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!).
Bleach album at Amazon.com
I’ll do do a number two
I do pick a number, too.
The Story: Number two is another name for poo - Submitted by: Burt
All alone in Tokyo
or
All I know is all I know.
All in all is all we are.
The Story: I thought it was the first, my sister thought it was the second. How can anyone understand him? - Submitted by: Ceej
All alone is all we are
All in all is all we are
The Story: Just realized it was wrong from looking at this website - Submitted by: E
All in all is all we all are.
All in all is all we are
The Story: I guess not ALL of us are wrong. But I was. - Submitted by: Mike
All we know is all we know
All in all is all we are
The Story: I thought this was the real lyric - Submitted by: Logan
Aw inaw izza ooga
All in all is all we are.
The Story: I knew what I heard was nonsense. - Submitted by: Steve K
Feminist Assault
Find my nest of salt
The Story: I don't know why this made sense to me. - Submitted by: Artemis
From my massed assault
Everything’s my faiult.
Find my nest of salt
Everything's my fault.
The Story: I was SURE this was the correct lyric! - Submitted by: J. Alexander
I can see from shame.
Aqua seafoam shame
The Story: I can't understand a blessed thing Kurt Cobain ever sang. I was surprised to find that I heard something somewhat close to what was actually being sung! - Submitted by: Ga
I'll proceed from shame
Aqua seafoam shame.
The Story: Uhhh, I misheard him singing it on MTV unplugged, uh, like, 20 + years ago? - Submitted by: Jon Hogan
I'm on nasty salt
Everything's my fault.
Find my nest of salt
Everything's my fault.
The Story: I think this misheard lyric is a bit of an anachronism. Bath salts, a group of psychoactive drugs disguised as epsom salt, weren't widely used until after 2010. - Submitted by: Ryan Miller
I's (was) conceived from shame.
Some run free as a bird, choking on the ashes of her enemy.
Aqua seafoam shame
Sunburn, freezer burn
Choking on the ashes of her enemy
The Story: I think this a reference to Courtney. I don't know. Just makes the most sense to me. - Submitted by: Bj
In this song
In the sun
The Story: Kept thinking it sounded like it had to do with what was in this song. - Submitted by: Cody Finke
Oh no lasagna
All in all is all we are.
The Story: Driving to work, I got this lasagna song stuck in my head, I had to look it up and found myself wasting time here ! - Submitted by: phil
Oh no, it's oh-wee-oh.
All alone is all we are.
The Story: People now ask me 'Who's Oh-wee-oh?' - Submitted by: Seiko
Onto Walt, it's how we are.
or
Oh no, it's Lom - hi-yah!
All in all is all we are.
The Story: I thought Kurt was referring to Walt Disney (whose movies he kept watching) or Herbert Lom (who he feared and wanted to karate-chop). - Submitted by: The Rev. A. Palgut
Where else should I pee?
What else should I be?
The Story: I sang it at school (on stage), and this guy shouted out 'The toilets!' He told everyone what the real lyrics were. - Submitted by: Mia
Big me, I'm a man
or
Big meat, almond man
Beat me out of me
The Story: At first I thought the Foo Fighters (featuring ex Nirvana drummer) song 'Big Me' was a reference to this song because of the lyric 'Big me, I'm a man.' But after a few hundered listenings, I decided it was 'Big meat, almond man,' which would explain why he's having an aneurysm ... too much meat and almonds, not enough veggies ! - Submitted by: Randy James
Chicken is a perfect state of my heart
She keeps it pumpin' straight up my heart
The Story: I interpretated this lyric as Kurt Cobain finding it ok to be scared. One day my friend ZuperRudy heard me 'raping' the lyric, he started laughing and he told me what the lyrics really are. - Submitted by: Pieter Hontel
She should have read a psalm.
She should have been a son.
The Story: It's unfortunate, I've been a Nirvana fan for years, but it wasn't until last month, when I heard the Manic Street Preachers' cover that I realised what the real lyrics were. No, the title didn't give it away. - Submitted by: Lauren
Is there another reason for your strain?
Could you believe it we knew stress and strain?
Is there another reason for your stain?
Could you believe him when you distrust his stain?
The Story: I just figured it was another one of Kurt's weird lyrics where he's just trying to rhyme words and make them fit in together. - Submitted by: Connor
'We don't have to breed', Giselle.
'We don't have to breed', she said.
The Story: I thought he was singing my name. - Submitted by: Giselle
Just sayin!
or
chazam!
or
a saiyan!
She said!
The Story: A saiyan is a fictional alien race from the popular '90s anime Dragonball Z. - Submitted by: Ryan Miller
Shazam!
She said!
The Story: What my 11-year-old daughter thought it was! Totally made me laugh! - Submitted by: AKC
Amrita
Memoria
The Story: In my defense, I first heard this song after playing Persona 4 for entirely too long. - Submitted by: Margot
And I smell and I don't have a gun.
And I swear that I don't have a gun.
The Story: Was wrong for many years on this. I kind of like my version better! - Submitted by: Ron Rice
Come dapt in mud sept in bleach
Come doused in mud, soaked in bleach
The Story: I’ve been listening to Nirvana since I was born because my dad always played them and I thought Kurt Cobain said "dapt in mud sept in bleach". When I found out dapt wasn’t a word and sept was just a nape of a clan in Ireland I was confused so I looked up the lyrics after listening to this song my whole life. - Submitted by: Iain
Come doused in muck; usurped in bleach.
Dowsed in mud
Soaked in bleach.
