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Misheard Song Lyrics -> Stories -> Genesis
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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Genesis', "Abacab"
The Misheard Lyrics:
There's some crap in the mirror
The Real Lyrics:
There's a crack in the mirror
The Story: Sounded like crap. - Submitted by: Cody Finke
Genesis', "Behind the Lines"
The Misheard Lyrics:
You have no raisins
The Real Lyrics:
You gave no reason
The Story: Again, why we mishear “reason” as “raisin”. - Submitted by: Cody Finke
Genesis', "Can-Utility and the Coastliners"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Singing "crazy, crazy"
The Real Lyrics:
Singing "praise him, praise him"
The Story: I wonder if that's what inspired the song "Crazy" by Aerosmith - Submitted by: Cody Finke
Genesis', "Carpet Crawlers"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Evil call us
The Real Lyrics:
heed their callers
The Story: demonic song at first - Submitted by: joshua
Genesis', "Congo"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Like it sold for rent
The Real Lyrics:
Like a soldier ant
The Story: I thought it WAS sold for rent! - Submitted by: Cody Finke
Genesis', "Domino (The Last Domino)"
The Misheard Lyrics:
I stear around the balcony
Children are swimming and playing with books.
Children are swimming and playing with books.
The Real Lyrics:
I stare 'round about me
Children are swimming and playing with boats.
Children are swimming and playing with boats.
The Story: Until now, I always thought what I heard was right. Guess the real version makes more sense. Although I think my version would fit nicely considering Genesis have a taste for bizarre, dramatic images (what could be more dramatic than Phil Collins making a rather violent, sweaping motion from one side to another on top of a balcony, i ask you??). Playing with books in a swimming pool probably isn't a very educationally sound idea either. - Submitted by: Rael
Genesis', "Duchess"
The Misheard Lyrics:
And everyone would start for war
The Real Lyrics:
And everyone would start to roar
The Story: How it was, that came to when they would become lions. - Submitted by: Cody Finke
Genesis', "Follow You Follow Me"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Every day is such a purple day
The Real Lyrics:
Every day is such a perfect day
The Story: Referring to Barney the Dinosaur's color, purple. - Submitted by: Cody Finke
Genesis', "I Can't Dance"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Hot sauce making me swim
The Real Lyrics:
Hot sun making me sweat
The Story: How in the world would Phil Collins, or even the band Genesis, think about swimming in hot sauce? - Submitted by: Cody Finke
Genesis', "I Know What I Like (in Your Wardrobe)"
The Misheard Lyrics:
There's always been ethyl
The Real Lyrics:
There's always been Ethel
The Story: I thought it referred to gasoline! - Submitted by: Cody Finke
Genesis', "In Too Deep"
The Misheard Lyrics:
So whisper, whisper to me
The Real Lyrics:
So listen, listen to me
The Story: Sounded like he could have encouraged someone to whisper. - Submitted by: Cody Finke
Genesis', "Invisible Touch"
The Misheard Lyrics:
He took the hand, sang 'give it all posture'
That's what she needs, and that's what's holding her horse
That's what she needs, and that's what's holding her horse
The Real Lyrics:
She seems to have an invisible touch, yeah.
She reaches in, and grabs right hold of your heart
She reaches in, and grabs right hold of your heart
The Story: AM radio. - Submitted by: Me
Genesis', "Invisible Touch"
The Misheard Lyrics:
She has a built in guillotine
The Real Lyrics:
She reaches in and grabs right hold of your heart
The Story: The song was playing in the car another song was playing in my head so I misheard this lyric. - Submitted by: Jemima
Genesis', "Invisible Touch"
The Misheard Lyrics:
She has a hatchback, really thinks she's tough s***.
The Real Lyrics:
She seems to have an invisible touch, yeah.
