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Misheard Song Lyrics -> Stories -> U2

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!).


Achtung Baby album at Amazon.com
U2's, "A Sort Of Homecoming"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Tonight we'll build a bridge
Across the CN Line
The Real Lyrics:
Tonight we'll build a bridge
Across the sea and land
The Story: It sounds to me when I hear it like they want to make a bridge over the CN line. - Submitted by: Darren Elliott
U2's, "Beautiful Day"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Booty day!
The Real Lyrics:
Beautiful day
The Story: My niece used to sing 'booty day!' when ITV used this song as the theme tune to 'The Premiership'. I think she was looking at all the footballers on the titles. - Submitted by: pickle*
U2's, "Beautiful Day"
The Misheard Lyrics:
See the world of bread and groom
She turns right in front of you
See the Kenyans broken by clout
See the cheer fleets clearing the seats
See the bedroom fires at night
See the orphans at first flight
And I see what I believe in her mouth
Overflowing till all the colors came out
The Real Lyrics:
See the world in green and blue
See China right in front of you
See the canyons broken by cloud
See the tuna fleets clearing the sea out
See the Bedouin fires at nigh
See the oil fields at first light
And see the bird with a leaf in her mouth
After the flood all the colors came out
The Story: I thought it was about random events in the world and the cheer fleets I thought were cheer leaders getting ready to go on the field out of the bleachers (seats). It was also promoted on a commercial with Ray Romano at a football game in the early 2000's - Submitted by: Ryan
U2's, "Beautiful Day"
The Misheard Lyrics:
The heart is a broom
It's a beautiful day
Scaffolds and city lights
See the world in green and blue
See it turn all red in front of you
See the Kenyan's broken by clouds
See the tuna fleets clearing the sea and
See the bedroom fire at night
See the oil fields up first light
The Real Lyrics:
The heart is a bloom
Shoots up through the stony ground
It's a beautiful day, don't let it get away
Sky falls, you feel like
See the world in green and blue
See China right in front of you
See the canyons broken by cloud
See the tuna fleets clearing the sea out
See the Bedouin fires at night
See the oil fields up in light
The Story: I don't sing for a reason. - Submitted by: NicoleHrisa
U2's, "Beautiful Day"
The Misheard Lyrics:
You see the bat when it flies at night.
The Real Lyrics:
You see the Bedouin fires at night.
The Story: It did sound a little out of place... but then, it was after all in a list of lots of odd sights. I only found out I'd misheard it when I looked up another part of the song's lyrics. - Submitted by: @ssKicker
U2's, "Bullet The Blue Sky"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Billy, the Boy Scout
The Real Lyrics:
Bullet the blue sky.
The Story: My mom thought it strange that Bono would be singing in such apparent outrage about a Boy Scout. - Submitted by: jfh
U2's, "Bullet The Blue Sky"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Bully Babushka
The Real Lyrics:
Bullet the blue sky.
The Story: I heard the correct lyrics for the first time while doing security for U2 in the dressing room at Earl's Court in London. I told the Edge 'I just always thought of a really mean Russian girl'. He laughed with me. - Submitted by: Ravyn Cancion
U2's, "Bullet The Blue Sky"
The Misheard Lyrics:
I can see those spider veins.
The Real Lyrics:
I can see those fighter planes.
The Story: I was feelin realy self-concious about my spider veins at the time. Then I heard this song on the radio and I was thinking, 'Omigod, he's talkin' to me! He's talkin' about my legs, wow!' - Submitted by: bongo
U2's, "Bullet the Blue Sky"
The Misheard Lyrics:
See them driving nails
Into the souls of the chia pet.
The Real Lyrics:
See it driving nails
Into the souls on the tree of pain.
The Story: I knew this couldn't be right. Bono would never write a song about chia pets. Rise up chia pets! Let them torture you no longer! - Submitted by: Alanna
U2's, "Desire"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Yeah, she's a promise in the Europe elections
My sister, I let her go
Like a preacher stealing hearts, jebedean show
All over money, money, money, money, money.
The Real Lyrics:
Yeah she's a promise in the year of election
Oh sister, I can't let you go
Like a preacher stealing hearts at a traveling show
For love or money, money, money.
The Story: After hearing the song, I used to think a 'Jebedean Show' was like a group of travelling medievel desert gypsies or something. - Submitted by: Sarah K
U2's, "Discoteque"
The Misheard Lyrics:
We know you have a bubble gun.
The Real Lyrics:
You know you're chewing bubble gum.