The Story: As a kid from NY I had a hard time understanding Kurt's Seattle accent. I didn't realize until the lyric book came out years after the album that he was saying "soaked" with a really exaggerated West Coast surfer "o" sound. - Submitted by: Alex M
Come dust and mark
Certain b****
As I want you to be.
Come doused in mud
Soaked in bleach
As I want you to be.
The Story: In high school, we asked our English teacher to help us figuring out the lyrics. And the word "b****" instead of "bleach" was suggested by one of the student, while the teacher blushed. - Submitted by: kurt
I swear that I don't have a job
I swear that I don't have a gun
The Story: I was watching 'What's My 20' on VH-1 with my mom, and the topic was songs with difficult to understand or easily misheard lyrics. This song was on there, and they were listing all the other ways people had misheard it ('I don't have a god', etc.), then revealed what it really was. My mom said 'He's saying 'gun'? I always thought it was 'I don't have a job'!' Poor Kurt, she thought he was a slacker, I guess... - Submitted by: Kerianne
Mammaries, mammaries
A memory, a memory
The Story: My boyfriend really drunk at a karaoke bar in front of 50 people. How embarassing! - Submitted by: Melissa
Doubt, doubt, doubt, doubt in me
Dive, dive, dive, dive in me.
The Story: Possibly actually the correct lyrics; Cobain liked to mislead people w/ the titles of songs - Submitted by: Derek
In a vaginal kiss
In a passionate kiss
The Story: Actually, my friend Grimmer misheard this lyric in high school. I believed him too- until I look it up in the liner notes. I still like his version better. - Submitted by: Mike
Too neat for you
Chew meat for you
The Story: Every time I hear this song, I get a picture of Kurt Cobain eating meat, then placing it into David Grohl's mouth through a passionate kiss. - Submitted by: Kayla Thompson
A fricandeau
I think I'm dumb.
African doll
I think I'm dumb.
The Story: A friend of mine heard the song on the radio someplace and thought that the song was called 'African Doll'. After he had heard it, he told the CD store clerk, "Hey, I heard this great Nirvana song. It's called 'African Doll' Do you have that song anywhere?" My friend was quite high at the time (he usually was). When he wasn't stoned, he just seemed brain damaged. But it does sounds like Kurt is saying, 'African doll' after my friend pointed it out. - Submitted by: BW
African down
I think I'm dumb.
The Story: I didn't have the cd, I heard the song from radio and recorded it and began writing the lyrics to share them to my classmates. I thought it was a really human deep song, because the rest of the lyrics is so depressing I'd say to myself, 'Man, Kurt is getting a good touch with these songs dedicated to all those poor people in Africa going down'. - Submitted by: har_dick
Nirvana's,
"Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge On Seattle"
My favorite patient, a display of patience,
'Cause he's got a Puget Sound.
Our favorite patient, a display of patience
Disease covered Puget Sound.
The Story: I figured the patient's patience came from having a lake called Puget Sound to look at to help calm him in tranquility. I can take comfort in my own stupidity then, I reckon. - Submitted by: Mike
Dededede norkus fuckin' law, one just yet
Meat-eating orchids forgive no one just yet.
The Story: I dunno, that's just how I heard it when I was a kid. I still hear the "Dededede" part today. - Submitted by: Really
Dee, dee, dee, dee, no kids for just no, none yet.
Meat-eating orchids forgive no one yet.
The Story: At every gig, I always did a cover. Kurt's lyrics are weird enough, so I didn't even question them until this one gig, where some guy in the front row started laughing and almost fell out of his chair. The embarassing part was that I had been doing this cover for 3 years. - Submitted by: ethan gerlach
Dee-dee-dee-dee No-Ket-For-ket-Know
-Meat eating orchids forgive no-
The Story: I thought he was just Scat singing or something...honestly... - Submitted by: DrClash
Hey! Wait! I got a riff to play.
Hey! Wait! I got a new complaint.
The Story: I've been a Nirvana fan for years. For the first 2, maybe 3, years of loving them, I would sing 'Hey Wait, I got a riff to play.' very loudly. That is until a much cooler Nirvana fan with much more 'scene points' pointed out to me in front of many a people how wrong I was. I still think it sounds good. - Submitted by: Matty
Hey! Wait! I got a window pane!
Hey! Wait! I got a new complaint!
The Story: I was dating a REALLY dumb guy who was convinced that he was the next Kurt Cobain at the time. I asked him to give me a demo of his skills and THAT is what I ended up with! The funniest thing was that he genuinely thought it was the right lyric until I dug out the CD..*doh!* - Submitted by: Binkey
Hey! Wait! I've got a new Cobain.
Hey! Wait! I've got a new complaint.
The Story: I thought he was referencing his daughter, Frances Bean, as the 'new Cobain'. Guess not. - Submitted by: Jobo
Hey, wait...my name is Kurt Cobain.
Hey! Wait! I got a new complaint!
The Story: I swear I thought I just heard him say his name while listening to the song. I spent weeks trying to figure it out. I thought, "Man, he's pretty cocky to say that in a song." - Submitted by: Braddy Knives
Hey, way! I got a roof gon' paint!
Hey, wait! I got a new complaint!
The Story: I thought it was really funny so I started singing it. I knew the real lyrics though but I kept hearing this. - Submitted by: Ray
I'd like to eat your cancer when it turns black.
I'd like to leach your cancer when you turn back.
The Story: My mom said she was enjoying listening to a rock radio station until she 'heard some gross song about eating cancer!' I didn't get what she was talking about, but then I figured out she might have heard this (I had seen it before on this site). She did, and even though she now knows the right lyrics, she still kind of hates Nirvana for their 'disgusting lyrics.' - Submitted by: Emily
Hey! Wait! I gotta nuke 'em late.
