Misheard lyrics (also called mondegreens) occur when people misunderstand the lyrics in a song. These are NOT intentional rephrasing of lyrics, which is called parody.
For more information about the misheard lyrics available on this site, please read our FAQ.
This page contains a list of the songs that have stories about their misheard lyrics submitted.
Song names are sorted by first letter, excluding A and The. This is sorted by song title only, not
by song title and performer. So if two different performers preformed the same song, you'll see
misheard lyrics for both on the same page (provided the song title was spelt the same both times, and
misheard lyrics have been submitted for both!).
Beach Boys - The Greatest Hits Vol. 2: 20 More Good Vibrations album at Amazon.com
Miniature Golf and Hondas in the HEAT
When we rode THAT horse, we got some FRUIT,
Miniature golf and Hondas in the hills
When we rode the horse, we got some thrills.
The Story: I grew up listening to this song, while hanging out at the pool, the lake, or the river. - Submitted by: Ann Dougherty
Teachers caught us in the Paris Bar
T-shirts, cut-offs, and a pair of thongs.
The Story: I've thought it was that for 45 years. - Submitted by: Robert Fitzgerald
Ba, Ba, Ba, Ba Bomber Ant
Bar, Bar, Bar, Bar- Barbara Ann!
The Story: When I was a kid I didn't know the actual lyrics and thought the beach boys were saying "bomber ant" - Submitted by: Kevin Williams
Bob, Bob, Bob, Bob, Bob or Ann
Ba, ba, ba, ba, Barbara Ann
The Story: When I was little, I thought the singer was trying to choose between Bob and Ann, and I would always think to myself 'Duh, you're a boy...choose Ann.' - Submitted by: Betsy
Bob, Bob, Bob, Bob, Bob or Ann?
Bob or Ann? She's a man.
Ba, Ba, Ba, Ba Barbara Ann
Barbara Ann, please take my hand.
The Story: We were listening to a Beach Boys' cd when I admitted I was amazed that this song was so popular when it was about a transvestite. I was quickly corrected and we all had a good laugh. - Submitted by: Margarette
Bob, bob, bob
Bob, bob around
Barbara Ann
The Story: thought it was a new dance - Submitted by: Kim
Bop, bop, bop! Bop up the rain!
Ba-ba-ba, Ba-Barbara Ann
The Story: I first heard it in an episode of Saved by the Bell. - Submitted by: Scandia
Bop, bop, bop, bop, bop a ram.
Ba-ba-ba-ba-Barbara Ann.
The Story: This is definitely my most notorious misheard lyric. I thought this was the right version for years (Hey, I was a little kid!). Every time I heard the song, I envisioned some guy walking up to a ram (i.e. a male sheep) and bopping him over the head with his fist. Not an easy task, but apparently it was successful enough to have a song written about it! Sadly, it was not to be. I finally revealed what I thought the real lyrics were when I was about 10 and the song came on the car radio, and my parents just laughed their heads off. But I still sing the lyrics my way, mind you. - Submitted by: Cat
Went to the dance, looking for a man.
Went to the dance, thought I'd take a chance.
The Story: I thought this was about a gay guy turned straight by Barbara Ann. The funny thing is that I was in my twenties before I figured out what they were really saying. - Submitted by: Liz
I wish they'd offer me California girls
I wish they all could be California girls
The Story: This was what an old boyfriend thought the song was saying. I thought he was just goofing with the lyrics to be funny, but he was genuinely surprised that those weren't the right words. So I left him then and there! - Submitted by: Marly
I wish they'd offered me California, girls.
I wish they all could be California girls.
The Story: The first time I heard this song, I thought it was about some kind of guy who was offered something. But he really wanted California. As luck would have it, my hearing cleared up before I said something stupid to my friends, which happens too much. - Submitted by: Jean Gerstenschlager
I wish we all could be California girls.
I wish they all could be California girls.
The Story: I heard this wrong for many years as a little boy. It made me feel funny inside, especially with the Beach Boys' high-pitched singing voices. I wasn't sure why they wanted to be girls, but I knew that they were very cool. Was I supposed to want to be a California girl too? - Submitted by: Michael D
Don't worry, Tituba.
Don't worry, baby.
