Misheard Song Lyrics -> Stories -> Glen Campbell

The Story: I had been long familiar with the lyrics of this song, when I recently decided to listen to it on youtube. Sometimes on a computer starting to need a restart, youtube can become erratic and skippy in its playing. Although I knew well that the correct lyrics to this line include "back roads", youtube got kind of jumpy in its playing just as those words came up. As a result, "bathrobes" suddenly clicked into my mind as if that were what the lyrics said. I got a good laugh out of that induced mishearing. I got to wondering what twist this change might might put on the sort-of philosophical underpinnings of this song. The song is sung as if by a happy-go-lucky free spirit type who celebrates more than he regrets a non-committal relation with someone he can drop in and out on at will. The line just before the one cited above says, "And the summer Sun might burn me 'til I'm blind,." acknowledging the hazards of such a lifestyle, cited at least metaphorically in the prospect of getting blinded, but the line cited goes on to expect a silver lining to the cloud, going on to say "but not to where I cannot see you....." What shift in the relevance or lack thereof to the metaphor might be hinted if he thought of seeing the addressee walking on bathrobes instead of back roads?!? - Submitted by: Connie Brady

The Story: First heard the song and thought the misheard lyrics were the right ones. After a few more hearings, was torn between those and the correct ones. Eventually decided the latter were more likely. Then I think I saw the music in a book at some point, and that clinched it. - Submitted by: Robert Jones

The Story: For years I thought the lyrics to these lines were as I misheard them. Then I looked up the lyrics to this song for unrelated reasons, and happened to notice that these two lines were different than I'd always assumed. Used to be, I was always thinking the coal pile was what mainly made the hat dirty. - Submitted by: Karen Smith

The Story: I heard this song as a kid. - Submitted by: Bobby Renzobbi

The Story: I used to work with this guy. When we heard him singing this song, we just fell about laughing are heads off. When we corrected him, he just felt like a complete pr***. But we seen the funny side to it. When anyone of us see him to this day, we call him 'Nine- Stone'. - Submitted by: neil fong

The Story: When I was 8 this song came out and it was really huge! I have an older brother named Arthur, I liked the song but couldn't understand how Arthur could come through the phone? As I got older, the misheard lyrics became even funnier! - Submitted by: Stormin Norman

The Story: R.I.P. Glen Campbell (1936-2017) - Submitted by: Cody Finke

The Story: in the UK, where I grew up, a stone is a unit of weight equivalent to 14lbs, so I thought the song was about a really puny cowboy! - Submitted by: Lucy P.

The Story: I was thinking it was about a lonesome cowboy or referring to the urban cowboy that came out decked out in those christmas lights. - Submitted by: Misyt

The Story: For years I puzzled over that stupid line in what was a perfect song. When the internet was came about I looked up the real lyrics. Boy did I feel foolish. - Submitted by: paul mier

The Story: It sort of sounded like it had something to do with the commercial for something like Sprite, that was flavored with both lemon and lime 'limon'. (But I do not know how it was spelled). [Ed.'s note: FYI, Michael, it was spelled L-Y-M-O-N.] - Submitted by: Michael

The Story: R.I.P. Glen Travis Campbell (1936-2017). About this song: "Wichita Lineman" is track #1 on his twelfth studio album, "Wichita Lineman", released on 4 November 1968. It was written by Jimmy Webb. It topping the country chart and the adult contemporary chart as well as Canada chart. It also reaching #3 on Billboard's Pop Chart, #7 on the UK Singles Chart, #12 on Ireland chart, and #18 on Australia chart. Making him his very first international greatest hit to date. - Submitted by: Wisnu Aji

The Story: It made sense to us kids. Adults liked to put lemon juice on their fish. But if he was only doing 'fine', why was he so emphatic about it? - Submitted by: Michael