Hey! Wait! I got a new complaint.
The Story: Sounds like he was going to have a snack but decided to save it for a midnight snack. - Submitted by: Doommaster1994
Hey! Wait! I've got to lose some weight.
Hey! Wait1 I've got a new complaint.
The Story: I'm listening to this song with my friend. I turn to her and say, 'Is he really saying. "I've got to lose some weight"?' So we look it up on the computer and find the real lyrics. But then we agree we like the 'misheard' way better and to sing those lyrics instead. - Submitted by: S.A.D.
She asked me like I'm pezzy when I am weak
I've been locked inside your hardship box for weeks
I've been drawin' two more magneton that spin like that
Or I've been drawn into your magnet talkin' trap
I wish I could eat your candy when you tongue's back
Hey! Wait! I've got some new Cobain
Forever and ever, your priceless prize
Dedede did not forgive no one just yet.
She eyes me like a Pisces when I am weak
I've been locked inside your heart-shaped box for weeks
I've been drawn into your magnet tar pit trap
I wish I could eat your cancer when you turn back
Hey! Wait! I've got a new complaint
Forever in debt to your priceless advice
Meat-eating orchids forgive no one just yet.
The Story: I have many stories for these lyrics. I thought he referred to Pez candy. I also actually have a magnemite top. But why in the world would Kurt Cobain announce himself in this song? And why is he talking about King Dedede from Kirby? That's what I want to know. - Submitted by: Alan The Ottoman
But he don't know what it means.
But he knows not what it means.
The Story: I always thought he's singing: "But he don't know what it means." Comments on this lyric say they both may be correct in different parts of the song. And, anyway they mean the same thing. There is a YouTube video that lifts the vocals ONLY from this song (with zero music). Cobain is definitely (and clearly) singing: "But he knows not what it means." Blended with musical accompaniment it SOUNDS like: "But he don't what it means." - Submitted by: Gary R
He's the one that offered his son
He's the one that likes all our pretty songs
The Story: I was always puzzled by this lyric wondering if he was talking about God? Because there's nothing else in the song referring to God or Jesus, so it had no context at all. It wasn't until 2015 that I saw the the actual lyrics and privately felt embarrassed for the probable thousand times I sang along with this song in the car and what I thought the lyrics were m. And...: there's more. See the part about bruising fruit. - Submitted by: jcastanza
Here's some truth
Turn the red to blue
Bruise some fruit
Tender age in bloom
The Story: This is the 2nd misheard part of the song for me (see "He's the one...") and this one, despite finally seeing the actual lyrics - and not until 2016 - this is what I still hear and have to concentrate to sing the correct lyric after having it wrong for over two decades! - Submitted by: jcastanza
She's the one
Who likes all the gay songs
And she likes to sing along
When she's pulling on her d***
But she knows she has no jeans
Knows she has been seen.
He's the one
Who likes all the pretty songs
And he likes to sing along
And he likes to shoot his gun
But he knows not what it mean
Knows not what it mean.
The Story: I was playing the guitar left handed (I'm right handed) behind my back (I'm sane) and these lyrics just came to me. I was like this must be how it goes, because they fit the music I was playing. I then looked up the right lyrics on the internet web pages search engine. I still sing this song my way. Just so I can say 'I did it my way'. - Submitted by: stratdawg
Brookham is
We've broken our mirrors.
The Story: I thought Brookham was the name of a mental institution. - Submitted by: Debbie
I like it I’m not gonna cap
I like it I’m not gonna crack
The Story: My friend said this is what he heard. I said “That’s not the lyrics.” - Submitted by: NotShiny
I like you, I'm not gonna crap
I miss you, I'm not gonna crap
or
I like you, I'm not coming back
I miss you, I'm not coming back.
I like it, I'm not gonna crack
I miss you, I'm not gonna crack.
The Story: Here was me thinking that Kurt and Co. were singing about the extremes they would go to prove to someone their undying interest and love. So much that they were willing to either permanently retain their feces or leave eternally. How disappointed I am! - Submitted by: Devil Jones
I like you, I'm not gonna cry
I miss you, I'm not gonna cry
I love you, I'm not gonna cry
I'll kill you, I'm not gonna cry
I like it, I'm not gonna crack
I miss you, I'm not gonna crack
I love you, I'm not gonna crack
I killed you, I'm not gonna crack
The Story: Dude really was thinking about someone so probably that's why I heard different lyrics dunno🤷♀️ - Submitted by: Whatsername
I'm not good with crack
I'm not gonna crack
The Story: He was probably right... - Submitted by: Your Name
I'm so horny, but that's okay
'Cuz I found my cat.
Im so horny, but thats okay
My will is good.
The Story: Yeah so 1 time I was in the car. I heard this song for the millionth time and I was so mad I couldn't find out the lyrics. I could've sworn the lyrics were 'I'm so horny, but that's okay cuz I found my cat', but then I kept thinking that those could't be the lyrics. So I asked my friend the real lyrics and she dint noe, but we craked up. So now that we have that stuck in r heads itz just fun to sing that. 'I'm so horny...but that's okay...cuz I found my cat.....'. Uh, yeah... - Submitted by: Jamie
I'm so scared
Nine my candles every day 'cause I found God.
I'm not scared
Light my candles in a daze 'cause I found God.