The Story: My nasal passages are blocked and it was hard for me to sleep. I got up from growing my hair like JIm Morrison and put on the radio. As I knocked over some hot cocoa, my roommate accused me of witchcraft and I guess that may be why I misheard the lyrics. - Submitted by: David Koch
And she'll have fun, fun, fun, 'til her daddy takes the dinner away
And she'll have fun, fun, fun, 'til her daddy takes her T-Bird away
The Story: For a period of time when I was a kid, if I misbehaved at the dinner table, my parents wouldn't let me finish dinner. Around the same time when I refused to do work, my dad would lament, "That's all it is with you. Fun, fun, fun." So when I heard this song, I thought it was about a kid getting her dinner taken away as punishment for lying. - Submitted by: A Nanny Mouse
And she'll have fun, fun, fun
'Til her daddy takes her teeth away.
And she'll have fun, fun, fun
'Til her daddy takes the T-Bird away.
The Story: This was as heard by my (at the time) girl friend. - Submitted by: Chas
Well, talking about a Speed Standard
'Cause she walks, talks, and drives like an ace now.
Well, all the girls can't stand her
'Cause she walks, talks, and drives like an ace now.
The Story: I thought the lyrics were "Speed Standard" rather than "All The Girls Can't Stand Her" because the song talks about the girl's dad taking her Ford Thunderbird (T-Bird) away, and I thought maybe a Speed Standard was a special type of Ford Thunderbird in the 1950s that was made specially for people (who wanted to pay for one)!!. I thought the "She" in the next lyric was referring to the car; after all, when the Beach Boys sang "Little Deuce Coupe" they were referring the car as a female. :) LOL!! - Submitted by: Codi Preston D.
And she'll have fun, fun, fun, 'til her daddy takes her t-shirt away
And she'll have fun, fun, fun, 'til her daddy takes her T-Bird away
The Story: My friend and I wondered what kind of a kinky father she had until we were set straight. - Submitted by: Neil Lewis
And she'll have fun, fun, fun
'Til her daddy takes the Tigger away.
And she'll have fun, fun, fun
'Til her daddy takes the T-Bird away.
The Story: I was riding with some of my friends in the car. I was singing, 'And she'll have fun, fun, fun 'til her daddy takes the tigger away.' They looked at me and said, 'Dude, what the h*** is wrong with you? It's 'T-bird.' I swear I've been singing it that way since I was 5. - Submitted by: thunderastro99
She makes the Indy 500 look like a rollin' cherry in paste, now.
She makes the Indy 500 look like a Roman chariot race, now.
The Story: I misheard this as a kid. I got the point of the comparison--she drives so fast that Indy 500 race looks very slow by comparison--and I imagine that a cherry rolling through paste would be pretty slow. It was years before I knew the real lyric. - Submitted by: Tom Foss
But long as there are stars above you
You never beat your daddy
But long as there are stars above you
You never need to doubt it
The Story: I think it's an oedipal issue - Submitted by: Andreas
I'm picking up good vibrations
She's giving me good citations
I'm picking up good vibrations
She's giving me excitations.
The Story: When I misheard this, i didn't know what a citation was either, so I asked my dad. He said it was an award. It made sense, so I didn't question it for ten years. - Submitted by: Larry
She goes whipping through a blossom world
(i.e. not taking the time to smell the roses)
She goes with me to a blossom world
The Story: Always thought this was the correct version - Submitted by: Rob M
She goes with me to applaud some groom.
or
She goes with me to a possum drool.
or
She goes with me to a blossomed room.
She goes with me to a blossom world.
The Story: My last mishearing, the *blossomed room* version, came years later when I was sure I finally had it figured out right. But before submitting to this site, I generally check a lyrics site as a last safeguard to make sure I have the real lyrics right. But this time, with incredulity I checked a second and a third lyrics site to make sure the first didn't have it wrong, finally having to conclude that I was still mishearing it after all those years. - Submitted by: Robert Jones
Hap happy Hannukah
Help help me Rhonda
The Story: I thought it was really nice that the Beach Boys were multi-cultural and breaking out of their white bread Southern California surfing culture mold. - Submitted by: Anne
Help me, momma
Help, help me, momma.
Help me, Rhonda
Help, help me, Rhonda.
The Story: I was listening to my dad's old Beach Boys CD and the tune got in my head. As I was in the vehicle, I was singing, "Help me Momma, Help Help me momma." My mom started to panic and asked me what was wrong. I said, "I was singing a song from Dad's Beach Boys' CD. After that, all you could hear in the truck was a whole lot of laughs and giggles out of my mom and dad. I was so embarressed!! - Submitted by: Hillary
Since you put me down, there's been owls sleeping in my head.
or
Since she put me down, I've been shaking up in my head.
Well, since she put me down, I've been out doin' in my head.
