Time for a misheard lyric thread!

[crella]

My sister, piping up from the back seat of the VW when she was about five, after listening to Walking in a Winter Wonderland-

"What color is Parson Brown?"

("in the meadow we can build a snowman, and pretend that he is Parson Brown...")

I...don't get it?  Could you explain?

"Parson" is another name for "minister" or "priest" or "chaplain".  They would build a snowman, pretend it's the minister who's last name is Brown, the snowman will ask "are you married" and they'll say "no man, but you can do the job when you're in town." Like he can marry them next time.

The little girl figured that "parson" was a shade of brown because she hadn't heard the old-timey word "parson" before.

Yes, and thank you! I have been a bit busy this week and didn't get back to this thread, I'm sorry!

Sis got ribbed for years whenever she bought a brown piece of clothing.

[Giraffe, Esq]

My sister, piping up from the back seat of the VW when she was about five, after listening to Walking in a Winter Wonderland-

"What color is Parson Brown?"

("in the meadow we can build a snowman, and pretend that he is Parson Brown...")

I...don't get it?  Could you explain?

"Parson" is another name for "minister" or "priest" or "chaplain".  They would build a snowman, pretend it's the minister who's last name is Brown, the snowman will ask "are you married" and they'll say "no man, but you can do the job when you're in town." Like he can marry them next time.

The little girl figured that "parson" was a shade of brown because she hadn't heard the old-timey word "parson" before.

Yes, and thank you! I have been a bit busy this week and didn't get back to this thread, I'm sorry!

Sis got ribbed for years whenever she bought a brown piece of clothing.

Thanks -- I didn't get from the story that she thought "parson brown" was a color itself.  I guess I learned pretty early what a parson was, so I thought she was asking what color the person "Parson Brown" was...   

And my recent misheard lyric:

"With every act of love, we..."

My brain heard, "With every atom of, we..."  And I kept thinking, every atom of what?!?

[GlitterIsMyDrug]

Baby It's Cold Outside:

Real lyric: My maiden aunt's mind is vicious

I heard: My main man's mind is vicious.

Which always made me think she was out with this guy when she had a steady boyfriend, and while it was just friendship, her "main man" would think she was up to no good.

Apparently I have a really twisted view on Christmas songs. By the way...didn't figure this one out until a few years ago.

[whatsanenigma]

Oh, I have so many I could post about here...let's start with this one.

What I hear: He's found a dime
Actual lyric: Eastbound and down

My parents are baffled that anyone could mishear that, but I swear that is what it sounds like to me even though I know the real words and know what the song is about.

One more...sort of.

I know darn well that the lyrics to a certain song include the line "Have you ever seen the rain?" but one day I was on a long car trip with my brother in law and sister and I had fallen asleep, and woke up while that song was on the radio and could have sworn it was "Have you ever seen Lorraine?". 

An emergency coffee stop was, in fact, deemed necessary and taken, when I started laughing and told them what it had sounded like for a minute. 

[Hillia]

I've just started listening to Adele.  'Chasing pavements' turned into 'chasing penguins'.  I have no clue.

[OSUJillyBean]

"Parson" is another name for "minister" or "priest" or "chaplain".  They would build a snowman, pretend it's the minister who's last name is Brown, the snowman will ask "are you married" and they'll say "no man, but you can do the job when you're in town." Like he can marry them next time.

The little girl figured that "parson" was a shade of brown because she hadn't heard the old-timey word "parson" before.

I am 30 and did not know that.     I assumed Parson Brown was a celebrity back in the day whenever this song first came out and that older people who'd been alive then obviously knew exactly who that was but younger ones did not. 



My all-time favorite misheard lyrics is Fall Out Boy This Ain't A Scene It's a <expletive> Arm's Race":

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CCwQtwIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DLucfKdukf10&ei=MQqrUtCpEcWh2QXP1ICgCQ&usg=AFQjCNFgJBfwyKIgvvoXQhq_kOvZnEKihg&sig2=0k0k9FFQ38jgAW7g2cl5Jg&bvm=bv.57967247,d.b2I

Real Lyric:  Oh so intricaaaaate!  Oh so intricaaaaate!

