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Misheard Song Lyrics -> Stories -> Deep Purple

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!).


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Deep Purple's, "Emaretta"
The Misheard Lyrics:
We have meatballs
Oh, Emmaretta
The Real Lyrics:
Behind my thoughts
Oh, Emmaretta
The Story: one of my favourite childhood songs - Submitted by: Stu
Deep Purple's, "Fireball"
The Misheard Lyrics:
The golden light above you shows me where you're from; The magic in your armpit, which is all you gaze upon.
The Real Lyrics:
The golden light above you shows me where you're from; The magic in your eye bewitches all you gaze upon.
The Story: Actually, a high school buddy (who shall remain nameless) was responsible for this. Back in the day, we were hanging out at my place, listening to my copy of Deep Purple's Fireball. He began reading the album's lyric sheet and, looking up in surprise, said that he always thought the line was "The magic in your armpit, which is all you gaze upon." Not surprisingly, it had never made much sense to him... - Submitted by: Subby Szterszky
Deep Purple's, "Highway Star"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Nobody gonna take my dog
The Real Lyrics:
Nobody gonna take my car
The Story: First heard the song in the game Elite Beat Agents, the level that this song plays is about helping a dog find its way home. Naturally it made sense. - Submitted by: Melange Gel
Deep Purple's, "Highway Star"
The Misheard Lyrics:
She makes cold slaw every fair
The Real Lyrics:
She stays close on every bend
The Story: Thought these were the words since the '70s until I saw the real lyrics posted on the Internet. - Submitted by: Ed
Deep Purple's, "Hush"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Bush, bush.
Thought I heard her call her Laléna.
Bush, bush.
She broke my heart but I love her just the same now.
The Real Lyrics:
Hush, hush.
I thought I heard her calling my name now.
Hush, hush.
She broke my heart but I love her just the same now.
The Story: I thought it was a "bush song" and that woman as sung by singer Rod Evans according to me call her as "Laléna". About this song: This is the first Purple song I posted here. Originally recorded by Joe South and later by Billy Joe Royal, Purple version of this song was well known for listeners at the time and popular in Billboard's Pop Chart by peaking at #4. Another English band Kula Shaker also recorded this song and popular in the UK. Both versions of Billy Joe Royal, Purple, and Kula Shaker, all received well for airplay on many radio stations. "Hush" is an early pop rock song written in late 1960s and there are three albums from Purple that influenced by pop rock before 'In Rock' in 1970 is being more metallic. - Submitted by: Wisnu Aji
Deep Purple's, "Knocking At Your Back Door"
The Misheard Lyrics:
So we put her on the hit list
To become a cunnilingist
A master of many tongues
And now she eases gently
From her arms down to her bent knee
The Real Lyrics:
So we put her on the hit list
Of a common cunning linguist
A master of many tongues
And now she eases gently
From her Austin to her Bentley
The Story: Always thought this was one of the dirtiest songs around, found the lyrics and discovered it's just me that has one of dirtiest minds around. - Submitted by: Alan
Deep Purple's, "My Woman From Tokyo"
The Misheard Lyrics:
My woman is okay, oh.
The Real Lyrics:
My woman from Tokyo.
The Story: My friend told me a guy in high school was singing, 'My woman is okay, oh!' at a house party at the top of his lungs. - Submitted by: anne wagner
Deep Purple's, "Smoke On The WAter"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Smoking Walter, the fire engine guy
The Real Lyrics:
Smoke on the water, fire in the sky.
The Story: A friend was in a band playing in a bar and this guy kept yelling something at the band all night. Between sets, my friend asked him what he wanted and he said, "Play 'Smoking Walter'. He proceeded to sing the misheard line. - Submitted by: gotanypop
Deep Purple's, "Smoke On The Water"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Old Cousin Walter
And he's got fries.
The Real Lyrics:
Smoke on the water
A fire in the sky.
The Story: An old friend of mine swore this is what the song was saying, even after telling her the correct lyrics. - Submitted by: Liz
Deep Purple's, "Smoke On The Water"
The Misheard Lyrics:
S'mores on the water, cracker in disguise.
The Real Lyrics:
Smoke on the water, fire in the sky.
The Story: We were having a cookout at my uncle's one summer, and he was making everyone S'mores over the grill. This song came on the radio and these were the lyrics my uncle sang. - Submitted by: Frann