The Story: I can thank Dave Barry for this one. He put those owls in my head. - Submitted by: Pam
Well, Rhonda you look so fine (look so fine),
But I can't afford the reason why.
Well, Rhonda you look so fine (look so fine),
And I know it wouldn't take much time.
The Story: Brian Wilson can't keep up with the monthly payments for the cosmetic surgery Rhonda had done last year. - Submitted by: Jeff Koplow
'Round, 'round get around, uggy around.
'Round, 'round get around, I get around.
The Story: In the '60s, my uncle had a dog named 'Uggy' which was 'baby talk' for 'Ugly'. When the Beach Boys' hit, 'I Get Around' was popular and my brother would hear it on the radio, he'd sing 'Uggy Around' because he thought the song was about the dog. - Submitted by: slb
Round, 'round get around, hoggin' around
'Round, 'round get around, I get around.
The Story: I thought they were singing about going after fat chicks - Submitted by: Tim
Aruba Jamaica ooo I wanna take you
Computer Bahama come on pretty mama
Chicago Montego baby why don't we go
Jamaica
Off the Florida Keys
There's a place called Kokomo
That's where you wanna go to get away from it all.
Somebody's in the sand
Tropical cake melting in your hand
We'll be falling in love
To the rhythm of a seal's young dance
Down in Kokomo.
Aruba Jamaica ooo I wanna take you
Bermuda Bahama come on pretty mama
Key Largo Montego baby why don't we go
Jamaica
Off the Florida Keys
There's a place called Kokomo
That's where you wanna go to get away from it all.
Bodies in the sand
Tropical drink melting in your hand
We'll be falling in love
To the rhythm of a steel drum band
Down in Kokomo.
The Story: When I watched the song on television every Sunday whilst it was on its way to #1 on the charts, I sang the lyrics as I thought they were to my brother and he replied “it doesn't go “computer””. Yet he himself failed to unravel all the lyrcs himself (we were only 11 and 9 years old then). - Submitted by: zhu plantation
Bermuda, Bahama, I'm a pretty mama.
Bermuda, Bahamas, come on pretty mama.
The Story: I used to think that this was the right lyrics for many years. When I was nine or ten, there used to be a Muppet's music video singing this song on Nickelodeon and I used to think that they were referring to Miss Piggy. - Submitted by: DarkDan
I want to make, a mountain rotten steak
Maritinique, that Monserat mystique
The Story: I have NEVER been able to tell what the words are in the song and I've always said the day I find out will be the end of an era! But with some mates of mine one day years ago I quizzed them, and they had no idea but one piped up "Something about "I want to bake a cake?" !! - Submitted by: Cecilia
Lamar, tin ink, that Matta rotten stink.
To Martinique, that Montserrat mystique.
The Story: I knew someone named Lamar, and I was taking an Art History class in college when the song came out, so I thought I heard the name of the artist Matta, and I definitely heard "rotten stink," so my brain formed the rest around that. - Submitted by: Glenn Iverson
Martiniique. Vermont's a rotten stink.
St. Martinique, that Monserat mystique
The Story: I didn't think what I heard was really right, but until today, I never understood what the real lyrics were. - Submitted by: Sharon Smith
Want to eat the mounds of rotten steak.
To Martinique, that Montserrat mystique
The Story: My family would always play the Beach Boys in the car on family trips, and Kokomo was my favorite song to sing along with. Whenever this part of the song came up, I'd sing really loudly 'Want to eat the mounds of rotten steak'. I was convinced those were the actual lyrics. My mom still teases me about it to this day. - Submitted by: Betsy
My little doop scoop
My little deuce coupe
The Story: I was singing in the car with my mom. When the song ended, I kept singing. She just looked at me like I was crazy. I asked her, 'What?!' She looked at me and said, 'Doop scoop? It's deuce coupe, like a car.' I felt so funny, but all I could do was laugh at myself and think how funny 'doop scoop' actually sounded with the rest of the lyrics. - Submitted by: Erin
There's one more thing
I got the Big Slip Daddy.
There's one more thing
I got the pink slip, Daddy!
The Story: The Big Slip Daddy was Positraction, or Limited Slip Differential. This fits in with all the other equipment they're talking about. Who cares if he's got the pink slip? If he owns the car, of course he has the pink slip! If he won the pink slip in a race by beating the Little Deuce Coupe, then I want to see the car he beat it with!! - Submitted by: Dominick
There's one more thing
I got the pink slip, Daddy!
There's one more thing
I got the Big Slip Daddy!