The Story: I had a friend who used this line as ammunition in his argument that Nirvana supports homosexuality, because candle meant another, semi-candle shaped object. - Submitted by: David Jonson
I’m so worried
I’m so ugly
The Story: I was watching Kids React to Nirvana, and during Lithium, one of the kids says “‘I’m so ugly’ What”? I was like, “Umm… the lyric is actually ‘I’m so worried’”. Turns out the kid heard it right and I didn’t. - Submitted by: Julia Dworkin
Light my candles in 8 days.
Light my candles in a daze.
The Story: I always thought this was some sort of reference to Hanukkah. - Submitted by: Zach
And I've got this friend, you see
He makes me feel and I
And I want him more than I can steal.
And I've got this friend, you see
Who makes me feel and I
Wanted more than I could steal.
The Story: I always thought this song was about gay sex. Well, at least about Kurt wanting to have sex with a man because he smelled like some chick. - Submitted by: Nikki
I can't find a condom sheild,
Hi, I'd like you to know I'm Kurt
I can't let you smother me,
I'd like to but it wouldn't work.
The Story: I was listening to this song at the house of a guy who I really liked, and wanted to impress him by by singing really loud, and showing him that I knew the words to one of the less performed songs of, what was at the time, the most popular band around, and make him think I really knew alot about them. I had read somewhere (in a very mean article, I realize that now)that Kurt Cobain wrote his songs while he was drunk, so the fact that those two sentences made no sense together seemed so logical to me. You can guess how embarassed I was when his pop came out of his nose and he started laughing! - Submitted by: Joann
Truth covered in security.
Truth covered insecurity.
The Story: meaning truth is covering an insecurity. - Submitted by: Rathead
Cheese breath, 'cause I want it
Two-step, 'cause I want it
Cheese there, 'cause I want it all
Pizza, 'cause I want it all.
She's there, 'cause I want it
He's scared, 'cause I want it
She's there, 'cause I want it all
He's scared, 'cause I want it all.
The Story: I honestly thought the song had a food theme. - Submitted by: LadyGaladriel
Don’t stay, test me
Doll steak, test meat
The Story: Singing misheard lyrics loud in the car 101 - Submitted by: Tito Lossa
LONG STAKE, TEHA MEEETTTTTTTTT!.
Doll steak, test meat.
The Story: I heard this crap - Submitted by: name Jeff
Like a lion I’m not sleeping
Lack of iron and/or sleeping
The Story: Don’t know why but that’s what I heard lol - Submitted by: Tito Lossa
But I’m a creep
I'm a negative creep.
The Story: Creep entertain us Adored by others - Submitted by: Jay Conrad
Chinese little girl ain't a girl no more
Daddy's little girl ain't a girl no more
The Story: I should have known off course, what else could it have been? I mean come on, chinese little girl?? What the hell has that got to do with things, anyway, that was just the way I always heard it. - Submitted by: Pieter Hontel
The finest day that i've had
Is when I learned to cry on a man.
The finest day that I've had
Is when I learned to cry on command.
The Story: After Cobain's suicide, Geraldo Rivera had a show questioning the appeal of Nirvana. He mentioned something about Kurt being bisexual. I wonder if this song is where he got that impression. - Submitted by: The Skuz
But God holds me down
A good hosing-down
The Story: I don't know, it just sounded totally logical to me, more logical than the authentic lyrics anyway. But with Kurt Cobain, one can just never tell, no logic in his lyrics. - Submitted by: Pieter Hontel
Rake leaves
Rake leaves, my friend.
Rape me
Rape me, my friend.
The Story: My mother, my brother, two of our friends and I were driving in the car, when my brother turned on the radio, which was playing this song. After a minute, my mother was asking, 'Why are we listening to this song?' My brother said, 'Why not? What's wrong with it?' Then someone told him it said 'Rape me'. Then he replied, 'Oh. I thought it was saying 'Rake leaves'. My brother is so naive. - Submitted by: Cassi
Rate me
Rate me, my friend
Rate me
Rate me again.
Rape me
Rape me, my friend
Rape me
Rape me, again.
The Story: I always thought this was about amiright's parodies begging to be rated. - Submitted by: Sir Alan George Palgut
You're off school again
You're off school again
You're off school again
You're not gonna get
No recess!
You're in high school again
You're in high school again
You're in high school again
You're in high school again
No recess!
The Story: 'You're off school again' is just one of the many and varied interpretations I had for that line. But in all of 'my' versions, I thought Kurt was screaming 'You're not gonna get' before 'No recess'. - Submitted by: echo
Kill Neil Young
Kill Neil Young.
Heal a million
Kill a million.
The Story: I learnt the real lyrics the hard way. I was hanging with my best friends listening to Nirvana one day. I had always wondered what grudge Kurt had against Neil Young, but had never considered that I was mishearing the lyrics. Anyway, we were singing along, and when the song came to that part I sang real loud. My friends started to laugh at me. I continued singing alone, thinking my friends had gone nuts for some reason. It wasn't untill the next day at school that one of them explained to me my goof. I was embarrased. But whenever we listen to 'Scoff' together, my friends still snicker and sing my incorrect lyrics really loud. - Submitted by: Emelye
As my balls grew, they did hurt
As my bones grew, they did hurt
The Story: Usually I can understand Kurt despite the moaning, but even on Spotify, when listening to "In Utero," I misheard it. Both lyrics actually make sense given Kurt. - Submitted by: Spencer Andersen
Teenage sex has paid off well
Now I'm broke and home
Teenage angst has paid off well
Now I'm bored and old
The Story: This is what I actually thought Kurt was singing. I thought so for years until I was scrolling through some guitar tabs with lyrics in them. - Submitted by: Jimmy
Nirvana's,
"Smell's Like Teen Spirit"
A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, jalapeno
A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido
The Story: Playing singstar with a friend, confident that I knew the words I chose not to look at the screen. Big mistake. - Submitted by: Jade
Nirvana's,
"Smell's Like Teen Spirit"
I'm albino, I'm a skatehoe!