Deep Purple's, "Smoke On The Water"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Slow Motion Walter
The fire engine guy.
The Real Lyrics:
Smoke on the water
And fire in the sky.
The Story: We were playing a night club and some drunk girl asked me if our band knew the song 'Slow Motion Walter'. - Submitted by: Rob
Deep Purple's, "Smoke On The Water"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Slow cousin Walter.
The Real Lyrics:
Smoke on the water
The Story: It wasn't until I was working in a record store in the mid-80s that I found out the name of the song. I misheard it as a kid, and always thought they were singing, 'Slow cousin Walter'. I never knew what that had to with fire in the sky. Maybe he was a pyro, too? - Submitted by: Teri Talbot
Deep Purple's, "Smoke On The Water"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Slow motion Walter
Fire engine guy.
The Real Lyrics:
Smoke on the water
Fire in the sky.
The Story: My sister told me about this guy who went up to the lead singer of a band who was taking requests during a break in the performance. The band did all kinds of cover tunes. When this guy sang the lyrics to the musician, he was so overcome with laughter, it took fifteen minutes for him to gain his composure. The band then went on stage and performed the song - with the misheard lyrics intact. - Submitted by: Darren McDiarmid
Deep Purple's, "Smoke On The Water"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Slow motion Walter
Fire engine guy.
The Real Lyrics:
Smoke on the water
Fire in the sky.
The Story: We're playing in a bar and this girl comes up and requests 'Slow Motion Walter'. We kept asking her, 'What song is that?' She keeps repeating, 'Slow Motion Walter', then is starting to get upset that we don't know it. Finally on the the guys asks is she can sing a bit, and she does. - Submitted by: Michael
Deep Purple's, "Smoke On The Water"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Slow talkin' Walter
The Real Lyrics:
Smoke on the water
The Story: Well, I live in a not-so-rough northern Canadian city (though we're quite proud of our No Knives signs in the downtown taverns). My uncle told me a story about a drunken friend requesting this misheard song a band in the bar. Like Ziggy's story, the drunk had to break out into a few bars of the chorus until anyone caught on to what he was asking to hear. I don't know if he was threatening personal injury to the band or not though. :) Maybe this is some bizarre urban legend in these parts...? - Submitted by: Jack
Deep Purple's, "Smoke On The Water"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Smoke on the water,
a fire in disguise
The Real Lyrics:
Smoke on the water,
a fire in the sky
The Story: My friend kept telling me that smoke on the water was the smoke left in the bong after you took a hit. He said the part about 'fire in disguise' meant if you took a hit of that leftover smoke, it would burn your throat. - Submitted by: ferg terguson
Deep Purple's, "Smoke On The Water"
The Misheard Lyrics:
smoke covered walter, the fire engine guy
The Real Lyrics:
Smoke on the water, a fire in the sky
The Story: just lazin' back, seemed like everyone there heard it that way. - Submitted by: al baby
Deep Purple's, "Smoke On the Water"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Slow Uncle Walter
Kinda dim, this guy
The Real Lyrics:
Smoke on the water
Fire in the sky
The Story: I worked with a very sweet, sensitive woman who thought this song was dreadfully insulting to the mentally challenged. She felt quite a lot better when I told her the real lyrics! - Submitted by: Holly Katz
Deep Purple's, "Smoke on the Water"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Slow Walkin' Walter
The Real Lyrics:
Smoke on the water
The Story: Yep - this misheard lyric cane as a request from a very drunk individual in an extremely rough northern Canadian town to a member of a bar band who wanted to hear the band play "Slow Walkin' Walter". Not wishing to be injured, she said she didn't know that one and asked him about it....she couldn't figure out the song until he sang it! - Submitted by: Ziggy Stardust
Deep Purple's, "Smoke on the Water"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Slow-motion Walter, the fire engine guy
The Real Lyrics:
Smoke on the water,a fire in the sky
