Mondegreen comes from people hearing 'laid him on the green', as 'Lady Mondegreen'.
While I know I am wrong, I still hear Macy Gray singing in her hit song I Try, 'I try to say goodbye my old chook' instead of 'I try to say goodbye and I choke'. I think this happens because of her pronunciation of choke. I simply can't unhear chook in the song line when I hear it. I don't know if the word chook is known around the world but it means a hen, of the common variety that give us eggs to eat.
I saw something this day (I've just been reminded by a television commercial that's using the song) as I write this reminded me of another of my Mondegreen moments when I was very young.
It is not,
My body lies over the ocean
My body lies over the seas,
My Bonnie lies over the ocean
My Bonnie lies over the sea.
My extensive one minute research indicates a capital B for Bonnie, so she is not a bonnie (good and nice looking) lass but her name is Bonnie.
I'm sure I have other Mondegreens, but what are yours?
This seems to a modern image of a bonnie lass. (I can't find who created this image)
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Mondegreens 'stick' don't they. My first was as quite a young child. I couldn't understand why my mother referred to grape hyacinths as grey pythons when they were clearly blue. And I still think of them that way.
ReplyDeleteEC, you made me laugh for at least four seconds. You reminded me of Lost in Space when the robot used to say affirmative and I used hear it, and even tried to spell the word, as elperimative.
DeleteGrey pythons - I love that:-)
DeleteBonnie Lass is a series of books about an athletic, adventurous young woman who isn't weighed down by heavy clothing. But she might be a bit chilly in Scotland.
ReplyDeleteThere you go Hels. I had no idea. Thanks.
DeleteAnd there's "Gladly the Cross I'd bear" which became Gladly, the cross eyed bear. I wonder how many teddy bears were named Gladly.
ReplyDeleteHaha Boud. The cross eyed bear. So funny. I guess it is from a hymn.
DeleteThe cartoon is sassy.
ReplyDeleteSassy is such a great descriptive word, Roentare.
DeleteI can only think of the one I've mentioned before in the song Ciao Baby by Lynn Randell, where she sings "it's too late to change a minus day" I always hear "it's too late to change your mind and stay" which makes more sense to me anyway. I got the lyrics from youtube, and they are often put up by other listeners, so I wonder now which is actually correct.
ReplyDeleteRiver, I agree with you. What you think you heard does make more sense. It only too typing Goodbye my old chook to bring up Macy Gray's correct lyrics.
DeleteAlso "my Bonnie lies over the ocean" refers to the times way back in history when "Bonnie Prince Charlie" escaped from something I don't remember by leaving Scotland (?) by boat, going to an island.
ReplyDeleteThinking through the lyrics as I remember, that could be quite right River.
DeleteOf course I can't think of anything off hand but before google I know I often misheard lyrics, that and a crappy car radio.
ReplyDeletePixie, I don't really think the fault is with the listener but the singer. How many songs are there that you just cannot understand what they are singing.
DeleteAll Those Parasites was one of mine instead of Almost Paradise. And it actually made sense to me, drove my kids wild.
ReplyDeleteXO
WWW
WWW, it sounds like it is a beautiful song, thoroughly spoilt by you.
DeleteLinda imagen. Te mando un beso
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteLoved this . Early here and haven't had my coffee yet so typically can't think of any off the top of my head ( there's probably one in there somewhere 😆)
ReplyDeleteAlison in Wales x
Alison, come back when you remember one. I will see it.
DeleteI keep thinking of silly Spoonerisms - which is not the same thing 😂
DeleteAlison x
I can't think of any off the top of my head Andrew, but once heard they seem to stay within sometimes.
ReplyDeleteOh yes Margaret, they certainly do stay.
DeleteNot quite the same but this reminds me of our dear friend (who died aged 62). He played in a band and he and his fellow band members would often subtly change some of the song lyrics to see if their audience noticed. My favourite was the Roberta Flack song "I celebrate my love for you" which became "I sellotape my glove to you". It seems no-one ever noticed.
ReplyDeleteJayCee, I've had a good laugh at the comments and you've added a cracker one with "I sellotape my glove to you".
DeleteThe only ones I can recall at the moment are both from Christmas carols - 'highly flavoured lady' instead of 'highly favoured lady' and 'Good King Wences last looked out' rather than 'Good King Wenceslas looked out.'
ReplyDeleteHighly flavoured lady, JB. Not sure about that being so great. The second one is so typical of a Mondegreen and I don't know which is correct, even though I can sing it in my mind. The wrong one sounds right to me.
Deletejabblog: then maybe you also know:
Delete"to entrance the prophet's rear"
Not a true mondegreen because obviously a naughty mis-singing.
Also, a kind of Freudian-slip misremembering, also from a "carol":
"The first thing which I shall relate
Is that man did God create."
PS: thanks for the reminder about the "highly flavoured." Gloria!
MC, a little schoolboy humour never goes amiss.
DeleteI have so, so many similar examples but can't recall how I misinterpreted any of them now. lol Super clean digital recordings played through good headphones changed everything for me. :D
ReplyDeleteOh, wait. I just remembered a particularly silly one involving Pink Floyd's tune Young Lust (from The Wall album). Burger King fast food chain offers a hamburger called the whopper, and hearing the line "Ooh, I need a dirty woman" I heard "whopper" instead of "woman" despite the next line instead using "girl". Isn't that ridiculous?
DeleteGreat one Darla. I am saying nothing more.
Delete:)
DeleteYes, it is interesting what we hear and then years later we learn that is not the lyric. It is an interesting phenomena. Andrew. Nice post. Thank you for sharing. Aloha
ReplyDeleteCreedence Clearwater there's a bad moon on the rise becomes there's a bathroom on the Right
DeleteThanks Cloudia. I very typical one, I am sure.
DeleteThat's a good one, for sure.
Delete