Many years ago I used to drive my kids to the station in Cheltenham on a Friday night to go and visit their dad. We listened to the Chris Evans show on Radio 2, and he did this little feature about mishearing song lyrics. Mondegreen is the word that refers to this phenomenon. My favourite mondegreen that came up on the show one Friday was from The Killers song 'Human' in which the person writing in heard their child singing the chorus line as "Are we human or are we hamsters?" And so ever after this is how I sing the song whenever it comes on the radio. And now you know, I'm sure you will too, because that is way better than the original lyrics.
Stay safe. Be kind. Sing like nobody is listening.
p.s. and because Dunk is magic and remembers everything and is a superhuman internet searcher also enjoy this version:
Ha! I had no idea what that phenomenon was called. And, yes, if I encounter a good one, I'll definitely use the Mondegreen in place of the original lyrics thereafter.
ReplyDeleteAnd endearing on for me, courtesy of my once 6-year-old daughter, is from a song by A-Ha. She used to sing: "Tiii-ckle Me!" instead of "Take on Me!" Now that's all I hear when that song comes on the radio.
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