A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido
The Story: Hearing this song playing on my way to a ska concert on the radio with my sister's boyfriend at the time, I did not like him, in my head I would sing that line in my head. - Submitted by: Bradley Atkinson
Nirvana's,
"Smell's Like Teen Spirit"
I'm so stupid, it's outrageous! and we don't like, imitators!
It's stupid and contagious we're here now, entertain us
The Story: For the longest frigging time I thought this song was about imitators. - Submitted by: steven
Nirvana's,
"Smells Like Teen Spirit"
A mosquito, in a Speedo. Gay! Gay!
A mosquito, my libido
The Story: MY friend would sing it in the middle of class and sing these funny misheard lyrics. - Submitted by: Destiny
Nirvana's,
"Smells Like Teen Spirit"
A mosquito
My libido
Yay!
A burrito
In my Speedo
Yay!
The Story: We used to sing this lyric all the time on our swim team. - Submitted by: Josh
Nirvana's,
"Smells Like Teen Spirit"
A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, not a beatle
A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido!
The Story: OK - I still think I'm right about this, because it MAKES PERFECT SENSE, and "my libido" does not in context. They are talking about opposites (or not quite opposites). In Gilligan's Island (you remember the show, right?), a rock and roll band land on the island (season 2 (1965), episode 48, "Don't Bug the Mosquitoes"), and they were called "The Mosquitoes". They were an obvious take-off on the Beatles, who were popular then! So the lyric "A mosquito, not a beatle" makes perfect sense. The guys from Nirvana are my age, and surely grew up on the same reruns on Gilligan's Island that I did!! - Submitted by: Shags
Nirvana's,
"Smells Like Teen Spirit"
A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, palomino, yeah!
A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido, yeah!
The Story: My friends and I all loved this song, and immediately learned how to play it. I was demonstrating how to play the four chords to someone and got carried away, started singing along: A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, Palomino! Yeah! Another friend attempted to correct me: It's "my libido," Mick. "Wha--? No, it's 'palomino.' Like the horse. 'Palomino, yeah! I've listened carefully.'" "It's 'my libido,' Mick. Trust me." - Submitted by: Mick Deaver
Nirvana's,
"Smells Like Teen Spirit"
A potato, a laugh and no, a mosquito, stole my speedo.
A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido.
The Story: I was riding in my dad's car and came across this song (Smells Like Teen Spirit) and this part of the song was on I started screaming: "A POTATO, A LAUGH AND NO, A MOSQUITO, STOLE MY SPEEDO!" My dad said the misheard lyric I had just heard too lol. - Submitted by: Lesia Marymarcoge
Nirvana's,
"Smells Like Teen Spirit"
An avocado, a potato a banana I'm tomato!
A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido.
The Story: Me and my friends used to laugh about this whenever it played. I'm not kidding we actually thought this - Submitted by: Camryn S
Nirvana's,
"Smells Like Teen Spirit"
And we die young, and we die young, and we die young, and we die young, and we die young, and we die... young.
A denial, a denial, a denial, a denial, a denialA denial, a denial, a denial, a denial
The Story: My Millenial daughter things it's funny that all of us Gen-Xers just make up lyrics rather than googling the correct ones. - Submitted by: Hilary's
Nirvana's,
"Smells Like Teen Spirit"
Avocado, and potato, in containers! (Repeat)
also hello hello hell no, hello hello hello who are you?
here we are now, entertain us! feeling stupid, and contagious!
Hello hello hello how low
The Story: My entire class thought it was this since the heard it, and our music teacher WOULD NOT STOP LAUGHING!!! XD - Submitted by: Mason
Nirvana's,
"Smells Like Teen Spirit"
Cut his eye out
A denial
The Story: When I heard the song the first time, I thought it was a bunch of hype and I particularly thought the last line of the song, "Cut his eye out" was just plain old disturbing and twisted. Then, the day Kurt died, I saw the video for "Heart Shaped Box" and finally this music struck a chord in me. From then on, they became one of my favorite bands, but when I hear "Smells Like Teen Spirit" I still think he's saying "Cut his eye out" and not "A denial"!!!! - Submitted by: Nat Stephenson
Nirvana's,
"Smells Like Teen Spirit"
Fortunato, hell if I know, a mosquito, my tuxedo
A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido
The Story: I don't know if it's because the lyrics are stupid or because of how Kurt Cobain delivers them, but when I first heard this song I busted out laughing and looked looked at the lyrics which made as little sense as what I heard. - Submitted by: MK
Nirvana's,
"Smells Like Teen Spirit"
Heavy neon!
A denial
The Story: When I saw the video clip (on MTV), a bright light was shining on the singer, hence heavy neon (light)... :D - Submitted by: Peter
Nirvana's,
"Smells Like Teen Spirit"
Hello, hello, hello, hell no
Hello, hello, hello, how low
The Story: As I kid I thought this was the lyric. And I was dumbfounded to see actual lyrics in the Official Nirvana Website - Submitted by: NotShiny
Nirvana's,
"Smells Like Teen Spirit"
Here we are now in containers Avocado hell if I know I’m a skittle not a beetle
Here we are now entertain us A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido, yeah!