The Story: I caught my friend singing this line at work, and just started laughing hysterically. Like a bubble gun's really got a lot to do with either U2 or a discoteque. I thought it was funny. - Submitted by: Mazotti
U2's, "Elevation"
The Misheard Lyrics:
A Star, still looks like a cigar Still amp like a guitar Maybe you could educate my mind
The Real Lyrics:
A star, lit up like a cigar Strung out like a guitar Maybe you could educate my mind.
The Story: I don't know. It half makes sense... not really. - Submitted by: Em
U2's, "Elevation"
The Misheard Lyrics:
I am not in the sky
The Real Lyrics:
I and I in the sky
The Story: Always though the lyrics to be "I am not in the sky". Only today did I find out that it was "I and I in the sky". - Submitted by: Dongquan
U2's, "God Part II"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Don't believe in axes
The Real Lyrics:
I don't believe in excess.
The Story: Because a few lines down 'don't believe in uzi' is sung I thought of another weapon here - Submitted by: Robert van der Liet
U2's, "Helter Skelter"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Help this ghetto
The Real Lyrics:
Helter Skelter
The Story: A friend of mine persisted that his version was correct. - Submitted by: Stephan
U2's, "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"
The Misheard Lyrics:
I believe in Kubla Khan.
The Real Lyrics:
I believe in the kingdom come.
The Story: A high school friend, who just happened to be Asian-American, thought these were the words and defended his point hotly. (Editor s note: I am also Asian-American and your friend needs to take a chill pill.:D) - Submitted by: John Curl
U2's, "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"
The Misheard Lyrics:
La da dee, la da da, wonderful people
The Real Lyrics:
I still haven't found what I'm looking for
The Story: I heard it over the PA in a store once and for years never knew what the song was. - Submitted by: A
U2's, "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"
The Misheard Lyrics:
These silly worms
The Real Lyrics:
These city walls
The Story: I was singing this for a long time. - Submitted by: Neil Tarbox
U2's, "IN the Name of Love"
The Misheard Lyrics:
One man comes in at tsutsie fly
The Real Lyrics:
One man come he to justify
The Story: So little when I heard this song - Submitted by: Tatiana
U2's, "In the Name of Love"
The Misheard Lyrics:
In the name of love want pride in the name of love
In the name of love want pride in the name of love
The Real Lyrics:
In the name of love want more in the name of love
In the name of love want more in the name of love
The Story: I was really little when I heard this song - Submitted by: Tatiana
U2's, "Like a Song"
The Misheard Lyrics:
And the weather makes a change, we stake our claim
The Real Lyrics:
And in leather, lace and chains, we stake our claim
The Story: That's just always what it sounded like, and seemed to fit the theme of the lyrics. - Submitted by: Patrick
U2's, "Like a Song"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Let me sing now what you want
The Real Lyrics:
Is honesty what you want?
The Story: I still can't hear what the lyrics are supposed to be. Bono really slurred it together. - Submitted by: Patrick
U2's, "Love Is Blindness"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Baby, I need your a**.
The Real Lyrics:
Baby, a dangerous idea.
The Story: I was listening to this song one evening when I was a little too tired to still be awake. I thought I heard, 'Baby, I need your a** '. I went: 'Huh?!' I actually had to check up on the lyrics to make sure Bono -wasn't- singing what I had heard. lol. - Submitted by: Gwendolyn
U2's, "Mysterious Ways"
The Misheard Lyrics:
If you wanna kiss the guy
Better learn how to kneel
On your knees, boy.
The Real Lyrics:
If you wanna kiss the sky
Better learn how to pray
On your knees, boy.
The Story: When my sister first heard this song, she exclaimed 'Is Bono gay!? Oh my God! I can't believe he just said kiss the guy! He is a guy!' I explained to her that it said sky, but she kept insisting it was guy. To this day, whenever she hears Mysterious Ways, she gives me a michevous look and says guy instead of sky. - Submitted by: Susie C.
U2's, "Mysterious Ways"
The Misheard Lyrics:
She moos in mysterious ways.
The Real Lyrics:
She moves in mysterious ways.
The Story: A friend misheard this. - Submitted by: Uh no
U2's, "New Year's Day"
The Misheard Lyrics:
The world is wild, it's out of the way.
The Real Lyrics:
A world in white gets underway.
The Story: I originally thought it was "... in white get underway". then I went here, and saw this as the REAL lyrics, and listened and thought I heard it. So at the concert I sang these lyrics, drew a few stares, and wound up buying a few pints for them all. - Submitted by: nottellingyou
U2's, "One Tree Hill"
The Misheard Lyrics:
And over Solsbury Hill
The Real Lyrics:
And over One Tree Hill
The Story: Sounded like Bono had given a reference to Peter Gabriel. - Submitted by: Cody Finke
U2's, "One"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Love is a tampon.