The Story: When I was a kid, I used to sing this (my version) at the top of my lungs. That is until I got to 's***', and then I'd whisper it, thinking I was pretty big stuff because I was mouthing a cuss word along with the radio. - Submitted by: Kara
Genesis', "Invisible Touch"
The Misheard Lyrics:
She reaches in and grabs my podium
The Real Lyrics:
She reaches in, and grabs right hold of your heart.
The Story: I thought this was the lyrics for years until I finally looked it up. - Submitted by: Grant
Genesis', "Invisible Touch"
The Misheard Lyrics:
She reaches in and that’s not polio.
The Real Lyrics:
She reaches in, grabs right hold of your heart.
The Story: I was 12 when the song came out, before the Internet & home computers, & my cousin & I would argue over the lyrics to many songs. - Submitted by: Moparfan
Genesis', "Invisible Touch"
The Misheard Lyrics:
She s*** her pants at a physical function.
or
She s*** her pants at a critical junction.
or
She s*** her pants at a critical junction.
The Real Lyrics:
She seems to have an invisible touch, yeah.
The Story: Was at work when this song came over the speakers and when I misheard the lyrics I just couldn’t stop laughing. - Submitted by: John Blake
Genesis', "Invisible Touch"
The Misheard Lyrics:
She see the half pint empty on the top shelf.
The Real Lyrics:
She seems to have an invisible touch, yeah!
The Story: It's not me, but a friend, singing along loudly. She fancied herself a singer. (Not just any singer, but an opera singer.) She studied voice even. I was sixteen, and I had to pull the car over on the side of the road because I was laughing so hard, I was crying. - Submitted by: Melanie B
Genesis', "Invisible Touch"
The Misheard Lyrics:
She seems to be a stupid f***, dumb s***
The Real Lyrics:
She seems to have an invisible touch, yeah!
The Story: Never quite knew what Phil Collins was singing, but knew for sure he was saying "s***" on the radio back in the '80s. The only thing that could possibly make sense is some phrases I heard adults throwing around back then (stupid f*** & dumb s***). Hence, that is what I thought the lyrics said all these years. Such a catchy, but insulting song. - Submitted by: Davood Caballo
Genesis', "Invisible Touch"
The Misheard Lyrics:
She seems to have a busy borrowed Ptaczek
The Real Lyrics:
She seems to have an invisible touch
The Story: When this song was on the radio, I was a member of a science fiction club that occasionally held costume parties. These parties had awards that were named after an early member of the group, someone named Ptaczek ("TAH-check"). - Submitted by: André Deschambres
Genesis', "Invisible Touch"
The Misheard Lyrics:
She seems to have a physical milkshake!
The Real Lyrics:
She seems to have an invisible touch, yeah.
The Story: Well, I was only like 5 and I thought that she was drinking a health shake, like my mom tried when she exercised, I thought lady in the song was pretty so she must have been exercising and he saw her drinking a milkshake, and that was how I figured he was telling me it was a health shake lol! - Submitted by: SexyBlenko
Genesis', "Invisible Touch"
The Misheard Lyrics:
She seems to have an invisible bust
or
She seems to have an invisible butt
or
She seems to have an invisible butt
The Real Lyrics:
She seems to have an invisible touch
The Story: Too much tequila that night - Submitted by: Bernard F Hronek
Genesis', "Invisible Touch"
The Misheard Lyrics:
She seems to have an invisible top shelf
The Real Lyrics:
She seems to have an invisible touch
The Story: Husband James singing this in the car! - Submitted by: Corrine Brice
Genesis', "Invisible Touch"
The Misheard Lyrics:
She seems to have an invisible top shirt.
The Real Lyrics:
She seems to have an invisible touch, yeah.
The Story: I was a very young child and I would always sing this version of it. Of course, my family teased me mercilessly. - Submitted by: Digitalfreaknyc
Genesis', "Invisible Touch"
The Misheard Lyrics:
She seems to have an invisible tough s***.
The Real Lyrics:
She seems to have an invisible touch, yeah.
