A frequent complaint from many a listener, is the inability to decipher the words of their favourite pop song. A survey of 3,000 Brits listed REM’s The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite from the album, Automatic for the People, as the most frequently misheard song, according to Telegraph.co.uk.
Four out of ten people admit to confusing the words from the 1993 track, “Call me when you try to wake her” for “Calling Jamaica.” Running a close second, was the Jimi Hendrix song Purple Haze, which contains the line “Excuse me while I kiss the sky”, which is often mistakenly sung as, “Excuse me, while I kiss this guy.”
Aerosmith, Queen, and Nirvana also make the cut as bands in need of elocution lessons. Based on the examples below, one can’t help but feel the results may be skewed by a bit of cheeky British humour–especially Queen.
British top 10 misheard lyrics:
1. REM – The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite
Real lyric: ”Call me when you try to wake her
Misheard lyric: ”Calling Jamaica”
2. Jimi Hendrix – Purple Haze
Real Lyric: ”Excuse me while I kiss the sky”
Misheard Lyric: ”Excuse me while I kiss this guy”
3. Aerosmith – Dude Looks Like A Lady
Real Lyric: ”Dude looks like a lady”
Misheard Lyric: ”Do just like a lady”
4. The Foundations – Buttercup
Real Lyric: ”Build me up buttercup”
Misheard Lyric: ”Fill me up buttercup”
5. Adele – Chasing Pavements
Real lyric: ”Should I give up, or should I just keep chasing pavements”
Misheard lyric: ”Should I give up, or should I just keep chasing penguins”
6. Bon Jovi – Living On A Prayer
Real Lyric: ”It doesn’t make a difference if we make it or not”
Misheard Lyric: ”It doesn’t make a difference if we’re naked or not”
7. ABBA – Dancing Queen
Real Lyric ”Dancing queen, Feel the beat from the tambourine, oh yeah”
Misheard Lyrics: ”Dancing queen, Feel the beat from the tangerine, oh yeah”
8. John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John – You’re the One That I Want
Real Lyric: ”You’re the one that I want”
Misheard Lyric: ”You’re the wobbly one”
9. Nirvana- Smells Like Teen Spirit
Real Lyric: ”Here we are now, entertain us”
Misheard Lyric: ”Here we are now, in containers”
10. Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody
Real lyric: ”Spare him his life from this monstrosity”
Misheard lyric: ”Spare him his life for this one cup of tea”