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Misheard Song Lyrics -> Stories -> The Pretenders
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!).
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The Pretenders', "Brass In Pocket"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Been driving, ditalino
The Real Lyrics:
Been driving, Detroit leaning
The Story: I never really knew quite what the 'ditalino' word was I heard, just that it was definitely not 'Detroit Leaning' Anyway, I came across it on a website of foreign slang words and apparently it's Italian for female masturbation, which would fit nicely with the next line 'No reason, just seems so pleasing'. - Submitted by: EmmaJNation
The Pretenders', "Brass In Pocket"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Got brass inculcate.
The Real Lyrics:
Got brass in pocket.
The Story: I knew I was wrong, but I used to think that's what it sounded like Chrissie was saying. Amusingly enough, I didn't even know what 'inculcate' meant when I first misheard the lyric. I just knew of the word! *chuckle* - Submitted by: Shari
The Pretenders', "Brass In Pocket"
The Misheard Lyrics:
I'm gonna make a scene nobody else here,
no one like me
no one like me
The Real Lyrics:
I'm gonna make you see nobody else here,
no one like me
no one like me
The Story: My 11 yr old son (always a good source for misheard lyrics) thought it was 'I'm gonna make a scene' (something he can do well) I guess he was thinking that making a scene would be a good way to attract some attention! - Submitted by: G.
The Pretenders', "Brass In Pocket"
The Misheard Lyrics:
W*** and I'll tell.
The Real Lyrics:
I'm winking at you
The Story: The first time I heard it, I realized I got it wrong, but can never hear it any other way. It just sounds like the sort of threat a British schoolkid would give to a classmate. - Submitted by: Steve Milligan
The Pretenders', "Brass in Pocket"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Don Pardo, I'm gonna use it
The Real Lyrics:
Got bottle, I'm gonna use it
The Story: Still sounds like Don Pardo to me. - Submitted by: James Owens
The Pretenders', "Brass in Pocket"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Gonna use my arse
Gonna use my legs
Gonna use my style
Gonna use my sausage
Gonna use my legs
Gonna use my style
Gonna use my sausage
The Real Lyrics:
Gonna use my arms
Gonna use my legs
Gonna use my style
Gonna use my sidestep
Gonna use my legs
Gonna use my style
Gonna use my sidestep
The Story: I was a teenager when this song came out, and up until a few minutes before submitting this, I had no idea what she could possibly be singing other than "sausage". I figured out it was "arms" during the first listening way back when, but to this day it still sounds to me like "arse". - Submitted by: Michael
The Pretenders', "I'll Stand By You"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Hey, what you got to hide?
I get angry, too
Well, I'm alive like you.
I get angry, too
Well, I'm alive like you.
The Real Lyrics:
Hey, what you got to hide?
I get angry, too
Well, I'm a lot like you.
I get angry, too
Well, I'm a lot like you.
The Story: I kind of like my "mishearing", because it underscores the lowest common denominator all of us share. No matter how different way may be: we're all alive. I guess I thought that's what Chrissie meant, that we're only human. And as long as we're alive, we'll sometimes get angry and/or have disagreements. :) - Submitted by: Shari
The Pretenders', "I'll Stand By You"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Oksana Baiul, Oksan, Baiul
The Real Lyrics:
I'll stand by you, I'll stand by you.
The Story: I was very into iceskating in college and this poor Oksana Baiul had a rough life and I was so excited that someone had written a song about her. I belted out this lyric in front of a room full of people. - Submitted by: Leenix
The Pretenders', "Legalise Me"
The Misheard Lyrics:
I want the legal right to pee-ee.
The Real Lyrics:
I want the legal right to be me.
The Story: I thought the song was referring to urine drug tests. - Submitted by: Mayu
The Pretenders', "Message Of Love"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Oh it's good, good, good Like greasy fried dough
The Real Lyrics:
Oh, it's good, good, good Like Brigitte Bardot
The Story: I was about 10 or 11 when this came out. Likiing greasy fried dough just made sense to me. - Submitted by: Paul Fish
The Pretenders', "Middle Of The Road"
The Misheard Lyrics:
I'm standing in the middle of life with my pants behind me.
The Real Lyrics:
I'm standing in the middle of life with my plans behind me.
The Story: It came on the radio one day, and my husband was singing along with it. Luckily I wasn't. I heard him sing the line and realized I'd been saying it wrong for a long time. - Submitted by: Ruth
The Pretenders', "Middle of the Road"
The Misheard Lyrics:
I'm not the kind I used to be
I've got to get up thirty-three, baby.
or
I'm not the kind I used to be
I've got to get the third degree, baby.
I've got to get up thirty-three, baby.
or
I'm not the kind I used to be
I've got to get the third degree, baby.
The Real Lyrics:
I'm not the kind I used to be
I've got to get up early, see baby?
I've got to get up early, see baby?
The Story: My guess was that 'thirty-three' was another way of saying '3:30 A.M.' - Submitted by: The Skuz
The Pretenders', "Mystery Acheivement"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Mystery cheese man
Don't breed down my back
I got no donkeys on this plain I signed them away
I mean what the heck
Don't breed down my back
I got no donkeys on this plain I signed them away
I mean what the heck
The Real Lyrics:
Mystery acheivement
Don't breathe down my neck
I got no trophies on display I signed them away
I mean what the heck
Don't breathe down my neck
I got no trophies on display I signed them away
I mean what the heck
The Story: I know that 'mystery cheese man' is already there, but the rest of that snippet of song was too precious to not submit. My friend was riding in the car with me. She isn't exactly musically savvy (she's also confused the Pretenders with, of all people, the Sex Pistols, asking 'When is emi going to play?'. She also perenially sings some Bob Marley lyric as 'dry hump a nation', but I don't know which song it is) Anyway, she started singing along. As soon as I heard the words 'cheese man', I started laughing. By 'donkeys on this plain', I was fighting to keep the car on the road. As soon as we picked up my boyfriend, I whispered the story to him. Now, whenever my boyfriend is near my friend, and she says or does something stupid, he starts humming her favorite songs, 'emi' and 'Mystery Cheese Man'. She still doesn't know that she sings the wrong words, and I still play Pretenders for her as a source of entertainment. - Submitted by: kathleen
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