What I (and many othe rpeople hear):  I'm also into caaaaats!  I'm also into caaaaats!!

[Bethczar]

I'm surprised that so many people didn't know what a parson was. I thought it was a fairly common term.

Of course, I thought that "Haste, haste, to bring him laud" in What Child is This was "Haste, haste to bring him lard. And why wasn't that in the Bible with the gold, frankincense and myrrh?

[Elfmama]

I'm surprised that so many people didn't know what a parson was. I thought it was a fairly common term.

Of course, I thought that "Haste, haste, to bring him laud" in What Child is This was "Haste, haste to bring him lard. And why wasn't that in the Bible with the gold, frankincense and myrrh?

I've noticed that newer recordings of that use "praise" instead of "laud,", probably for that very reason.

[Dawse]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83Y2hv-3UCM

This was the background music for an advert when I was about six or so, and I have never, ever been able to listen to it with without hearing 'me ears are alight' instead of the proper words.

[OSUJillyBean]

I'm surprised that so many people didn't know what a parson was. I thought it was a fairly common term.

Of course, I thought that "Haste, haste, to bring him laud" in What Child is This was "Haste, haste to bring him lard. And why wasn't that in the Bible with the gold, frankincense and myrrh?

I heard it as "Haste, haste to bring him love".  Apparently I need to pay more attention or get my hearing checked!

[daen]

Me: "I don't want to come to your bar mitzvah."
Actual: "I don't want to come back down from this cloud."
(Bush, This cloud)


My mother: "Sunlight is bad light."
Actual: "Turn out the spotlight."
And...
My mother: "You're kool-aid yourself, you know."
Actual: "You're fooling yourself, you know."
(Amy Grant, Always the Winner)

[whatsanenigma]

I'm surprised that so many people didn't know what a parson was. I thought it was a fairly common term.

Of course, I thought that "Haste, haste, to bring him laud" in What Child is This was "Haste, haste to bring him lard. And why wasn't that in the Bible with the gold, frankincense and myrrh?

I've noticed that newer recordings of that use "praise" instead of "laud,", probably for that very reason.

This is not really a "misheard" lyric one but maybe more like a "misunderstood" lyric one.

I always knew the line was "to bring him laud".  But I only recently found out what that meant.  I thought it was an old-fashioned word related to "lard", and the lyric was a reference to "killing [and serving] the fatted calf" or "the fat of the land", basically meaning that we will bring him the best of what we have.

[Bethczar]

I'm surprised that so many people didn't know what a parson was. I thought it was a fairly common term.

Of course, I thought that "Haste, haste, to bring him laud" in What Child is This was "Haste, haste to bring him lard. And why wasn't that in the Bible with the gold, frankincense and myrrh?

I've noticed that newer recordings of that use "praise" instead of "laud,", probably for that very reason.

This is not really a "misheard" lyric one but maybe more like a "misunderstood" lyric one.

I always knew the line was "to bring him laud".  But I only recently found out what that meant.  I thought it was an old-fashioned word related to "lard", and the lyric was a reference to "killing [and serving] the fatted calf" or "the fat of the land", basically meaning that we will bring him the best of what we have.

In my case, it was definitely misheard. I was 6, and I knew quite well what lard was (it's what Grandma fries her donuts in!), but had never heard the word laud.

[gramma dishes]

In my case, it was definitely misheard. I was 6, and I knew quite well what lard was (it's what Grandma fries her donuts in!), but had never heard the word laud.

That brings up such a cute little image in my mind of a teeny baby Jesus lying in his manger all smiling and happy thinking "Oh boy!  Oh boy!  Grandma's sending doughnuts!!"

[Nikko-chan]

In my case, it was definitely misheard. I was 6, and I knew quite well what lard was (it's what Grandma fries her donuts in!), but had never heard the word laud.

That brings up such a cute little image in my mind of a teeny baby Jesus lying in his manger all smiling and happy thinking "Oh boy!  Oh boy!  Grandma's sending doughnuts!!"

Okay that is definitely cute!