Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

When I was a kid I heard the Beatles sing "Chainsaw Love" instead of Chains of Love. My friend heard Ferry Cross The Mersey as "Very Controversy". Anyone else ever misunderstand a lyric?

At first I thought the computer voiced lyric "No one yields who flies in my ship" from ELP's Karn Evil 9 Pt. 2 was actually referring to "two flies on my...", uh, organic substance not normally produced by computers.

Unfortunately, I understood every syllable of "a little sadder, a little madder, someone get me a ladder" by the same artist.

I did that a lot, but unfortunately can't remember any instances.

As they say Bob, if you remember the 1960s you weren't there!

Oops, after my morning dose of Serutan I remembered that it was the Captain who uttered the immortal lines I quoted above, not the computer, and it was Karn Evil 9 Pt. 3, not 2. My sincerest apologies to any ELP purists out there.

If the topic were broadened to include "Not Understanding Lyrics" I would have to say that I haven't understood a word of any Cocteau Twins song that I've ever heard.

The only one I know off hand is that infamous Jimi Hendrix tune, Purple Haze. "Excuse me, while I kiss this guy (the sky)." I still get a laugh out of that one.

Somewhere in a gift shop, years ago, I saw this book on lyrics that were misinterpreted as something else. One of the first ones was of the one I mentioned. It had a cartoon drawing of Jimi kissing another guy. I just died laughing.

What about Queen's "Need Your Loving Tonight"? I used to think the "I'm too exhausted to start a fight" lyric was "I threw a sausage to start a fight."

"Fixing a Hole".....

I thought Paul was singing "silly Beatle standing there" or "see the Beatle standing there"

If you google 'misunderstood lyrics' you'll get plenty - genuine and not!

One of our old singers used to sing the line in "War Pigs" by Black Sabbath wrong. Instead of "Sorcerer of death's construction", he would sing "Sorcerer of Dexter's Junction".

The one I like it Elton's song; "Hold me closer Tony Danza".

I don't know if this counts, but a bass player in one of my old bands sang the following line in "The Boys Are Back In Town" one night -- "... over at Johnny's place / she got up and she sat on Johnny's face / Man, we fell about the place ... " A waitress walking by the PA boxes at that moment almost dropped her tray of drinks! Of course there were a million versions (and some, rather nasty) of "Louie, Louie" out there because no one could figure out what the heck The Kingsmen were singing ...

Many singers I have played with in the past have been very inventive with lyrics also, especially when we are teenagers.

Guy in my college dorm (spring of 1966) thought Ruby Tuesday was "Goodbye, groovy Tuesday, who put ham and eggs on you".

Funniest I've read on those misunderstood lyrics sites are the people who misheard the line from Blister in The Sun as "my girlfriend, she's Auntie Em".

Our lead singer gets very creative and nasty with the lyrics, especially later in the set after a few pitchers.

on a different note, I swear Queen is saying Fried Chicken at the end of One Vision