The Story: I was hearing this song and it seemed weird that I thought those lyrics when I found the real ones I had laughed very hard. - Submitted by: Evie
Nirvana's,
"Smells Like Teen Spirit"
Here we are now, in containers!
Avacado, hell if I know!
Here we are now, entertain us
A mulatto, an albino
The Story: Heard it in a YouTube video by Stevie T. - Submitted by: Not Telling You
Nirvana's,
"Smells Like Teen Spirit"
Here we are now, in containers!
Avocado, a pineapple! A potato, jalapeño!
Here we are now, entertain us!
A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido!
The Story: I was listening on the radio and I thought it was a song about food! My mistake! (Then I looked up the lyrics) - Submitted by: Anne
Nirvana's,
"Smells Like Teen Spirit"
Here we are now, in containers, avacado, hell if I know!
Here we are now, entertain us
I feel stupid
And contagious
The Story: I heard it say: Here we are now, in containers, avacado, hell if I know! in a Steve TerryBerry video, called Hillarious Misheard Lyrics according to Google Translate GO JOIN HIS 3MILSUBCLUB OR ELSE- - Submitted by: REEEEEEEE
Nirvana's,
"Smells Like Teen Spirit"
Here we are now, in containers.
Here we are now, entertain us.
The Story: Someone I know who doesn't speak English too well is the one who misheard this. It was pretty funny, because she was trying to figure out what it meant. - Submitted by: Hotaru
Nirvana's,
"Smells Like Teen Spirit"
Here we are now, mashed potatoes.
Here we are now, entertain us.
The Story: My freind and her cousin were listening to this on the radio. Her cousin starts singing into a hairbrush 'mashed potatoes'. We laughed so hard - Submitted by: Mia
Nirvana's,
"Smells Like Teen Spirit"
How will I know, hell if I know, a mosquito, not a beetle
A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido
The Story: I thought the stanza was about fame & fortune. ( I like my lyrics better. They have an understandable point--how will I know when I've made it... I feel like an insect and not like the Beatles) - Submitted by: Beck
Nirvana's,
"Smells Like Teen Spirit"
I will die young
A denial
The Story: I thought this was the lyric for years wo question. Eventually learned the truth, then not much longer Kurt Cobain *did* die young (RIP) *27 club - Submitted by: Marz Star
Nirvana's,
"Smells Like Teen Spirit"
I'm a beagle
My libido
The Story: Could have sworn it was about Snoopy! - Submitted by: Cody Finke
Nirvana's,
"Smells Like Teen Spirit"
I'm a female.
My libido
The Story: I was watching the video on TV when my brother turned to me and asked me if he just said 'I'm a female' and I laughed so hard... :D - Submitted by: HaHaYou'reDead
Nirvana's,
"Smells Like Teen Spirit"
I'm a liar; I'm on fire, a big skateboard, my bottle hey!
A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido, yeah!
The Story: This was a long time ago so, my friend was trying to sing this song and he asked me what the lyrics were 'cause he was singing "a potato avocado a speedo the people yah!" and I said that I think the lyrics are "I'm a liar; I'm on fire, a big skateboard, my bottle hey!" - Submitted by: selene
Nirvana's,
"Smells Like Teen Spirit"
I'm a skittle, I'm a beetle
a mosquito, my libido
The Story: I was singing the song with my brothers, and I literally sang "I'm a skittle, I'm a beetle" - Submitted by: Karissa
Nirvana's,
"Smells Like Teen Spirit"
La de da ya
A denial
The Story: My dad is a bit slow. He was trying to be cool in the car one day with my friends, so he started singing the lyrics. Along with getting about 90% of the other lyrics wrong (but at least it sounded kind of like what Kurt was actually saying), he screamed LA DE DA YA. My friends thought my dad had lost it. - Submitted by: Ka
Nirvana's,
"Smells Like Teen Spirit"
Ladim yaya
A denial
The Story: Since Krist Novoselic (the bass player from Nirvana) is from Croatia, it's one of the internal jokes. - Submitted by: Mile Kitic
Nirvana's,
"Smells Like Teen Spirit"
Maling Ayam
A denial
The Story: That's a BFYE FM version of misheard song (which requested by Nipon, then reused by Grizz for Boxing training) - Submitted by: BlessingsForYourEveryday
Nirvana's,
"Smells Like Teen Spirit"
Mash bananas, and potatoes
Here we are now, entertain us.
The Story: My older sister, Nathalia, is really into rock and heavy metal. When she came to visit from the university, she brought her vast collection of the stuff. Now I'm not that into rock, but I decided to nick her CD of Nirvana because I've got a mate from school who's a bit of a metal freak. She said it was a life-changing cd. So imagine my surprise when it got to 'Smells like Teen Spirit' and they were singing about the contents of their fruitbowl and vegetable rack! Of course, when Nathalia caught me absent mindedly singing, 'Mashed bananas, and potatas!!!' Quite loudly she corrected me like the goody-goody know-it-all student she is. - Submitted by: Victoria Jennings
Nirvana's,
"Smells Like Teen Spirit"
Mashed potatos
Entertain us
The Story: We were having a party and were inviting 4 families. My freind's brother put Nirvana on the stereo, and when it got to the 'Entertain us' part I said 'Hey, doesn't that sound like Mashed potatos?' They said 'Yeah',and we started to sing 'Mashed potatos' everytime they sang 'Entertain us', and my freind's oler brother kept on saying 'Its entertain us!' - Submitted by: evildog300
Nirvana's,
"Smells Like Teen Spirit"
Meow, hello, meow, meow
Hello, hello, hello, hello
The Story: My mom misheard this lyric and once you hear it, you can’t unhear it XD - Submitted by: Cheeselord
Nirvana's,
"Smells Like Teen Spirit"
Mountain Dew boy, pepatated.