The Real Lyrics:
Love is a temple.
The Story: I was over at my boyfriend's house one night for band rehearsal. I was playing and singing the crap out of this song (which I totally fell in love with) on the guitar, until I burst out singing, 'Love is a tampon' so loud. I was so embarrassed when I didn't realize that the correct lyrics were 'Love is a temple'. My face turned a bright beet red when that happened, especially when my boyfriend had also questioned me about that other lyric: 'Have you come here to play Jesus to the lepers in your head?'. - Submitted by: Jen
U2's, "One"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Love is the Jetsons
The Real Lyrics:
Love is a temple
The Story: I swear they got hired by Hanna-Barbera! - Submitted by: Cody Finke
U2's, "One"
The Misheard Lyrics:
The leopards in your head
The Real Lyrics:
The lepers in your head
The Story: My brother and I have argued about this; he thinks it's leopards. I say it's lepers, but I haven't convinced him because he says neither really makes sense but 'leopards' is funnier. I say U2 doesn't do funny. - Submitted by: S
U2's, "One"
The Misheard Lyrics:
We get to harry each other.
The Real Lyrics:
We get to carry each other.BR>
The Story: Actually, I'm not the one who misheard the lyric. It was my dear friend Norman Fizz. He actually looked up 'harry' to try to understand the meaning of the lyric. Then he asked me why on earth Bono would write a song about everybody being 'one' yet say we get to torment each other! I just stared at him blankly. :-) - Submitted by: Tara O'Donnell
U2's, "Pride (In The Name Of Love)"
The Misheard Lyrics:
But they could not take your pie.
The Real Lyrics:
But they could not take your pride.
The Story: For years I sang along, screaming the word 'pie'. I could have sworn Bono said pie. I wasn't quote sure what pie had to do with Martin Luther King Jr., but I decided not to question Bono's wisdom and accept his lyrics. Later, when I got into U2, I realized my folly and I can't help but thinking of it now when I hear Pride. - Submitted by: Susie C.
U2's, "Pride (In The Name Of Love)"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Free at last, they took your life
They could not take your past.
The Real Lyrics:
Free at last, they took your life
They could not take your pride.
The Story: I always wondered why the song was called 'Pride', if the word 'pride' wasn't in it. - Submitted by: Troy
U2's, "Pride (In The Name Of Love)"
The Misheard Lyrics:
In the name of love One man in the name of love In the name of love One more in the name of love
The Real Lyrics:
In the name of love What more in the name of love In the name of love What more in the name of love
The Story: It took a re-imagined version of this song for me to realize I was way off - Submitted by: Steffen
U2's, "Pride (In The Name Of Love)"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Tell me the meaning of
Shot rings out in the Memphis sky
The Real Lyrics:
Early morning, April 4
Shot rings out in the Memphis sky
The Story: just tell me about memphis sky - Submitted by: jjharis
U2's, "Pride (In the Name of Love)"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Early morn, April fall
Shudderings, eye in the menthol sky
Free at last, yeah, look for your life
Yeah, couldn't I take your pride?
The Real Lyrics:
Early morning, April 4
Shot rings out in the Memphis sky
Free at last, they took your life
They could not take your pride
The Story: Ever since I first heard this song, I knew my version had to be a mondegreen. However, now having finally succumbed to weakness and looked up the lyrics.... it STILL sounds the same to me! And although this verse makes the meaning of the entire song crystal clear (the murder of Martin Luther King), with the greatest respect, I think it makes it more prosaic. I think my mondegreen makes it seem more mystical and mysterious. - Submitted by: Alastair Archibald
U2's, "Pride (In the Name of Love)"
The Misheard Lyrics:
One man to overflow
The Real Lyrics:
One man to overthrow
The Story: I kind of wondered which was right - Submitted by: Cody Finke
U2's, "Pride"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Free the blacks
The Real Lyrics:
Free at last
The Story: Nah, not really. My ex-boyfriend used to howl 'free the blacks'. Of course, I had to whip him into shape. Shortly after that, we went to see U2 for the first time...just for kicks, in unison, we sang 'free the blacks.' - Submitted by: Fleur
U2's, "Raised by Wolves"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Stronger than Peter
The Real Lyrics:
Stronger than fear
The Story: Bono kind of drags "fear" in the song so I was wondering who Peter is and what he has to do with the plot of this song - Submitted by: Dayna
U2's, "Salome"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Bake it, bake it, bake, Salome.
