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Misheard Song Lyrics -> Stories -> Jimi Hendrix
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!).
Band of Gypsys album at Amazon.com
Jimi Hendrix's, "All Along The Watchtower"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Mr. Stanley, drink my wine
Come and take my herb
Come and take my herb
The Real Lyrics:
Businessmen, they drink my wine
Plowmen dig my earth.
Plowmen dig my earth.
The Story: I thought he was talking about the bass player Stanley Clarke. - Submitted by: Wally
Jimi Hendrix's, "All Along The Watchtower"
The Misheard Lyrics:
While all my women came and went
There were some men, too.
There were some men, too.
The Real Lyrics:
While all the women came and went
Barefoot servants, too.
Barefoot servants, too.
The Story: I knew this song had to do with the Vietnam War, but I just couldn't understand why Jimi was talking about his women and some men coming and going. By the time I found out what the lyrics were, I had been singing the song out loud at school, the mall, and home. - Submitted by: Mayu
Jimi Hendrix's, "All Along the Watchtower"
The Misheard Lyrics:
All along the watchtower
Princess kept the view
While all the woman came and went.
One plus something’s two.
Outside in the cold distance, a wild captured growled.
Two rowdies were approaching; the wind began to howl.
Princess kept the view
While all the woman came and went.
One plus something’s two.
Outside in the cold distance, a wild captured growled.
Two rowdies were approaching; the wind began to howl.
The Real Lyrics:
All along the watchtower
Prince’s kept the view
While all the women came and went
Barefoot servants too.
Outside in the cold distance
A wildcat did growl.
Two riders were approaching
And the wind began to howl.
Prince’s kept the view
While all the women came and went
Barefoot servants too.
Outside in the cold distance
A wildcat did growl.
Two riders were approaching
And the wind began to howl.
The Story: I have even more. This sound I miserably misheard growing up. It didn’t help that I have hearing loss and did not have good hearing aids till I was in my 20s. - Submitted by: William
Jimi Hendrix's, "All Along the Watchtower"
The Misheard Lyrics:
All along the watchtower
Princes kept the view
While all the women came and went
Barefoot serpents, too.
Princes kept the view
While all the women came and went
Barefoot serpents, too.
The Real Lyrics:
All along the watchtower
Princes kept the view
While all the women came and went
Barefoot servants, too.
Princes kept the view
While all the women came and went
Barefoot servants, too.
The Story: Just how I heard it and always believed it was "barefoot serpents." I can't remember when or how I was set straight but even then I got the proper lyrics wrong as "their footservants." Overcorrecting I guess. Only today on this site I read the correct lyrics. - Submitted by: Rick Boden
Jimi Hendrix's, "All Along the Watchtower"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Let us not talk falsely now, but I was getting laid.
The Real Lyrics:
Let us not talk falsely now, the hour's getting late.
The Story: Ever since I was a little kid, I always heard 'getting laid'. Last summer I was at a Dave Matthews Band show, and they did 'All Along the Watchtower' as the last song of the concert. When Dave sang, '...the hour's getting late', I finally realized that I had been wrong all long. When I told my boyfriend about it on the way home from the concert, he looked at me like I was a total crackhead, then laughed about for about half and hour. - Submitted by: LuvKat
Jimi Hendrix's, "Along The Watch Tower"
The Misheard Lyrics:
So let us stop talking bullshit now, but I was getting laid
The Real Lyrics:
So let us not talk falsely now, but the hour was getting late
The Story: Had listened to and song with the song for a good 20 yrs before realizing the actual lyrics - Submitted by: Al
Jimi Hendrix's, "Manic Depression"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Women sold Willie to sweet cousin Faye
The Real Lyrics:
Woman so willing, the sweet cause in vain
The Story: During the summer of '67 our band was learning to play the Jimi Hendrix song 'Manic Depression'. An argrument arose between myself and our bass player as to the correct lyrics of verse two. I only recently learned that I was, in fact, correct. - Submitted by: RC Coleman
Jimi Hendrix's, "Purple Haze"
The Misheard Lyrics:
'Scuse me while I kiss this guy'
The Real Lyrics:
'Scuse me while I kiss the sky.
The Story: I was in high school & a friend and I were discussing the merits of Jimi Hendrix's guitar playing and his music in general. My friend said he really liked Hendrix's music, but didn't really approve drugs or homosexuality. I said 'WHAT???' He proceeded to offer the misunderstood lyric. I think his assumption was that LSD makes one lose one's sexual orientation. I explained what the real lyrics were and we laughed for about an hour. - Submitted by: Doktor Ho
Jimi Hendrix's, "Purple Haze"
The Misheard Lyrics:
'Scuse me while I kiss this guy.
The Real Lyrics:
'Scuse me while I kiss the sky.
The Story: Heard on the radio from a former roadie that worked at Woodstock, that the misheard line is actually what Jimi said> There was an ongoing joke about Jimi trying to kiss a magazine music critic after a favorable article in the magazine, and the critic was nearby. Jimi supposedly looks right at him and says 'Scuse me while I kiss this guy.' - Submitted by: Jim
Jimi Hendrix's, "Purple Haze"
The Misheard Lyrics:
'Scuse me while I kiss this guy.