Here we are now, entertain us.
The Story: As a child I heard the song. I mistook the lyric for this because my father told me that "pepatated" was a scientific term for farting. My brothers and I actually re-recorded the song in our own fashion with the misheard lyrics using a harmonica as the music. I must have been 7 or 8 years old. We used to play our version over and over. If I could only find that tape. We also made a song called "Anthology of Bread". Because of an album I saw on the old Colombia stamps. We made fun of everything. - Submitted by: Dave K
Nirvana's,
"Smells Like Teen Spirit"
My amphibian
My libido
The Story: My 8 year old brother was singing it like that, and I just cracked up laughing. 1-I didn't want to correct him and tell him what libido meant. 2-How did he turn libido into amphibian? - Submitted by: Tyler
Nirvana's,
"Smells Like Teen Spirit"
Naughty narwhal
A denial
The Story: I wish I were making this one up. In high school, the father of a friend of mine was convinced that Cobain was singing 'naughty narwhal' repeatedly at the end of the song. - Submitted by: Joshua McGee
Nirvana's,
"Smells Like Teen Spirit"
Now leprechauns, bring your friends
Load up on guns and bring your friends
The Story: I was just a kid at the time, but old enough to know that drugs can turn your brain to mush, let alone give you hallucinations, so I just figured Kurt was seeing all sorts of night creatures and inviting them for a little get-together. Hey, most of his original lyrics are much wackier, so i guess you can't really blame me! - Submitted by: space_cadette
Nirvana's,
"Smells Like Teen Spirit"
Ronnie Dio, Ronnie Dio...
Oh denial, oh denial...
The Story: I thought it was an alternative pronunciation of Dio's name! - Submitted by: Frank
Nirvana's,
"Smells Like Teen Spirit"
Rotting eye out
A denial
The Story: I am crazy - Submitted by: Kimberly
Nirvana's,
"Smells Like Teen Spirit"
Well we act up and we're dangerous
Here we are now entertain us
'Cause we're stupid, and contagious
Here we are now...entertain us
A mulatto, and albino....
Hot potato....have a Frito, yeah
With the lights out, it's less dangerous
Here we are now, entertain us
I feel stupid and contagious
Here we are now, entertain us
A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido
Yeah, hey
The Story: Im a little deaf and Kurt simply does not open his mouth and e-NUN-ci-ate!! Joke..but I have been losing my hearing from age 30... - Submitted by: Jan French
Nirvana's,
"Smells Like Teen Spirit"
Well, the lifestyle, it sustains us.
Here we are now, entertainers.
With the lights out, it's less dangerous.
Here we are now; entertain us.
The Story: Pretty much hear the lyrics this way all my life until right now when I looked them up. Funny enough, the lyrics have always made total sense to me with respect to the title and the band itself, so I will probably continue to sing them that way. - Submitted by: Colby
Nirvana's,
"Smells Like Teen Spirit"
When the light's out, sex is dangerous.
Here we are now in containers.
I feel stupid and contagious
Here we are now in containers.
I'm a lion, I'm a bino, I'm a skater, I'm a beatle.
Yay 3x
or
When the light's out it's less dangerous
Here we are now, entertain us
I feel stupid and contagious
Here we are now, entertain us.
An alliance, and a dino, and a skaler, and a beagle
Yeah 3x
With the lights out, it's less dangerous
Here we are now, entertain us
I feel stupid and contagious
Here we are now, entertain us
A mulatto
An albino
A mosquito
My libido
Yeah, hey, yay
The Story: I was planning to go to my cousin Cody's graduation party and the theme was Nirvana. We were all given lists on what occupation we would have. My sister Alyssa and I were given the job of being operators of the karaoke machine. We came in the next week and set up the machine. When we were done we were just in time for the acts. They were preforming Smells Like Teen Spirit. They insisted we bring no lyrics because they had already memorized the song. When we listened to them I couldn't understand the song because the speaker was small and I was in the back. After the party I asked the performer why the song was so out of shape and I told him what I heard then he explained to me what the lyrics were. I left that party feeling very stupid. - Submitted by: Hailey
Nirvana's,
"Smells Like Teen Spirit"
When the lights out, Jessie is dangerous.
Here we are now, entertain us.
I could stupid, any dangers.
Here we are now, entertain us.
A mulatto, an albino.
A mosquito, smells like teen spirit.
Flying Yoyok, flying Yoyok, flying Yoyok, flying Yoyok.
Flying Yoyok, flying Yoyok, flying Yoyok, flying Yoyok.
Flying Yoyok.
With the lights out, it's less dangerous.
Here we are now, entertain us.
I feel stupid, and contagious.
Here we are now, entertain us.
A mulatto, an albino.
A mosquito, my libido.
A denial, a denial, a denial, a denial.
A denial, a denial, a denial, a denial.
A denial.
