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Misheard Song Lyrics -> Stories -> John Denver
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!).
An Evening with John Denver album at Amazon.com
John Denver's, "Annie's Song"
The Misheard Lyrics:
You feel all my senses
The Real Lyrics:
You fill up my senses
The Story: I thought he had a sense of touch! - Submitted by: Cody Finke
John Denver's, "Annie's Song"
The Misheard Lyrics:
You fill up my sad sacks
The Real Lyrics:
You fill up my senses
The Story: As a child, I always thought John Denver was singing "You fill up my sad sacks" when he sang Annie's Song. I was probably about 25 years old when I was singing it one day and my mom laughed so hard because she told me it was "You fill up my senses". I'm not sure why I thought it was "You fill up my sad sacks", but then I was prone to mishear lyrics. Off the topic a little, but I always thought Sassette (the Smurfling) on the Smurfs was named "Sass-sad" until I was an adult. Oh well. - Codi Preston D. - Submitted by: Codi Preston D.
John Denver's, "Country Roads"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Country Roads, take me home
To the place I belong, West Virginia,
Mountain llamas, take me home
To the country roads
To the place I belong, West Virginia,
Mountain llamas, take me home
To the country roads
The Real Lyrics:
Country Roads, take me home
To the place I belong, West Virginia,
Mountain my mind, take me home
To the country roads
To the place I belong, West Virginia,
Mountain my mind, take me home
To the country roads
The Story: Me and my friend were in the car on the way home from Indiana. And I started singing the song.. and I sung it like 'to the place where I belong.. West Virginia.. mountian mama' and she said.. 'mountian llamas' and we came home to find out we were both wrong... - Submitted by: Cynthia
John Denver's, "Country Roads"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Take me home, f*** me hard,
'Cause you know I've been bad
Lost virginity, mountainous mammaries
Take me home, f*** me hard.
'Cause you know I've been bad
Lost virginity, mountainous mammaries
Take me home, f*** me hard.
The Real Lyrics:
Country roads, take me home
To the place I belong
West Virginia, mountain momma
Take me home, country roads.
To the place I belong
West Virginia, mountain momma
Take me home, country roads.
The Story: It was late at night and I may have been intoxicated at the time, but I swear this is what I heard. I think the radio wasn't properly tuned in either. What I was smoking at the time probably didn't help either. - Submitted by: Bill Clinton
John Denver's, "Gossip Changes"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Now God knew names and faces
The Real Lyrics:
Now we got new names and faces
The Story: I knew all the time that this probably wasn't right.. It took me about three decades to finally gather the energy at the right moment and look it up...;-) - Submitted by: Maya
John Denver's, "Grandma's Feather Bed"
The Misheard Lyrics:
It was made from the feathers of forty-'leven geese
Took a whole rope across for the tick
Took a whole rope across for the tick
The Real Lyrics:
It was made from the feathers of forty-'leven geese
Took a whole bolt of cloth for the tick
Took a whole bolt of cloth for the tick
The Story: I thought the tick was like the slats on a regular bed. Hey, I'm from the city, what do I know. I finally got to meet the gentleman who wrote the song, Jim Connor, and he, very kindly, educated me when I asked him what the correct lyric was. - Submitted by: J. W. Coffey
John Denver's, "Leaving On A Jet Plane"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Leavin' on a jet train
The Real Lyrics:
I'm leavin' on a jet plane.
The Story: I had a roommate who always got painfully close to the correct lyrics. - Submitted by: Kelli
John Denver's, "Looking for Space"
The Misheard Lyrics:
On the road of experience
Dawn of the living dead
Dawn of the living dead
The Real Lyrics:
On the road of experience
Join in the living day
Join in the living day
The Story: I swear, that’s what it sounded like to me. I didn’t think that those were the actual words (which I had to look up). I blame 1) partial hearing loss discovered only on medical tests, and 2) watching too much of “The Walking Dead.” - Submitted by: Daniel M.
John Denver's, "Noel: Christmas Eve, 1913"
The Misheard Lyrics:
A frosty Christmas Eve, when the stars were shining
I traveled for the home, where westward falls the hill
And for many, many a village, in the darkness of the valley
Distant music reached me, peals of bells were ringing.
