We’ve all misheard song lyrics. Sometimes we catch ourselves messing them up, other times our friends start laughing and ask us what the heck we just said. There are the classic misheard song lyrics like “Excuse me while I kiss this guy,” but I wanted to make a list of newer songs that are commonly misheard.
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1. Chasing Pavements by Adele
Misheard Lyrics: “Should I give up, or should I just keep chasing penguins?”
Correct Lyrics: “Should I give up, or should I just keep chasing pavements?”
I suppose I can see how one might hear “penguins” instead of “pavements” in this song. It’s not one of the misheard song lyrics that I experienced personally, but I do understand where the people who failed to hear the correct words were coming from. It doesn't make the tiniest bit of sense though!
In Adele's soulful ballad, the mix-up is almost adorable. But let's face it, the mental image of someone doggedly trailing a group of flightless birds could be a whimsical scene straight out of a quirky indie movie. Bless the ears that warp her poignant question about persisting in a love that might be fruitless, into a comical venture of aquatically awkward creatures. Yet, if you listen closely, you'll find the true depth of emotion in the rightly understood lyrics, tugging at heartstrings rather than tickling the funny bone.
2. Hollaback Girl by Gwen Stefani
Misheard Lyrics: “I ain’t no Harlem black girl.”
Correct Lyrics: “I ain’t no hollaback girl.”
I think the confusion about these lyrics stemmed from the fact that no one knew what the heck a hollaback girl was when the song first came out, so everyone just replaced it with whatever it sounded like to them. Apparently this is an incredibly common misheard lyric.
Frequently asked questions
Oh, there are so many! One classic is Adele's 'Should I give up or should I just keep chasing penguins' instead of 'chasing pavements.' It's hilarious how some lyrics can be so confusing!
It's often because our brains try to make sense of what we hear and sometimes fill in the gaps with familiar words. Plus, singers' pronunciations or the background music can make it tough to catch the true lyrics.
Absolutely! Some artists find it really funny and even enjoy hearing the wild interpretations fans come up with. It's all in good fun!
Yes! One popular one is from her song 'Blank Space,' where people hear 'Got a long list of ex-lovers' as 'Got a lot of Starbucks lovers.' It’s a classic misheard lyric!
Definitely! For example, many people mishear lyrics in songs by Pinguino Rodriguez. It's not just an English thing; it happens across all languages!
3. Telephone by Lady Gaga
Misheard Lyrics: “I don’t wanna think anymore, I hit my head kinda hard on the dance floor.”
Correct Lyrics: “I don’t wanna think anymore, I left my head and my heart on the dance floor.”
These two lines, when sung sound incredibly close, I can understand why some people may have misheard it. Not wanting to think anymore because you hit your head kind of hard on the dance floor is at least logical, I’ll give you that!
4. Apologize by OneRepublic
Misheard Lyrics: “It’s too late, you’re gonna die.”
Correct Lyrics: “It’s too late to apologize.”
Well… it does make sense. Perhaps it’s the higher pitch or the way the word trails off at the end that has people unable to distinguish the last word. I personally love this song, but I think the replacement lyrics are funny!
5. Love Story by Taylor Swift
Misheard Lyrics: “Romeo, save me, Good Charlotte tell me how to feel.”
Correct Lyrics: “Romeo, save me, they’re tryin’ to tell me how to feel.”
Confession time… I actually thought those WERE the words until I started researching for this article! I don’t feel so bad because it’s one of the most misheard lyrics in popular music. There are tons of questions on online forums asking who the “Good Charlotte” is in this song. Followed by tons of people making fun of them. Oh well!
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6. How to save a Life by the Fray
Misheard Lyrics: “And I pray to God he kills you.”
Correct Lyrics: “And I pray to God he hears you.”
I’ve always known what the lyrics to this song were, but I will admit, after listening to it several times, it does sort of sound like he says “kills you” instead of the much gentler “hears you.” I guess that would totally change the meaning of the song!
7. If It's Love by Train
Misheard Lyrics: “There’s no happy ending, no hand relief.”
Correct Lyrics: “There’s no happy ending, no Henry Lee.”
