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!).
The Very Best of England Dan & John Ford Coley album at Amazon.com
I'm not talkin' 'bout Bolivia.
I'm not talking 'bout moving in.
The Story: I just figured that back in the 70's, when a guy really wanted to impress his girl, he'd suggest they move to Bolivia. Wouldn't that change her life?! - Submitted by: Jt
I'm not talkin' 'bout beliddian.
I'm not talking 'bout moving in.
The Story: I saw ED & JFC Jr. on TV in th 70's sing this song and 'movin' in' was clear as a bell. On the record they are saying something else - I don't know what - and no one can convince me otherwise. (Does beliddian have one or two l's ;-) - Submitted by: the chas
I'm not talkin' 'bout chlamydia.
I'm not talking 'bout moving in.
The Story: I was too embarassed to ask anyone to clarify it for me. - Submitted by: Bob Johnson
But there's a whirlwind blowin' the stars around.
But there's a warm wind blowin', the stars are out.
The Story: When I thought they said 'but there's a whirlwind blowin' the stars around,' I couldn't help but think of the wind blowing and making a plastic toy star spin around. I thought to myself, 'How cool is that?' - Submitted by: Paint Roller
I'm not talkin' 'bout millenium.
I'm not talkin' about movin' in.
The Story: Thanks to your site, I just lost a bet about this line. I heard a DJ in the 70's asking his listeners what they thought the artists meant by 'not talkin bout millenium.' People called in and gave their opinions, but no one corrected it. From then on, I heard it that way. - Submitted by: Eric Hoffmann
I'm not talkin' 'bout my layin' ya.
I'm not talking about moving in.
The Story: England Dan and John Ford Coley were being interviewed on a talk show back in the '80s some time. The host (whose name I forget, but it could have been a late nighter like Johnny Carson) hinted that perhaps the line had a more directly sexual meaning, which led me to think he was confirming the lyric as I have posted above. For years, I heard it. I like what I misheard better than the original even today. [Ed.'s note: If anyone knows about this interview and who the host was, please e-mail me at: naughty9@earthlink.net.] - Submitted by: Bendzick, W
I'm not talkin' about polonium.
I'm not talkin' about movin' in.
The Story: When I first heard this song (on the "Nights are Forever" 8-track in my parents' gold 1977 AMC Matador Barcelona coupe (the epitome of 1970s tastelessness, with its opera windows, vinyl top, several board-feet of fake wood, fake gold-tone trim and diamond-pleated crushed-velvet seats, not to mention a factory quadraphonic AM/FM/8-track/CB stereo), I was about 10 years old, and I had just learned the elements in science class at school. Of course, polonium is an element, specifically a radioactive isotope, and I was embarrassed when my younger sister, who now owns the Matador corrected me. She had not a fig of an idea as to what polonium was, but she was (and still is) one of the few who is able to decipher the line that I submitted. - Submitted by: Andria
I'm not talking 'bout the lenient.
I'm not talking about moving in.
The Story: I've been trying since about 1976 to figure out what the real ending of this song was. At first, I thought it was just the A.M. radio I originally listened to. But even with increasingly better sound systems, I've never been able to figure out that last word. - Submitted by: Mike Ciccone
There are more England Dan & John Ford Coley misheard lyrics available.
New entries in this section are currently reviewed by Karen. Previous editors (if any) are listed on the editors page.
Would you like to Submit some Misheard Lyrics for a song We're always looking
for more entries.
Disclaimer: amIright.com makes no claims to the accuracy of the correct lyrics.
All correct lyrics are copyrighted, amIright.com does not claim ownership of the original lyrics.