The Story: Similar to "I Want to Know What Love Is" from Foreigner, I have this song and now placed on my playlist. Once again the misheard lyric story is lyric in this song in the chorus there are parts that make peoples are shocked and sometimes frightened with this lyric line. First, Kurt Cobain sang "Jessie is dangerous" even though Cobain not know who it was Jessie? Second, "...any dangers" indicates that Cobain was afraid with the popularity of his band until he had to be willing to die even though he is not yet dead body and soul. Instead, this line alarmed all peoples who don't know music, pop singers, even cute girls also feel fear because of this line and some of them all are also want to be like Cobain. Then, according to rock historian who resistant with this song that "Smells Like Teen Spirit" became a sign that the era of Seattle music has been born and tamed dance music and pop metal at the time. Third, "Flying Yoyok". Although Cobain also not know Pak Yoyok, but I know why Cobain also say this ridicule to make me stress like this. - Submitted by: Wisnu Aji
Nirvana's,
"Smells Like Teen Spirit"
With the lights out,
it's less dangerous.
Here we are now,
up your anus.
I smell stupid and contagious.
Here we are now, in his anus.
With the lights out,
it's less dangerous.
Here we are now,
entertain us.
I feel stupid and contagious.
Here we are now, entertain us.
The Story: I was in my Freshmen Focus class one day singing this song, and there was a huge Nirvana fan sitting beside me. He looked at me like I was completely stupid for a few seconds, and then started laughing hysterically. In all the years that Smells Like Teen Spirit was popular, I never knew what they were really saying! - Submitted by: Stan
Nirvana's,
"Smells Like Teen Spirit"
With the lights out, it's less dangerous
Here we are now, entertain us
Life is stupid and contagious
With the lights out, it's less dangerous
Here we are now, entertain us
I feel stupid and contagious
The Story: Always thought it was a creative turn of phrase to describe life as contagious. - Submitted by: McX
Nirvana's,
"Smells Like Teen Spirit"
With the lights out, it's less dangerous
Here we are now, incontagious
I feel scared bit and contagious
Here we are now incontagious
I'm a lot dough
An albi no
I'm a skittle
My a meeto
With the lights out, it's less dangerous
Here we are now, entertain us
I feel stupid and contagious
Here we are now, entertain us
A mulatto, an albino
A mosquito, my libido
The Story: I'm starting to hear words that don't exist like "meeto". Very weird. Guess Nirvana is not contagious and they are.... dough? - Submitted by: angmarsh
Nirvana's,
"Smells Like Teen Spirit"
Yadda Yadda
A denial
The Story: Guess Seinfeld smells like Teen Spirit. - Submitted by: Cody Finke
Nirvana's,
"Smells Like Teen Spirit"
a vagina
A denial
The Story: FUnny body - Submitted by: WERE
Nirvana's,
"Smells Like Teen Spirit"
mah jong mah jong mahjong my love
Hello, hello, hello, how low
The Story: smells like mah jong - Submitted by: alberto
Sausage in the bedroom
Sun shines in the bedroom.
The Story: This caused a very disturbing mental picture involving Kurt, Courtney and sausage links. Ewww! - Submitted by: Hairspray Queen
Got fart a wire, fart a wire, fart a wiiiiire
Gotta find a way
A better way
When I'm there
The Story: Heard it this way since I was a kid when the album first came out. The misheard lyrics still randomly run through my head repeatedly once a year or so. - Submitted by: kcirts
Got to find a wife!
A better wife! What I need!
Gotta find a way
A better way I had better wait
The Story: Wait sounded like WIFE - Submitted by: CJ Etelomar
When I was an idiot
When I was an alien
The Story: Alien was misheard as "idiot" - Submitted by: Shing
Nirvana's,
"The Man Who Sold The World"
We passed uopn the sand
We saw whales that swim.
We passed upon the sand
We spoke of was and then.
The Story: Man, my Mexican cousin had bought this tape of Nirvana (The Unplugged One). He asked me to translate this song for him. Unfortunately, I didn't even know what Nirvana was singing. So I did the best I could. And Voila!!! I got a song out of whales and a lost dude. Crazy, huh? - Submitted by: ANGELIQUE
Nirvana's,
"The Man Who Sold the World"
I searched for farming land.
I searched for form and land.
The Story: Thought this all the way up to my first high school year. - Submitted by: Danny Sanchez
Nirvana's,
"Where Did You Sleep Last Night?"
In my pants, in my pants.
Where the sun don't ever shine.
In the pines, in the pines.
Where the sun don't ever shine.
The Story: The first line sounds even more like 'In my pants' in certain accents where 'my' is pronounced as 'ma'; South Africa and various regions of Great Britain for instance. This is due to the way Kurt Cobain doesn't clearly enunciate the word 'the'. The following line 'Where the sun don't ever shine' adds to the confusion if the listener is familiar with the expression 'stick it where the sun don't shine'. The implication of which is up the anus....commonly found 'in the pants'. - Submitted by: Anon
His head was found in a dwarven mill
His head was found in a dried-up well
The Story: Well I'm German and not that good in English - I mean, i knew that it was impossible that Cobain would sing about a guy whose head was found in a mill run by dwarves but... it made sense to me all the years - until I found the lyrics when I looked up a guitar tab of the song. - Submitted by: Lazy
I have never failed to feel pain
I have never failed to fail (Hey).
The Story: Listen to the vocals only version on YouTube. - Submitted by: Cacomistle
Pain pain
Hey hey
The Story: I listened to the vocals only version of this song at slower speed. He says Hey, NOT pain. - Submitted by: Cacomistle
Pig!
Pain!
The Story: I had no idea if Kurt Cobain was referring to a metaphorical or literal pig in the bridge and then heard the chorus, which at the time I misinterpreted as 'you know you're right'. I just assumed Cobain was having some Dr. Doolittle complex and talking to animals with no actual relation to anything else in the song. - Submitted by: Devil Jones
There are more Nirvana misheard lyrics available.
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