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What’s your favourite mondegreen?

(210 Posts)
Blossoming Tue 18-May-21 17:21:54

A mondegreen is a misheard lyric or phrase that seems to make sense but has a completely different meaning to the actual words used. It comes from a mishearing of a poem that read ‘They have slain the Earl of Moray and Lady Mondegreen. Except it really read ‘They have slain the Earl of Murray and laid him on the green’.

My own favourite, courtesy of a little niece, is that well known song by John Travolta and Olivia Newton John, from Grease, “You’re the Wizard of Oz, ooh ooh ooh”.

Alexa Wed 19-May-21 09:40:31

I thought a Hawaiian guitar was a hwang guitar. because of the slidey sound they make

Aveline Wed 19-May-21 10:21:35

Years ago Noel Edmonds had a 'misheard lyrics' phone in.
My favourite was,
'You picked a fine time to leave me Lucille. four hundred children and a crop in the field.'

Amalegra Thu 20-May-21 10:36:05

Or ‘take your teeth out’ as my mum used to say!

Moggycuddler Thu 20-May-21 10:45:59

When I was a child I used to think that the line "round yon virgin mother and child" in the hymn Silent Night was "brown young virgin".

Coco51 Thu 20-May-21 10:47:07

My little DGD would sing that Miss Polly called for a doctor with a dick,dick,dick

Knopflerfan Thu 20-May-21 10:48:28

Really enjoying this, and I’d never heard of mondegreen either, so thanks GN for a new word. Mind you, someone had to explain “gaslighting” to me recently. Must get out more...

Cat4 Thu 20-May-21 10:48:49

Mine was “I believe in milko” instead of miracles!

Mildmanneredgran Thu 20-May-21 10:49:09

"I was sick and tired of everythiiiing
When I called you last night from Tesco"

SuperTrouper by ABBA. Should be "when I called you last night from Glasgow"

Alioop Thu 20-May-21 10:49:19

"Away in a manger, no crepe for a bed."
Have a look at Peter Kay's misheard lyrics on YouTube, its hilarious.

Quaver22 Thu 20-May-21 10:49:41

There’s a worm at the bottom of the garden
And his name is William Brew!

Niochorio Thu 20-May-21 10:52:18

Ooh ooh me knees are alive - by Desmond Decker and the Israelites . ??

GrammarGrandma Thu 20-May-21 10:52:35

Ekwanimitee the opera is Rigoletto, the aria is La donna è mobile and the "elephant's ears," which I think we have all heard, are: "e di pensier," meaning "and her mind" after "muta l'accento" = she changes her voice ... and her mind."

beth20 Thu 20-May-21 10:53:18

Nativity play
'The baby was born in a stapler'

slightlyvixed Thu 20-May-21 10:54:28

'Spare him his life and his pork sausages.' Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen.

'Young girls with eyes like potatoes.' La Isla Bonita (I think) by Madonna.

No idea what either of them should be.

kangaroo73 Thu 20-May-21 10:57:38

My GS as a toddler used to sing ‘glad tidings we bring to you and your kids’ (We wish you a merry Christmas)

garnet25 Thu 20-May-21 11:00:32

In the National Anthem

"send her Victorias"

LuckyFour Thu 20-May-21 11:04:35

I'm crying with laughter!!!
Not a lyric, just me crying with laughter!

Nanna58 Thu 20-May-21 11:08:16

Back in the seventies I used to gaily song “ oh, oh my ears are alight “ when I know know the word was ‘Israelites’ !!

Mouse Thu 20-May-21 11:09:24

My grandaughter used to sing Noah’s brother built the arc instead of brother Noah etc. She once asked me what Noah’s brother was named.

pen50 Thu 20-May-21 11:09:31

I had s boyfriend back in the eighties who thought that the Jam's hit record was Eating Trifle.

More recently, Are we Human,or are we Hamster? has provided much amusement.

Nanna58 Thu 20-May-21 11:10:30

Niochorio - just saw your post, Desmond Deckers pronunciation has a lot to answer for!!??

Yearoff Thu 20-May-21 11:12:12

My DD (now 35) used to sing “Freedom Whoa” to the band aid line feed the world. It’s stuck in our family now.

Scottiebear Thu 20-May-21 11:12:39

While shepherds washed their socks at night.

Direne3 Thu 20-May-21 11:13:21

As a young child at the end of each prayer - 'Our Men'. Well it was shortly after the war and I'd assumed it related to the military, having just moved into a new area, I was still getting used to the local accent.

grandtanteJE65 Thu 20-May-21 11:14:25

Thank you all for the laughs.

Actually, Baubles " A wean in a manger, no crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head" does make better sense.

I can't be the only one who spent all Primary 1 singing "Jesus bits of shine with a pure clear light," can I?

"Jesus bids us shine with a pure clear light"

Hadn't heard the Thames station in the Lord's Prayer before either.

Here in Denmark we have some sweets called piratos - they are a bit like Pontefract cakes. A child was heard praying with conviction "crucified under tons of piratos" when of course he should have said " crucified under Pontius Pilate" in the Nicene creed.