I've was reminded a few weeks ago of the embarrassment of discovering that I have misheard, and then repeatedly maintained use of, entirely incorrect lyrics to supposedly well-known and understood songs. I mentioned it on facebook and had replies to say that other people had this experience, but only one who was prepared to share their idiocy. I wonder why that is? It doesn't look stupid if you are now aware that you are wrong surely. I really want to know the words that people are singing. It made me think I'd like everyone to write out the lyrics to all the songs they know, and then post them to me for review. Judging by the response to my original statement, there would have to be a few gems amongst them. Though no doubt some people would look up the correct lyrics to avoid humiliation, or what I would more aptly term, cheat.
So it got me thinking, and I decided to have a little google on the subject. The first important learning experience was that most people don't really mishear lyrics when it comes to posting on websites. As far as I'm concerned, a misheard lyric is usually misheard because it makes logical sense, whereas the actual lyrics, often don't. The people who post to websites appear to be trying to be funny, in the majority of cases, such as changing 'peace' to 'peas' - which clearly makes no sense. There were a few that I found believable, and funny. I very much liked 'Dirty Dee and the Thunder Chief' for 'Dirty deeds and they're done dirt cheap'. In fact there were a lot of funny ones for that. I'm sure I'd have had many too, but I was very young when I sparked a love of AC/DC, and actively learnt all the words from the sleeve. So no opportunity for failure there. I ought to submit though, that I did believe they were called Acid C for a terrible length of time, due to the positioning of the zigzag on the first album I had. Hmm.
The second thing that I learnt, is that these types of misinterpretations are in fact called mondegreens. Now, if ever there was a word open to misinterpretation, surely that is it. So now, if I ever make a record, I will make a point of inserting this word into a song, not writing the lyrics on the sleeve, and then asking everyone who buys the album to post me their interpretation of the lyrics. I want to know what most people would get from hearing mondegreens. Particularly in a line such as 'don't just throw back mondegreens to pretend you heard'. Ha ha, or something like that. It's a great word though, right?
I haven't done my lesson for today. I've been far too busy researching. And that's not even a lie, technically.
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