Well… the misheard version definitely makes sense in a perverted and humorous way! I think the disconnect here was that few people got the reference to Henry Lee. For those who still don’t know, he was Queen Elizabeth I’s Champion. He had many relationships and even 3 marriages, but he always put the Queen first because she was the one he truly loved. I actually think I like the misheard lyrics better.
8. Parachute by Cheryl Cole
Misheard Lyric: “I don't need a pair of shoes; baby, if I've got you, baby, if I've got you I don't need a pair of shoes.”
Correct Lyric: “I don’t need a parachute; baby, if I’ve got you, baby, if I’ve got you I don’t need a parachute.”
Yes, the name of the song is “Parachute.” However, if you listen to it, it does sound like she could be saying “pair of shoes” instead! Sometimes when we think we hear another word, we just get it stuck in our head no matter what the song is called!
9. Like a G6 by Far East Movement
Misheard Lyric: “Now I'm feelin’ so fly like a cheese stick.”
Correct Lyric: “Now I’m feelin’ so fly like a G6.”
What really is a G6, you ask? This is another case of mishearing the lyric no matter what the title of the song is, especially if you don’t know what a G6 is! I believe it’s a type of car. Well, that’s what Google says. If you listen, she says G6 three times and the last time she says it, it could really be cheese stick!
10. Complicated by Avril Lavigne
Misheard Lyric: “And honestly you promised me, I’m never gonna find your bacon”
Correct Lyric: “And honestly, you’ll promise me, I’m never gonna find you fake it.”
Not only is the title of the song called, “Complicated,” but Avril’s song lyrics are complicated as well! I’ll admit it, I used to leave this song on when it popped up on the radio and I too was confused by that last word. I thought she was saying, “And honestly, you promised me/I’m never gonna find you Vegas,” no joke! What did you think Lavigne was singing?
11. Grenade by Bruno Mars
Misheard Lyric: “Throw my head on a plate for ya."
Correct Lyric: “Throw my hand on a blade for ya.”
Well, Bruno Mars is pretty much going to catch a grenade for ya, so why wouldn’t he throw his head on a plate for ya too?! I’ve never had a problem with hearing this lyric correctly, but now that I’m listening to it while having this misheard lyric in my head, I can see why people would hear it that way.
12. Empire State of Mind by Jay-Z Featuring Alicia Keys
Misheard Lyric: “Concrete jungle, weird dream tomato."
Correct Lyric: "Concrete jungle, where dreams are made of."
Really, this is how people are hearing Alicia Keys’ lyrics in Jay-Z’s song, “Empire State of Mind”... weird dream tomato?! There are some really funny misheard lyrics out there and this has to be one of the top ten. It doesn’t even make sense, but perhaps if it did, I might believe it!
13. Lightning by the Wanted
Misheard Lyric: “Just you and me and the goats in the bathroom.”
Correct Lyric: “Just you and me and the coats in the back room.”
Now compared to the misheard Jay-Z lyric, this one is funny and makes sense! OK, you probably wouldn’t be with the goats in the bathroom with one of the guys from The Wanted, but stranger things have happened!
14. Paradise by Coldplay
Misheard Lyric: “Pair of tights," “Parrot Eyes,” or “Pair of dice.”
Correct Lyric: “Para-paradise, para-paradise.”
Do you dream of a pair of tights, parrot eyes, or a pair of dice instead of paradise? I know that’s what I want, a nice pair of dice instead of a beautiful island someplace far away in paradise! If you think about it, it’s quite interesting how we can hear different words while listening to the same song.
15. Cannibal by Ke$ha
Misheard Lyric: “I am a cat nipple.”
Correct Lyric: “I am a cannibal.”
I may never hear this song the same way again, and now I’m convinced that she is saying cat nipple instead of cannibal! After you hear it that way, you can never unhear it! Listen to Ke$ha’s “Cannibal” and tell me if you hear it with the misheard lyrics now that you know them!
If you misheard any of these lyrics, don’t worry you weren’t alone; tons of people inserted their own words where they didn’t belong! I confessed my Taylor Swift lyrics mishap, so now it’s time to confess yours! What song lyrics have you been caught singing the wrong way?
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