Gransnet forums

Chat

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”.

Grannynannywanny Thu 20-May-21 14:56:41

My cousin who has Down’s syndrome loves to sing. He’s a big Elvis fan. He used to sing In the Gateau (ghetto). He even used to burst into a rendition of In the Gateau if he was served cake for dessert.

For Golden Brown he sang Gordon Brown and if Gordon Brown appeared on tv he would sing it.

MadeInYorkshire Thu 20-May-21 15:07:57

My daughter as a young child when shopping one day sat down and said "I am NOT going into Marks and Spensives again!"

Been known as that ever since!

Sickofweddingcake Thu 20-May-21 15:15:49

When my DD was four years old, she would not accept that:
'Away in a Manger, no crisps in the bed' , was incorrect!
She did love her food though! smile

Yammy Thu 20-May-21 15:43:22

In "Christmas Carol " which they had seen on TV, a friend thought Bob Cratchit was Pork Scratchings and had done for years.
When the children were small we had dancadils and paterkillers in the garden.
A child I taught said she liked me better with stip lick.

Bluecat Thu 20-May-21 15:50:58

From Black Velvet Band by The Dubliners- "And her hairy tongue over her shoulder, Tied up with a black velvet band."

It's really "And her hair, it hung over her shoulder" but I prefer the hairy tongue interpretation.

Musicgirl Thu 20-May-21 15:56:09

When my sister was very small and the other children were playing at Dr Who she came home saying: “l am a toilet.”

starstella Thu 20-May-21 16:05:51

WHEN I WAS 5 YEARS OLD I HAD TO LEARN THE HAIL MARY AND THE WHOLE CLASS PRAYED AND FORGIVE US OUR SCISSORS [SINNERS]NOW AND AT THE HOUR OF OUR DEATH AMEN.

Jaxie Thu 20-May-21 16:07:18

I thought “ Poetry in Motion” was “Oh, a tree in motion.” Until someone pointed out my error.

MissElly Thu 20-May-21 16:13:02

My husband as a child thought that the last line of Rudolf the Red Nosed reindeer was. “you’ll go down and kiss Doreen”

AGAA4 Thu 20-May-21 16:20:54

A Paul Young song " every time you go away you take a piece of meat (me) with you"

Danma Thu 20-May-21 16:45:38

My 4 year old grandson is a bit of an ABBA fan and sings along to Super Trouper
But he insists that the following line
“was sick and tired of everything
When I called you last night from Glasgow”

Is ……….”when I called you last night from TESCO”

Cronaca Thu 20-May-21 16:46:32

All in Sunbury ( All in sundry)

Skynnylynny Thu 20-May-21 16:58:17

My daughter thought God was called Peter, because we would say “Thanks Peter God” - thanks be to God.

welbeck Thu 20-May-21 17:09:44

does anyone recognise a line from a pop song of the 60s-70s?
"blue, blue, my heart is blue"
if so, what is the next line, as it has been suggested as my mishearing.

AGAA4 Thu 20-May-21 17:16:43

Is it "blue is my heart now I'm without you"?

Grannynannywanny Thu 20-May-21 17:16:48

welbeck is this the song?

youtu.be/gais6TIWTqQ

Grannynannywanny Thu 20-May-21 17:17:50

Crossed posts AGAA4 !

welbeck Thu 20-May-21 18:09:48

yes ! that's it. think i had only ever heard an instrumental version, don't remember any words, except those i imagined.
so it was mournful. never heard of marty robbins, but like it.
many thanks for the information.

Hampshirehog Thu 20-May-21 18:34:45

These are hilarious... I haven't laughed so much in ages! Thank you so much for starting this thread.

Not as funny as most of these but my granddaughter used to sing

'Pat a cake, pat a cake, bacon man.'

grannybuy Thu 20-May-21 18:46:16

Return to Zenda!

HillyN Thu 20-May-21 18:46:20

'Words' by the Bee Gees. When my DD was little she always sang 'Worms' instead and it caught on with all the family: "It's only worms, and worms are all you need ....."

Harmonypuss Thu 20-May-21 18:59:16

Back in the 80s when I was at school Feargal Sharkey sang about a 'Good Heart', which, as a bunch of teenagers, we changed to a 'Good Fart', with (our version of) the chorus being ...

And a good fart
These days, is hard to hide
A good faaaaart, the lasting kind
A good fart
These days, is hard to hide
So please be gentle with this nose of mine

Yes, we were a bunch of typical teenagers but even now almost 40yrs later, if I hear this song on the radio when I'm in my case, I just can't help singing our 'fart' version ?

Roswell Thu 20-May-21 19:08:26

46Maggiemaybe, I thought it was my mancheros too!

Polly4t42 Thu 20-May-21 19:19:21

Yes I agree I was brought up in Southampton which had a city wall but I knew other towns and cities didn’t. So it made sense to me as a child that having a city wall or not was an important thing.

JoyBloggs Thu 20-May-21 20:15:01

kittylester

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

We also have a daughter called Susannah and that was a favourite variation with us!