The Story: When I was twelve, my friend tried to convince me that they let Phil Collins swear on the radio. I almost died when she told me she was referring to this song. - Submitted by: Leah Lockhart
Genesis', "Invisible Touch"
The Misheard Lyrics:
She seems to have an invisible tough shed
The Real Lyrics:
She seems to have an invisible touch
The Story: When I was in elementary school (late 80's early 90's) there were Tough Shed commercials on tv. When my family heard this song we all thought that it was so weird that they were singing about an invisible Tough Shed. We didn't find out the correct lyrics until sometime around 1999. - Submitted by: Megan
Genesis', "Invisible Touch"
The Misheard Lyrics:
She seems to hear on the radio toxic
The Real Lyrics:
She seems to have an invisible touch yeah
The Story: I'd heard this song maybe five times before I started a retail job and heard it almost every day for three years. I didn't know the name of the song until my phone automatically identified it, and the lyrics totally caught me off guard! - Submitted by: Ryan
Genesis', "Invisible Touch"
The Misheard Lyrics:
She stole my heart and cheesy don't junk "chha"
The Real Lyrics:
She seems to have an invisible touch, yeah
The Story: I heard these misheard lyrics when I was around 6 years and Mom would blast Genesis in the car. LOL - Submitted by: Andrew
Genesis', "Invisible Touch"
The Misheard Lyrics:
She's just a half-pint, busy body tough s***!
She'll turn around and grab right hold of your heart.
She'll turn around and grab right hold of your heart.
The Real Lyrics:
She seems to have an invisible touch, yeah!
She reaches in, and grabs right hold of your heart
She reaches in, and grabs right hold of your heart
The Story: I knew this couldn't be right, but that's what it sounds like. I just heard the song yesterday, driving home in a snowstorm. I turned the sound up and really listened, but I couldn't decipher the line. - Submitted by: Billie
Genesis', "Invisible touch"
The Misheard Lyrics:
she has a built in guillotine
The Real Lyrics:
she has a built in ability
The Story: the song was playing in the car another song was playing in my head and i misheard this lyric - Submitted by: Jemima
Genesis', "Jesus He Knows Me"
The Misheard Lyrics:
I'm finally practicing what i'm preaching
I'm finally making no sacrifice
but I can get you a pocketful of ufo's
If you promse to (something), try to be nice
God will take good care of you
just do as I say, don't do as I do
I'm finally making no sacrifice
but I can get you a pocketful of ufo's
If you promse to (something), try to be nice
God will take good care of you
just do as I say, don't do as I do
The Real Lyrics:
Won't find me practising what I'm preaching
won't find me making no sacrifice
but I can get you a pocketful of miracles
if you promise to be good, try to be nice
God will take good care of you
just do as I say, don't do as I do
won't find me making no sacrifice
but I can get you a pocketful of miracles
if you promise to be good, try to be nice
God will take good care of you
just do as I say, don't do as I do
The Story: This is one of those songs where there is one section of the song you can never quite get. I was about 10 or 11 when I misheard these lyrics. I always thought they sounded fishy and found the real lyrics make more sense when I discovered them. I was wondering why he was telling the listener not to do as he does if he is finally practicing what he is preaching. And also, why he is only now practicing what he is preaching when he said that Jesus knows he is right throughout the song. The pocket full of ufo's made absolutely no sense but can easily be heard in the song. The way Phil Collins sings these few lyrics makes it difficult for a gullible ear to mishear things. Now that I know the lyrics though, I can easily hear both my mistake and the true lyrics when I play the song. - Submitted by: Adam White
Genesis', "Jesus He Knows Me"
The Misheard Lyrics:
You buy a piece of meat
The Real Lyrics:
You buy a piece of me
The Story: Often I hear about a "piece of meat" instead of "piece of me". - Submitted by: Cody Finke
Genesis', "Keep It Dark"
The Misheard Lyrics:
He wondered in his home
The Real Lyrics:
He wandered in his home
The Story: I often confused "wander" and "wonder". - Submitted by: Cody Finke
Genesis', "Mama"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Oh, Nate the Great
The Real Lyrics:
Oh, make the pain
The Story: Sounded like some storybook character. - Submitted by: Cody Finke
Genesis', "Misunderstanding"
The Misheard Lyrics:
I checked your mama twice.
