There is nothing better than the feeling of singing your heart out to the track of your all-time favorite song, but what if I told you that for your entire life, you’ve probably been singing some of the lyrics very wrong! These commonly misunderstood and misheard lyrics are called mondegreens. Sometimes, when you mishear a lyric or two in a song, it does not change much about the meaning of the jam, but other times, these pesky mondegreens can distort the meaning of the song entirely! Two of the most regularly misunderstood artists include Elton John and Lady Gaga. Now, you’re probably wondering which songs have mondegreens. Here are some selections from the top twenty mondegreens listed in “The most misheard song lyrics,” as well as some other lyrics I personally did not realize I had learned by heart horribly wrong until recently.
1. Riptide by Vance Joy
Mondegreen: “And the car won’t start”
Actual Lyrics: “And they came unstuck”
2. Stitches by Shawn Mendes
Mondegreen: “Chicken falling onto my knees”
Actual Lyrics: “Shaking, falling onto my knees”
3. Blank Space by Taylor Swift
Mondgreen: “Got a list of Starbucks lovers”
Actual Lyrics: “Got a long list of ex-lovers”
4. Carry You Home by Alex Warren
Mondegreen: “Aren’t you sus everytime?”
Actual Lyrics: “I choose us everytime”
5. Stick Season by Noah Kahn
Mondegreen: “Soccer mom, she forgot that I existed”
Actual Lyrics: “And I saw your mom, she forgot that I existed”
6. Cruel Summer by Taylor Swift
Mondgreen: “He looks so pretty like a devil”
Actual Lyrics: “He looks up grinnin’ like a devil”
7. Training Season by Dua Lipa
Mondegreen: “Madame Morrible, she’s straight-talking to my soul”
Actual Lyrics: “When I’m vulnerable, he’s straight-talking to my soul”
8. Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars
Mondegreen: “I’m too hot, I could drag you out of retirement”
Actual Lyrics: “I’m too hot, make a dragon wanna retire man”
Nora Daubert ’31, Middle School Creative Writing Editor