The Story: The people who thought they misheard it as "the Big Slip Daddy" are actually the ones who heard it right! There is no "pink slip" involved. The "Big Slip Daddy" was a nickname for another hot-rod car part, a limited-slip differential for the rear axle, allowing the driver to get better acceleration (and also allowed him to "burn rubber" more impressively). - Submitted by: David
There's one more thing
She's got those big slicks, Daddy!
There's one more thing
I got the pink slip, Daddy!
The Story: This has been the source of discussion for many years and though I was always adamant, evidently I was wrong. Most of the song's lyrics present the many cool racing features of the car, and 'big slicks', i.e., fat, tread-pattern-free racing tires fit that package to a tee -- or so I've always insisted. And a 'pink slip', which commonly means being fired from a job, does not. Guess I was wrong. Though the car has 'a competition clutch and four on the floor,' it has no 'big slicks'. So just what is the 'pink slip'? Title to the car perhaps? - Submitted by: Steve MacIntyre
Little Blue Scoop
Little Deuce Coup
The Story: My Mom always sang Little Blue Scoop. In fact, I even bought her one for Christmas one year as a joke. - Submitted by: Jill Smith
She's my little loose tooth.
She's my little deuce coupe.
The Story: When i was little, I thought this song was about the Tooth Fairy. - Submitted by: Karley
There's one more thing, I got the Big Slip Daddys.
There's one more thing, I got the pink slip, Daddy.
The Story: In high school in the 70's , we thought the Big Slip Daddys were either the limited slip differential rear end, or slicks (rear tires). - Submitted by: John Connolly
There's one more thing, I got the pig skin padding.
There's one more thing, I got the pink slip, daddy.
The Story: Growing up in Ohio, I had no idea what a pink slip was, so naturally I heard something different. I always thought pig skin padding was some kind of California cool upholstery, like tuck and roll naugahyde. In Ohio, the car title was green and we called it by the quaint name of 'Car Title'. - Submitted by: Terry Kreidler
Dee Clannen umbers and an even rate.
Declining numbers at an even rate
The Story: I thought they were talking about some famous guy with a name like Dee Clark or Jimmy Clanton, but that was maybe a race car driver, or played one on TV somewhere. - Submitted by: Bill
He's all a-crammin-dutchin'.
He's hot with ram induction.
The Story: I didn't know much about Chrysler Intake manifolds when I was seven years old. - Submitted by: Milton Mickey
We planning numbers and an evening's race
He's got a transit action but it's understood
Declining numbers at an even rate
He's wild with ram induction but it's understood
The Story: I was a Beach Boy fan from day one & "Shut Down" became my favorite. I knew I had it wrong but for 40 years I sang it like this - until the i-net came along with lyrics sources. - Submitted by: RichardB, austin
....So hoist up the jumbi sail
...So hoist up the John B's sail
The Story: I'm no sailor but the jumbi sail?... the big sail I thought (like jumbo sail) Whenever I'm done for the day now I say "Hoist up the jumbi" it's time to go home. ... enjoy ;) - Submitted by: Sean
Why stop the January Sale?
Hoist up the John B's sail!
The Story: A goodun from the girlfriend. - Submitted by: Adam
If everyone had a notion
If everyone had an ocean
The Story: My son Jake is a Beach Boys expert. About a year ago he corrected me while I was singing the song. I've only been singing it wrong for the last 50+ years! - Submitted by: Ed
Butchy, butchy banana
Bushy, bushy blonde hairdos
The Story: My mom and dad loved this song. My dad always called my mom Butchy. I'm not sure why, but I thought it was because of this song. Just figured out when singing it with a friend that I've been wrong for the last 30 years. - Submitted by: Andrea
You'll see 'em wearing their baggies
Rodgie Semmels too.
You'll see 'em wearing their baggies
Huarachi sandals too.
The Story: This had been one of my favorite songs since I was a baby, before I even learned to speak. I grew up near surf culture. I assumed Rodgie Semmels was some famous surfer from before my day. I got it into my head that Baja pullovers were named after him (as I had always seen surfers wearing them). It was only a couple years ago that someone corrected me. I'm 45 now. - Submitted by: Koa
Will I love my mom for the rest of my life?
Will I love my wife for the rest of my life?
The Story: It always brought a tear to my eye when I thought he was singing about his mom. - Submitted by: Pat Anderson
There are more Beach Boys misheard lyrics available.
New entries in this section are currently reviewed by Brian Kelly. Previous editors (if any) are listed on the editors page.