The Real Lyrics:
I checked your number twice.
The Story: This sounded perfectly fine when I was 5. But when I grew older, I released that Albert (the Duke character) would have to be dating a 15 year old girl, and that he would be a pedophile! So I looked in the sleeve of the lp and discovered the real lyrics. - Submitted by: Daniel Bryant
Genesis', "No Reply At All"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Barnes & Noble back at home
The Real Lyrics:
There's no reply at all
The Story: I thought a bookstore would be back at home! - Submitted by: Cody Finke
Genesis', "No Son of Mine"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Your monster of mine
The Real Lyrics:
You're no son of mine
The Story: I thought it had to do with monsters! - Submitted by: Cody Finke
Genesis', "Paperlate"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Purple rain, purple rain
The Real Lyrics:
Paperlate, paperlate
The Story: I kind of wondered if that's what inspired Prince starring in the film Purple Rain and the title song (other than it being mentioned in the song "Ventura Highway" by America). - Submitted by: Cody Finke
Genesis', "Paperlate"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Taking no risks and playing touche
The Real Lyrics:
Taking no risks and playing to shame
The Story: ITV in the UK used to show Touche Turtle cartoons on a Saturday morning (along with Wally Gator and Lippy Lion). I used to think this meant to hide in your shell, like when Touche Turtle would go into his shell when in danger. - Submitted by: Pickle
Genesis', "Supper's Ready"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Now I'm back again, and babe, it's gonna work out, BA-A-A-A-AH!
or
Now I'm back again, and babe, it's gonna work out BAD!
or
Now I'm back again, and babe, it's gonna work out BAD!
The Real Lyrics:
Now I'm back again, and babe, it's gonna work out fine.
The Story: I watched the Bataclan concert on YouTube, and Peter's voice seemed to be struggling a lot during the "As Sure as Eggs Is Eggs" part. And when he got to the line, "Now I'm back again..." I thought he was saying "And babe, it's gonna work out, BA-A-A-A-AH!" I thought I was right at first because his voice was sorta shaking when he said "FINE!" I felt like a fool when I discovered the real lyrics. - Submitted by: Melissa
Genesis', "That's All"
The Misheard Lyrics:
It's only a Shaman's song.
The Real Lyrics:
It's just a shame, that's all.
The Story: I was very unsuccessful in finding the record 'Shaman's Song' in 1984. - Submitted by: Ted
Genesis', "That's All"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Is like putting me phooey all the time.
The Real Lyrics:
Living with you's just putting me through it all of the time
The Story: I heard this when it first came out and I was living in Canada. I didn't realize it was Genesis right off and thought the phrase was funny and that it was some crazy Canadian phrase. Now I'm embarrassed that I have been singing it wrong all this time. :( - Submitted by: serene
Genesis', "That's All"
The Misheard Lyrics:
It's just a shame, that's our 'O'.
The Real Lyrics:
It's just a shame, that's all.
The Story: I just found out I was hearing this wrong for years, thanks to Am I Right! I'm not sure what I thought their 'O' was, but I guess I thought 'that's our O' meant 'that's our motto' or 'that's the breaks', like maybe it was a phrase that I was unfamiliar with. Why the heck does Phil Collins make the word 'all' sound like a two-syllable word anyway? - Submitted by: Frann
Genesis', "That's All"
The Misheard Lyrics:
It's only a shame, that song
The Real Lyrics:
It's only a shame, that's all
The Story: At first that's what I heard. - Submitted by: Cody Finke
Genesis', "That's All"
The Misheard Lyrics:
It's only the same old song
The Real Lyrics:
It's only a shame, that's all
The Story: I swore Phil Collins made a Four Tops reference... - Submitted by: Cody Finke
Genesis', "That's All"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Looking at you, looking at me
It's Saddam Hussein, it's just a shame, that's all.