I traveled for the home, where westward falls the hill
And for many, many a village, in the darkness of the valley
Distant music reached me, peals of bells were ringing.
The Real Lyrics:
I was lost on Christmas Eve, when the stars were shining
I traveled for a month, to westward falls and hills
And for many little villages in the darkness of the valley
This music did reach me, peels and bells were ringing.
I traveled for a month, to westward falls and hills
And for many little villages in the darkness of the valley
This music did reach me, peels and bells were ringing.
The Story: This song intro never made sense to me... - Submitted by: Julian
John Denver's, "Noel: Christmas Eve, 1913"
The Misheard Lyrics:
And they sat there and they marveled, and they knew they could not tell whether it were angels, or the bright stars a-singing
The Real Lyrics:
And they sat there and they marveled, and they knew they could not tell whether rain were raining, or the bright stars were shining
The Story: I thought this meant that they (the shepherds) were confused about the weather. - Submitted by: Julian
John Denver's, "Rocky Mountain High"
The Misheard Lyrics:
And he lost his friends, the Captain and Tennille
The Real Lyrics:
And he lost a friend, but kept a memory
The Story: I thought it was in reference to the duet who had hits with “Love Will Keep Us Together”, “Muskrat Love” and “Do That to Me One More Time”. - Submitted by: Cody Finke
John Denver's, "Rocky Mountain High"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Call her out on Rocky Mountain High.
The Real Lyrics:
Colorado Rocky Mountain High
The Story: I used to imagine John Denver looking out over the Rockies calling for a lost love. - Submitted by: Bill
John Denver's, "Rocky Mountain High"
The Misheard Lyrics:
His sinus turned inside himself to try and understand
The serenity of a clear blue mountain lake.
The serenity of a clear blue mountain lake.
The Real Lyrics:
His sight has turned inside himself to try and understand
The serenity of a clear blue mountain lake.
The serenity of a clear blue mountain lake.
The Story: At first I actually thought these lines were about how that mountain lake's serenity could be elusive to one battling hay fever! - Submitted by: Ashley Michelle McGowan
John Denver's, "Rocky Mountain High"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Rocky mountain pie, with portabelloes.
The Real Lyrics:
Rocky mountain high, in Colorado
The Story: What can I say? We all know how muffled those old 8-tracks (cartridges) sounded. Although, we had no idea what portabelloes were back then, so I do not know where that came from. [Ed.'s note: Portabellos are mushrooms.] - Submitted by: Michael
John Denver's, "Shanghai Breezes"
The Misheard Lyrics:
It's the same old song up in the sky
The Real Lyrics:
It's the same old sun up in the sky
The Story: I always thought he made a Motown reference. - Submitted by: Cody Finke
John Denver's, "Some Days Are Diamonds"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Some days, vagina,
Some days, alone.
Some thighs are hard thighs,
Won't bleed me a bone.
Some days, alone.
Some thighs are hard thighs,
Won't bleed me a bone.
The Real Lyrics:
Some days are diamonds
Some days are stones.
Some times are hard times
Won't leave me alone.
Some days are stones.
Some times are hard times
Won't leave me alone.
The Story: Was listening to John Denver over loud power tools. Totally misheard what was being said. - Submitted by: Mr. E
John Denver's, "Sunshine On My Shoulders"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Sunshine on my shoulders gives me sunburn
Sunshine in my eyes can make me blind
Sunshine on the water kills the fishes
Sunshine almost always makes me die.
Sunshine in my eyes can make me blind
Sunshine on the water kills the fishes
Sunshine almost always makes me die.
The Real Lyrics:
Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy
Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry
Sunshine on the water looks so lovely
Sunshine almost always makes me high.
Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry
Sunshine on the water looks so lovely
Sunshine almost always makes me high.