The Story: I played the sax in a cover band that often did 'Smoke on the Water.' We were playing an outdoor festival one day and this old woman came up to us and said 'Could you please play slow-motion Walter? I just love that song.' I asked her what she was talking about because I was stumped and she said 'Oh you know, the one that goes *singing* Sloooooow motion Walter, The fire engine guy.' We figured out what she meant and sang it with her lyrics. We pictured a guy that drives the fire truck in a small town and never gets there on time. Eventually, we thought it was so funny that we changed the name of the band to 'Slow Motion Walter.' - Submitted by: Merideth
Deep Purple's, "Smoke on the Water"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Snow covered woman, with fire in her eyes
The Real Lyrics:
Smoke on the waters, with fire in the sky
The Story: Heard song one time on the radio, in May 73 just before I entered U.S. Army Ranger School at Ft. Benning, GA. No one else in my platoon had ever heard the song, so I'd start it out and we'd make up other lines from my intro (which I thought in good faith, were the actual words) based on this "snow covered woman"... the guys would pass a lyric around at night from "foxhole" to "foxhole". Imagine my chagrin when we graduated in August only to pick up on the actual words. Many of the surviving members of 501-73 still start singing that when we meet. :-) - Submitted by: g2
Deep Purple's, "Smoke on the Water"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Storm on the water
The Real Lyrics:
Smoke on the water
The Story: My sister and I heard this on Sirius XM and thought it was “Storm on the Water” and that moment I was like “no, it’s SMOKE!” - Submitted by: Cody Finke
Deep Purple's, "Smoke on the Water"
The Misheard Lyrics:
To make records with a mobile
The Real Lyrics:
To make records with the Motown
The Story: The "Smoke on the water" song lyrics "To make records with the Motown" refers to the Motown records company. Smoke on the water was first created in 1971, then first released in 1972. The first mobile was first created and used in 1973. How do you make a record with something that did not exist, when the song first came out? - Submitted by: Marcus
Deep Purple's, "Smoke on the Water"
The Misheard Lyrics:
smoke covered Walter, the fire engine guy
The Real Lyrics:
smoke on the water, a fire in the sky
The Story: I don't think there's another misheard lyric to match the number of entries as this one. I heard it as just one of a bunch that we'd sing at a piano bar in Carlsbad, CA. - Submitted by: Allan Wanamaker
Deep Purple's, "Smoke on the Water"
The Misheard Lyrics:
to make records with a moped
The Real Lyrics:
to make records with a mobile
The Story: When I was younger for some reason I used to think this was the actual lyric. - Submitted by: OVERLOAD
Deep Purple's, "Space Truckin'"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Come on, come on, come on,
Let's go, Space Turkey,
Come on, come on, come on, Space Turkey.
The Real Lyrics:
Come on, come on, come on
Let's go space truckin'
Come on, come on, come on space truckin'
The Story: Hey, people used to call each other "jive turkey's," or just "turkey's" in the early-1970's. I thought this was supposed to be a cooler variation. - Submitted by: The Skuz
Deep Purple's, "Space Truckin'"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Space Junkie
The Real Lyrics:
Come on, come on, come on Let's go space truckin' Come on, come on, come on Space truckin'
The Story: Until I got Sirius on my tv, I never thought of it. I was sure it was Space Junkie. I'm also almost positive I had the 8-track but never looked at it that close. Don't think I ever had the album. - Submitted by: tim zini
Deep Purple's, "Woman From Tokyo"
The Misheard Lyrics:
My woman from Tocumwal
The Real Lyrics:
My woman from Tokyo
The Story: Tocumwal is another small town near my town. My dad would always play this song in the car. Ever since I was little, I would insist that this guy's woman was from Tocumwal, not Tokyo. - Submitted by: Lucas Hehir
Deep Purple's, "Woman from Tokyo"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Brined women in Tokyo
She makes sleep
The Real Lyrics:
My woman from Tokyo
She makes me see
The Story: I was reading Strange Weather in Tokyo (the book) and this is what I kept singing! - Submitted by: Maggie
Deep Purple's, "Woman from Tokyo"
The Misheard Lyrics:
My woman from Ohio
The Real Lyrics:
My woman from Tokyo
The Story: Misheard for 20 years - Submitted by: Skip Iniowa
Deep Purple's, "Woman from Tokyo"
The Misheard Lyrics:
My woman's a T.K.O.
She makes me sick.
The Real Lyrics:
My woman from Tokyo
She makes me see
The Story: This misunderstanding went on for a decade or so. - Submitted by: Charley Rider

There are more Deep Purple misheard lyrics available.

Indexes: [#] [A] [B] [C] [D] [E] [F] [G] [H] [I] [J] [K] [L] [M] [N] [O] [P] [Q] [R] [S] [T] [U] [V] [W] [Y] [Z]

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