It's Saddam Hussein, it's just a shame, that's all.
The Real Lyrics:
Me looking at you, you looking at me
It's always the same, it's just a shame, that's all.
It's always the same, it's just a shame, that's all.
The Story: I heard this playing in a reataurant where I was waiting for my order. I thought, it sure sounds like they're singing "It's Saddam Hussein". I went home and tried to search for the lyrics on the web. It wasn't trivially easy, in light of my mishearings. But with a few hits and missises, I found that "That's All" clearly had to be the song I'd heard. And then I could compare the real lyrics to my misheard ones. - Submitted by: Jessica Childress
Genesis', "That's All"
The Misheard Lyrics:
True says "I love you"
The Real Lyrics:
Truth is, I love you
The Story: I saw this video on MTV once (when they used to show music videos and they used to call themselves Music Television) and I thought Phil was saying "True says 'I love you'" rather than "Truth is, I love you." - Submitted by: Isac
Genesis', "That's All"
The Misheard Lyrics:
it's just like chop suey all of the time
The Real Lyrics:
Living with you's just putting me through it all of the time
The Story: Heard in a basic Chinese restaurant - Submitted by: Barry
Genesis', "The Battle of Epping Forest"
The Misheard Lyrics:
With Genevieve!
The Real Lyrics:
You're telling me!
The Story: "With Genevieve" line is from the opening of "Choo-Choo Soul" - Submitted by: Mickey D.
Genesis', "The Musical Box"
The Misheard Lyrics:
You stand there with your b*tch expression.
The Real Lyrics:
You stand there with your fixed expression.
The Story: This happened while watching a video of someone’s top 50 songs (most of them were progressive). - Submitted by: BrilliantJ8
Genesis', "The Squonk"
The Misheard Lyrics:
One more revelation
(and)
Here I am, from a very distant nightmare
(and)
Here I am, from a very distant nightmare
The Real Lyrics:
Like father like son
(and)
Here I am, I'm very fierce and frightening
(and)
Here I am, I'm very fierce and frightening
The Story: Old habits die hard. I still have to concentrate to hear the correct lyrics. - Submitted by: Ragnar Fyri
Genesis', "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight"
The Misheard Lyrics:
I'm gonna make it white
The Real Lyrics:
I'm gonna make it right
The Story: Kind of seemed like the opposite of Mick Jagger's advice to paint it black...Phil Collins wanted to make it white! - Submitted by: Cody Finke
Genesis', "Who Dunnit?"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Was it I or was it me?
Or was it Ex-Jose?
or
Was it I or was it me?
Or was it Expose?
Or was it Ex-Jose?
or
Was it I or was it me?
Or was it Expose?
The Real Lyrics:
Was it A or was it B?
Or was it X or Z?
Or was it X or Z?
The Story: I thought that Genesis were paying a tribute to the '80s Miami freestyle band Expose, but I guess I was mistaken. I must have been about 11 years old at the time. - Submitted by: Metal Substance
Genesis', "Whodunnit?"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Or was it ecstacy?
The Real Lyrics:
Or was it X or Z?
The Story: I didn't expect Collins to pronounce 'Z' in the American way, so I assumed he was singing about the feeling of ecstacy and not the drug of that name. - Submitted by: pickle*
Genesis', "Whodunnit?"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Was It A or was it B?
Or was it ecstasy?
Or was it ecstasy?
The Real Lyrics:
Was it A or was it B?
Or was it X or Z?
Or was it X or Z?
The Story: haha I always wondered why he was going on about drugs, turns out he wasn't!!! xxx - Submitted by: Jade
There are more Genesis misheard lyrics available.
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