The Real Lyrics:
'Scuse me while I kiss the sky.
The Story: My father had a meltdown about Modern Music, as he was SURE that's what Jimi was singing. And we couldn't convince him he was wrong because 'kiss the sky' made no sense to him at all. - Submitted by: B. Uren
Jimi Hendrix's, "Purple Haze"
The Misheard Lyrics:
'Scuse me while I kiss this guy.
The Real Lyrics:
'Scuse me while I kiss the sky.
The Story: My friend claimed not to like Jimi Hendrix because of his gay lyrics. When I asked what he meant, he quoted this song. - Submitted by: El Pablo
Jimi Hendrix's, "Purple Haze"
The Misheard Lyrics:
'Scuse me while I kiss this guy.
The Real Lyrics:
'Scuse me while I kiss the sky.
The Story: One day I was looking in someone's buddy info, and they had the lyrics to Purple Haze in their info. I had always thought it was 'Scuse me while I kiss this guy', so I got my brother and told him about how she had the wrong lyrics in her info. Then he told me what the real lyrics were and I was really embarrassed. - Submitted by: Mark S.
Jimi Hendrix's, "Purple Haze"
The Misheard Lyrics:
'scuse me while I kiss this guy.
The Real Lyrics:
'Scuse me while I kiss the sky.
The Story: I also saw Hendrix live. He pointed to Noel when he sang that line and Noel rolled his eyes. The audience went crazy! - Submitted by: Tigerjag
Jimi Hendrix's, "Purple Haze"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Am I happy or in misery?
The Real Lyrics:
Ever happy or in misery, whatever it is that girl put a spell on me.
The Story: I just get tired of everyone singing this song wrong. They sound so dumb, especially when they CLAIM they are Hendrix fans. pluheeeze - Submitted by: Destiny
Jimi Hendrix's, "Purple Haze"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Excuse me while I kiss this guy.
The Real Lyrics:
'Scuse me while I kiss the sky.
The Story: My husband thought Hendrix was gay, because he thought he was kissing guys. - Submitted by: nancy weber
Jimi Hendrix's, "Purple Haze"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Excuse me while I kiss this guy.
The Real Lyrics:
Excuse me while I kiss THE SKY.
The Story: It took better studio engineering, re-mastering, and the internet lyrics sites for me to figure this out. - Submitted by: Rick Lipary
Jimi Hendrix's, "Purple Haze"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Excuse me while I kiss this guy.
The Real Lyrics:
Excuse me while I kiss the sky.
The Story: My little brother was like 9 or 10 when he asked me if Jimi Hendrix was gay. I asked why, and he said because in his song he said, "Excuse me while I kiss this guy". Cracked me up. - Submitted by: Candi Lindley
Jimi Hendrix's, "Purple Haze"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Excuse me while I kiss this guy.
The Real Lyrics:
Excuse me while I kiss the sky.
The Story: We overheard my neice at about age 13 talking to her cousins about this line in the song. It was the first she'd realized she'd been wrong about the lyrics. - Submitted by: Katie
Jimi Hendrix's, "Purple Haze"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Excuse me, while I kiss this guy.
The Real Lyrics:
Excuse me while I kiss the sky.
The Story: I live in South Africa, which was very 'verkramp' (strict/backward) at the time. I thought it very progressive of Mr. (Hendrix) to come out like that. - Submitted by: Peter
Jimi Hendrix's, "Purple Haze"
The Misheard Lyrics:
I feel funny, but I don't know why.
Excuse me, while I kiss this guy.
Excuse me, while I kiss this guy.
The Real Lyrics:
I feel funny, but I don't know why.
Excuse me, while I kiss the sky.
Excuse me, while I kiss the sky.
The Story: I'd been singing this song wrong in my head for many many years. It made perfect sense to me. If you're a straight man feeling funny, do something funny, like kiss a guy! When I sang the incorrect lyric in front of my buddy Jerry Reeves, who actually saw Hendrix live, he practically collapsed with paroxysms of laughter. Just one step above an actual ROFLMAO. - Submitted by: Bob Harr
Jimi Hendrix's, "Purple Haze"
The Misheard Lyrics:
S**** me while I kiss this guy.
The Real Lyrics:
'Scuse me while I kiss the sky.
The Story: My sister's boyfriend sang the correct lyrics. However, she heard the incorrect lyrics, slapped him, and walk off the dance floor. They were later married and had a happy life together. - Submitted by: Bradley T
Jimi Hendrix's, "Purple Haze"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Where is that girl that sat on me?
The Real Lyrics:
What ever it is, that girl put a spell on me .
The Story: I misheard this lyric as friends of mine were singing it for a talent show this Thursday. Thank goodness they don't know. - Submitted by: Joelle
Jimi Hendrix's, "The Burning Of The Midnight Lamp"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Birmingham, the midnight land
The Real Lyrics:
The burning of the midnight lamp
The Story: I first heard this on a really cheap transistor radio under the bed clothes on a crackly foreign radio station. For a long time, I really thought the song title was "Birmingham The Midnight Land". - Submitted by: Ian Fordham
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