The Real Lyrics:
Shake it, shake it, shake, Salome.
The Story: When I worked in a donut shop, I overheard a cop singing this while working with hot coffee. I was laughing so hard, I spilled coffee down my arm and didn't even feel it! The cop just asked me what was so funny, and I explained the difference. He then saw the humor of his goof, and laughed along with me. To this day, when he sees me at kareoke night, he still sings it wrong, but just for laughs. - Submitted by: Mazotti
U2's, "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own"
The Misheard Lyrics:
You're the reason why we have poison rain.
The Real Lyrics:
You're the reason why the opera is in me.
The Story: When I first heard this I thought, "Wow, that's pretty harsh". :) - Submitted by: David Silver
U2's, "Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own"
The Misheard Lyrics:
You're hot enough
The Real Lyrics:
You're hard enough
The Story: I always thought it was about heat - Submitted by: Cody Finke
U2's, "Staring at the Sun"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Stinky diaper son
The Real Lyrics:
Staring at the sun
The Story: I thought Bono's son had a stinky diaper! - Submitted by: Cody Finke
U2's, "Sunday Bloody Sunday"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Bodies strewn across Stilletto Street
The Real Lyrics:
Bodies strewn across a dead end street
The Story: I actually heard this sung one night at karaoke. I told the guy singing afterward he was way off, and what the correct lyrics were. Needless to say, it was kinda funny, and maybe there is a Stilletto Street someplace, I don't know. - Submitted by: Mazotti Jordan
U2's, "Sunday Bloody Sunday"
The Misheard Lyrics:
So naked, it's lovely
So naked, it's lovely
The Real Lyrics:
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Sunday Bloody Sunday
The Story: It was on the mini-War tour, before the 'War' album came out ,and Bono was introducing this song at a concert in Birmingham, uk. He told the audience the lyric as so we could all sing-a-long as was the style of U2 in the early 80's....only I misheard and was singing at the top of my voice 'So Naked, it's lovely'. Then went to school bragging about this new song from U2 and feeling really cool that I knew, 'So naked, it's lovely'......I only to find out the *correct* lyric, 'Sunday Bloody Sunday' when the War album came out about 3 or 4 months later. How embarassing. Thing is, I was so enamoured of U2 as a 15 year old year old at the time, that I did not stop to question how absurd the lyric 'So naked it's lovely' is! - Submitted by: Laura Smith
U2's, "Sunday Bloody Sunday"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Someday will be Sunday
The Real Lyrics:
Sunday, bloody Sunday
The Story: I was just a teen in 1983 and the lyrics described war and I figured "Sunday" represented a "day of rest" in a figurative. I figured the lyrics meant oneday the fighting would stop. Also, during that time the Multi-National Force (consisting of US, UK, French, and Italian troops) were being sucked into the Lebanese Civil War I figured this song was about Lebanon. - Submitted by: U2 Stops the Traffic
U2's, "Sunday Bloody Sunday"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Someday will be Sunday
The Real Lyrics:
Sunday, bloody Sunday
The Story: Just wait around. Sunday will come within 7 days. Guaranteed. - Submitted by: U2 ROX
U2's, "Sunday Bloody Sunday"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Someday, Buddy, someday
The Real Lyrics:
Sunday, Bloody, Sunday
The Story: A group of friends and I were at the beach, with the boombox going good, everyone having a good time. When this song came on, only one person was singing along, loud and clear for all to hear. When she got to this part, practically everyone stopped in their tracks and were sort of in shock for a moment. After a few seconds, you could hear the laughter all over the beach... - Submitted by: Matt Kozak
U2's, "Sunday Bloody Sunday"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Someday, fair thee, someday
The Real Lyrics:
Sunday, Bloody Sunday
The Story: Commuted 1 hr. everyday with my brother-in-law, who was famous for misheard lyrics. He was singing loud and proud as usual....I asked what he just said and he replied, "Someday, fair thee, someday". I considered not telling him the correct lyrics, since he had argued with me about others in the past. - Submitted by: Tom E.
