any of the song's other lyrics. But alas, I was wrong. It's a simple equation, people: Slurred vocals + strange lyrics = total and utter confusion. - Submitted by: Cat
And tacos in your sleep
And talking in your sleep
The Story: In memory of Ric Ocasek (1944-2019) - Submitted by: Cody Finke
You always neutered very well.
You always knew to wear it well.
The Story: It's weird, since I've always known the real lyrics. But lately my brain has been playing tricks on me, and now I keep hearing 'neutered' whenever I listen to the song. I can't get the image of this girl taking away a cat's manhood out of my head! - Submitted by: Cat
and her ribs stand out...
And a risque mouth
The Story: I really thought this was what they said, that she was quirky-sexy skinny or something. - Submitted by: Paul Wall
You run around like a paper towel
Pretending it's fun
You run around like a paper doll
Pretending it's fun
The Story: I've heard the "paper towel" lyric for many, many years. :-O - Submitted by: Craig Johnson
Life's insane, I'm moving in stereo
Life's insane, except for my shoes
Life's the same, we're moving in stereo
Life's the same, except for my shoes
The Story: Sad to say I didn't realize these weren't the correct lyrics until I read the "real lyrics" on this site! It does make more sense now; I often wondered why Rick's shoes were the only sane aspect of his life. Ironically, the "shoes" line was the one that I always thought I had incorrect. - Submitted by: KathyL
Danced all night, were ya here?
Makin' annoying cat stop and stare?
Dance all night...gotta work!
Do the move with that quirky jerk.
Dance all night, whirl your hair.
Make the night cats stop and stare.
Dance all night...go to work!
Do the move with the quirky jerk.
The Story: First heard this song as a teen in the '90s. With no lyric sheet available, I learned all the wrong words. - Submitted by: Mike
Don't you worry 'cause a "tout de suite"
Don't you worry 'bout two left feet.
The Story: I was taking French in junior high school and thought I heard some of that language being spoken in this song. - Submitted by: azchurch
Don't let nobody pick your butt
Don't let nobody pick your fun
The Story: This is really how my sister hears the song. She knows this can't be the real lyric, but it is all she hears when she listens to the song. I had to look it up because I didn't know what it was either. - Submitted by: Lorenza
Sentry Guard
Since you're gone
The Story: This mistranslation made me wonder, "Is his girlfriend a sentry guard, that is: does she work for a security company and he's going to pick her up after work to take her out on a date? I didn't realize my goof until I saw the song's video on MTV and the video's credits explaining the music appeared. - Submitted by: Heartbeat City Honcho
Sentry Guard
Since You've Gone
The Story: I kinda figured: Is Ric trying to ask out a female security guard out for a date? I was only 15 or 16 or so and just getting into "the game". My life hadn't even started yet. - Submitted by: Mr. Mag Wheels
You oughta goal, in my dreams.
You are the girl, in my dreams.
The Story: Heard this back in 1998 and thought, "Why is he talking about soccer?" - Submitted by: Mike
But I think that you're one
Beside me is some Shawn
But I think that you're wild
Inside me is some child
The Story: This is how I thought those really were the words! - Submitted by: Cody Finke
But I think that you're wild
A Siamese Islam child
But I think that you're wild
Inside me is some child
The Story: If it were not for my ability to look this up on the Internet, I would still think the correct lyrics were "A Siamese Islam child". - Submitted by: Clarke
Maybe you think I'm a geek
And that's something to do.
Maybe you think I'm lucky
To have something to do.
The Story: I think the reason I misheard 'I'm lucky' as 'I'm a geek' is because when Ric Ocasek sings this line, he stresses the SECOND syllable of the word 'lucky', making it sound like 'luh-KEE'. And with the music going loud in the background and his slight word slurring, 'luh-KEE' sounds just like 'a geek'! - Submitted by: Shari Kaplan
The Cars',
"You're All I've Got Tonight"
Ural, I've got tonight.
You're all I've got tonight.
The Story: I usually say this whenever I take over a certain territory in Risk. - Submitted by: DI
The Cars',
"You're All I've Got Tonight"
You can knock me and I don't care
You can mock me and I don't care
You can f**k me just about anywhere
It's alright
You can knock me and I don't care
You can mock me and I don't care
You can rock me just about anywhere
It's alright
The Story: that's what it sounded like when I was driving my car. - Submitted by: Drive Drive Drive
New entries in this section are currently reviewed by Brian Kelly. Previous editors (if any) are listed on the editors page.