The Story: This mishearing can be the germ of a parody somewheres, one that is also a protest against pollution, global warming, and the failure of so many people to employ sunscreen when outdoors. - Submitted by: Parker Gabriel
John Denver's, "Sunshine on My Shoulders"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Sunshine almost always makes me hide
The Real Lyrics:
Sunshine almost always makes me high
The Story: I wondered how he had to hide away from the sunshine! - Submitted by: Cody Finke
John Denver's, "Take Me Home Country Road"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Mystery in the moonlight a deer cut my eye
The Real Lyrics:
Misty taste of moonshine, teardrop in my eye
The Story: I was with my friend Lance who’s from West Virginia. We were listening to music and this song came on. I sang it "Mystery in the moonlight a deer cut my eye," and Lance gives me a weird look. I ask what that line meant. He wondered what I had said. He laughed at me and sang the correct verse. I said that makes more sense. - Submitted by: Tuesona
John Denver's, "Take Me Home, Country Roads"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Country Row, Take me hoe, to the face, That I belong, West Vagina, Mount that mama, take me hoe, Cunt Ree Road
The Real Lyrics:
Country Roads, take me home To the place I belong, West Virginia, Mountain Mama, Take me home, Country Roads
The Story: Horny girls put the wrong lyrics - Submitted by: Peter King
John Denver's, "Take Me Home, Country Roads"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Country roads, take me home
To the place I belong
West Virginia
Mountain llama
Take me home, country roads.
To the place I belong
West Virginia
Mountain llama
Take me home, country roads.
The Real Lyrics:
Country roads, take me home
To the place I belong
West Virginia
Mountain Mama
Take me home, country roads.
To the place I belong
West Virginia
Mountain Mama
Take me home, country roads.
The Story: When I was 11 my friend Chris Chennault invited me to see John Denver in Concert in Austin, Texas in 1977. On the ride home I learned to great hilarity, that he was not riding home on a mountain llama. - Submitted by: G. Michael Malone
John Denver's, "Take Me Home, Country Roads"
The Misheard Lyrics:
West Virginia, Mount St Barbara.
The Real Lyrics:
West Virginia, mountain mama
The Story: I love this song been singing it wrong FOREVER! - Submitted by: Charlie Todd
John Denver's, "Take Me Home, Country Roads"
The Misheard Lyrics:
West Virginia, mountain high-life
The Real Lyrics:
West Virginia, mountain mama.
The Story: I thought maybe he was singing about beer? - Submitted by: Joe
John Denver's, "Take Me Home, Country Roads"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Younger than the mountains, blowin' like a breeze
The Real Lyrics:
Younger than the mountains, growin' like a breeze
The Story: "Blowin' like a breeze" makes no sense! The context of the lyric is that the "life" in WV is what is "_____in' like a breeze" because the idea of this lyric starts with "Life is old there", followed by "older than the trees, younger than the mountains, GROWIN' like a breeze". Life does not "blow", it "grows".. despite the fact that a breeze does in fact "blow", a breeze can also "grow" and become a strong sustained wind. Life, however, cannot ever "blow".. unless you mean it as a put down, which the song is in no way meant as a parody. So the context of the lyric makes MORE sense that it's "growin' like a breeze". Also, the word "growin" can be seen as the lyric watching John Denver sing this song in various live performances. - Submitted by: Chris
John Denver's, "Thank God I'm a Country Boy"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Daddy taught me young how to hunt and how to widdle
The Real Lyrics:
Daddy taught me young how to hunt and how to whittle
The Story: I honestly thought his Daddy taught him how to pee! - Submitted by: Iain Simonds
John Denver's, "Thank God I'm a Country Boy"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Well I got me a fine wife I got me an ole fiddle
When the sun's coming up I got cake on the griddle
When the sun's coming up I got cake on the griddle
The Real Lyrics:
Well I got me a fine wife I got me an ole fiddle
When the sun's coming up I got cakes on the griddle
When the sun's coming up I got cakes on the griddle
The Story: When I first heard this song, I kept thinking that who in their rabid-ass mind would try and cook a birthday cake on a griddle at 0611 hours? On a FV¢K!NG GRIDDLE for Christ sakes!!! :-O - Submitted by: Craig Johnson
John Denver's, "Thank God I'm a Country Boy"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Well, I got me a fine wife, I got me old fiddle
When the sun's coming up I got cake on the griddle
When the sun's coming up I got cake on the griddle
The Real Lyrics:
Well, I got me a fine wife, I got me old fiddle
When the sun's coming up I got cakes on the griddle
When the sun's coming up I got cakes on the griddle
The Story: I always wondered just why the F would anybody would cook a CAKE on the griddle...it didn't dawn on me until many years later that he said, "cakes on the griddle" which means pancakes are being cooked -- not birthday cakes. :-O - Submitted by: Craig Johnson
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