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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”.

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.

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"

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

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

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...

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

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".

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

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

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.'

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

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

Alexa Wed 19-May-21 09:34:29

From metrical psalm 121 " I to the hills will lift mine eyes". Good idea Grandma!

Alexa Wed 19-May-21 09:32:03

"Thy foot heel not let slide"

Grandma70s Wed 19-May-21 09:31:12

It would help if people gave us the original version. I don’t get many of these references. I had to google the Auntie Violet one.

Shropshirelass Wed 19-May-21 09:27:40

My daughter used to get the giggles over the Lord’s Prayer. She thought it was Hello Ed be thy name.

Shropshirelass Wed 19-May-21 09:26:28

Every time you go away you take a piece of meat with you. (Can’t remember the artist sorry!)

Trisha57 Wed 19-May-21 09:23:40

My two DDs when they were young would sing:

"Robin Hood, Robin Hood riding through the glen.
Robin Hood, Robin Hood with his bandy men."

agnurse Wed 19-May-21 09:19:47

My brother's rendition of Jingle Bells:

"Oh, what fun a hist'ry ride..."

Also Taylor Swift's "Blank Space":

"Gotta lot of Starbucks lovers..."

sodapop Wed 19-May-21 09:11:10

I didn't know the word mondegreen either, interesting one for word games.

"Ruby don't take your gloves to town" we still mention that to my daughter now now 52.

Ro60 Wed 19-May-21 09:10:33

When ever we visited GD, DD2 would run to the dining-room the minute Pa said, "we'll close the curtains to keep the draught out"

Then one day, many years later DD2 said, "I never saw the giraffes at GDs."

Grandma70s Wed 19-May-21 09:04:54

The carol Gabriel’s Message apparently contains the line “Most highly flavoured gravy”.

(“Most highly favoured lady”,)

kittylester Wed 19-May-21 08:54:02

Our eldest daughter is called Susannah which is why our children always sang 'Sing Susannah' rather than 'Sing Hosanna'!

Ro60 Wed 19-May-21 08:46:37

Another one courtesy of DD2 - always around food ?
The lords prayer
....and give us our rice crispies for ever and ever Amen.

JackyB Wed 19-May-21 08:40:58

Every now and again I have to look at this YouTube clip. It has me in hysterics. There are others similar, with different interpretations.

youtu.be/nIwrgAnx6Q8

Ro60 Wed 19-May-21 08:33:00

This thread keeps jogging my memory.
Here's one I try to forget because DM laughed so much. Coming home from school I told her we'd been learning about Copper Knickers.

Copernicus

granzilla Wed 19-May-21 07:47:00

From Uptown Top Rankin by Althea and Donna.
Sime in my halterback, Sime give your arse a slap (heart attack) grin

Lucca Wed 19-May-21 07:41:16

Kim19

Lucca, call me stupid but, why?

It was a novelty song published as Mairzy Dotes.