U2's, "Sunday Bloody Sunday"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Sunday, Sunday, Sunday
The Real Lyrics:
Sunday, Bloody Sunday
The Story: Yea, this was actually my friend Brittany's mistake. We were watching U2's movie 'Rattle and Hum' and she started singing along. She wsang the wrong lyrics, but I caught her and started making fun of her. She has not lived it down yet!! - Submitted by: Lyssa
U2's, "Sunday, Bloody Sunday"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Someday darlin', someday
The Real Lyrics:
Sunday, bloody Sunday
The Story: I was at a club dancing with a friend and singing my head off to this song when she stopped, grabbed my arm and yelled, "What did you just sing?" I repeated it and she fell on the floor laughing. After composing herself she said, "You do know the song is called 'Sunday, Bloody Sunday', don't you?" Apparently, I didn't. Fifteen years later, she still loves to tell this story to anyone who will listen. - Submitted by: Lorkeet
U2's, "The Sweetest Thing"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Instead of fire, she turned me to straw.
The Real Lyrics:
Eternal fire, she turned me to straw.
The Story: When my brother and I first heard this song, we thought that was what he was saying. So, we kept making fun of the song, and making fun of Bono for writing such lyrics for a song. Why does he want to be fire?! Then, I saw the lyrics in a U2 book, and I felt like such an idiot! I should have known Bono wouldn't have written such bad lyrics for a song, especially since 'The Sweetest Thing' is supposed to have a real meaning. Whenever I hear the song now, I want to say 'instead of fire.' - Submitted by: Allicat
U2's, "The Sweetest Thing"
The Misheard Lyrics:
You know I got black guys up my butt
The Real Lyrics:
You know I got black eyes, but they burn
The Story: I work in a bank where music is played for atmosphere, and I embarassed myself bigtime when I misheard this lyric and started laughing uncontrolably. It took me 15 minutes before I could get my composure enough to tell my supervisor why I was laughing so hard. I think she was ready to fire me. - Submitted by: El Davo
U2's, "Until The End Of The World"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Hadn't seen you in quite a while
I was down the hall, just passing time.
The Real Lyrics:
Haven't seen you in quite a while
I was down the hold just passing time.
The Story: This song is about Judas speaking to Jesus somewhere in the afterlife, and is about the guilt and punishment Judas had after he betrayed Jesus. I thought it was about some guy getting a girl bombed so that he could get into her pants. - Submitted by: AndreB
U2's, "Vertigo"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Shot dead
Shots fall
Joe Namath
The Real Lyrics:
Shot dead
Shots fall
Show me, yeah
The Story: I went looking for the original lyrics for this part and realized that not everyone agrees on what they are; I'm pretty sure I hear "shot dead, shots fall" but the last part doesn't sound like "show me, yeah" as much as it sounds like "Joe Namath" which I'm pretty sure isn't right... XD - Submitted by: WG
U2's, "Vertigo"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Swaying to the music
The Real Lyrics:
Swinging to the music
The Story: I was wondering which was correct. - Submitted by: Cody Finke
U2's, "Where The Streets Have No Name"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Where the sheep have no names.
The Real Lyrics:
Where the streets have no name.
The Story: For years I could not figure out what he was singing, so I just guessed 'sheep.' Finally a dj said the name of the song, and no one ever knew about my stupidity (until now)! - Submitted by: Rita Meduna
U2's, "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses?"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Who's gonna Roger, y (and) Juan Jose?
The Real Lyrics:
Who's gonna ride your wild horses, who's gonna take the place of me?
The Story: Venezuela - Submitted by: Hilda
U2's, "With or Without You"
The Misheard Lyrics:
And you give yourself a headache
The Real Lyrics:
And you give yourself away
The Story: Sounded like Bono could give someone a headache - Submitted by: Cody Finke
U2's, "With or Without You"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Sleight of hand and twist of fate
On a bed of nails, she licks me ways
And I wait without you.
The Real Lyrics:
Sleight of hand and twist of fate
On a bed of nails, she makes me wait
And I wait without you.
The Story: I was 16 at the time - I must have had a dirty mind :-) - Submitted by: Kenneth Lees
U2's, "Yahweh"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Polyester white trash made in Norway
The Real Lyrics:
Polyester white trash made in nowhere
The Story: Here I was, with visions of a Norwegian sweatshop cranking out cheap shirts... - Submitted by: Roopkong Islander
U2's, "Yahweh"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Take these shoes, and make a tree
The Real Lyrics:
Take these shoes, and make them fit
The Story: Venezuela - Submitted by: Nelson
U2's, "Zoo Station"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Sensation
The Real Lyrics:
Zoo Station
The Story: I thought that this song was maybe about a guy having sex, so he said sensation... the first time I heard this song was when I bought the zoo-tv video, and Bono makes a movement like he were having sex, and he says 'I'm ready for the push'... So, I tought he was having sex - Submitted by: Perry Empelota

There are more U2 misheard lyrics available.

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]

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