Making fun of music, one song at a time. Since the year 2000.
Check out the two amIright misheard lyrics books including one book devoted to misheard lyrics of the 1980s.
(Toggle Right Side Navigation)

Misheard Song Lyrics -> Stories -> Tennessee Ernie Ford

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!).


Amazing Grace: 40 Treasured Hymns album at Amazon.com
Tennessee Ernie Ford's, "Sixteen Tons"
The Misheard Lyrics:
I owe my soul to the company stole.
The Real Lyrics:
I owe my soul to the company store.
The Story: As a kid I always heard it as 'stole'. The only kind of 'stole' I'd heard of at the time was a mink stole. I puzzled a lot over what a company stole would be and how one could owe one's soul to one. - Submitted by: Deirdre Collins
Tennessee Ernie Ford's, "Sixteen Tons"
The Misheard Lyrics:
I sold my soul for the company dole.
The Real Lyrics:
I owe my soul to the company store.
The Story: Timeline shift. - Submitted by: aHEMagain
Tennessee Ernie Ford's, "Sixteen Tons"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Sixteen tons and what do you get
Another day older and deeper in s***.
The Real Lyrics:
Sixteen tons and what do you get
Another day older and deeper in debt.
The Story: My husband sang this to me once coming home from his mother's house. I almost drove off the road in hysterical laughter. - Submitted by: Ramona
Tennessee Ernie Ford's, "Sixteen Tons"
The Misheard Lyrics:
St. Peter, don't you kamikaze, I can't go.
The Real Lyrics:
St. Peter, don't you call me, 'cause I can't go.
The Story: Several years ago I heard this song and perceived it like these misheard lyrics. I wondered why he was telling St. Peter not to 'kamikaze'. Later someone heard me singing it that way and got a real big laugh out of it. She told me the real lyrics. On listening again, I figured out that that was what he must be saying after all. - Submitted by: Natasha Bly
Indexes: [#] [A] [B] [C] [D] [E] [F] [G] [H] [I] [J] [K] [L] [M] [N] [O] [P] [Q] [R] [S] [T] [U] [V] [W] [Y] [Z]

New entries in this section are currently reviewed by Brian Kelly. Previous editors (if any) are listed on the editors page.

Submissions!

Would you like to Submit some Misheard Lyrics for a song We're always looking for more entries.

Disclaimer

Disclaimer: amIright.com makes no claims to the accuracy of the correct lyrics. All correct lyrics are copyrighted, amIright.com does not claim ownership of the original lyrics.