Misheard Song Lyrics -> Stories -> U2
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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U2's, "Beautiful Day"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Booty day!
The Real Lyrics:
Beautiful day
The Story: My niece used to sing 'booty day!' when ITV used this song as the theme tune to 'The Premiership'. I think she was looking at all the footballers on the titles. - Submitted by: pickle*
U2's, "Beautiful Day"
The Misheard Lyrics:
You see the bat when it flies at night.
The Real Lyrics:
You see the Bedouin fires at night.
The Story: It did sound a little out of place... but then, it was after all in a list of lots of odd sights. I only found out I'd misheard it when I looked up another part of the song's lyrics. - Submitted by: @ssKicker
U2's, "Bullet The Blue Sky"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Billy, the Boy Scout
The Real Lyrics:
Bullet the blue sky.
The Story: My mom thought it strange that Bono would be singing in such apparent outrage about a Boy Scout. - Submitted by: jfh
U2's, "Bullet The Blue Sky"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Bully Babushka
The Real Lyrics:
Bullet the blue sky.
The Story: I heard the correct lyrics for the first time while doing security for U2 in the dressing room at Earl's Court in London. I told the Edge 'I just always thought of a really mean Russian girl'. He laughed with me. - Submitted by: Ravyn Cancion
U2's, "Bullet The Blue Sky"
The Misheard Lyrics:
I can see those spider veins.
The Real Lyrics:
I can see those fighter planes.
The Story: I was feelin realy self-concious about my spider veins at the time. Then I heard this song on the radio and I was thinking, 'Omigod, he's talkin' to me! He's talkin' about my legs, wow!' - Submitted by: bongo
U2's, "Bullet the Blue Sky"
The Misheard Lyrics:
See them driving nails
Into the souls of the chia pet.
Into the souls of the chia pet.
The Real Lyrics:
See it driving nails
Into the souls on the tree of pain.
Into the souls on the tree of pain.
The Story: I knew this couldn't be right. Bono would never write a song about chia pets. Rise up chia pets! Let them torture you no longer! - Submitted by: Alanna
U2's, "Desire"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Yeah, she's a promise in the Europe elections
My sister, I let her go
Like a preacher stealing hearts, jebedean show
All over money, money, money, money, money.
My sister, I let her go
Like a preacher stealing hearts, jebedean show
All over money, money, money, money, money.
The Real Lyrics:
Yeah she's a promise in the year of election
Oh sister, I can't let you go
Like a preacher stealing hearts at a traveling show
For love or money, money, money.
Oh sister, I can't let you go
Like a preacher stealing hearts at a traveling show
For love or money, money, money.
The Story: After hearing the song, I used to think a 'Jebedean Show' was like a group of travelling medievel desert gypsies or something. - Submitted by: Sarah K
U2's, "Discoteque"
The Misheard Lyrics:
We know you have a bubble gun.
The Real Lyrics:
You know you're chewing bubble gum.
The Story: I caught my friend singing this line at work, and just started laughing hysterically. Like a bubble gun's really got a lot to do with either U2 or a discoteque. I thought it was funny. - Submitted by: Mazotti
U2's, "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"
The Misheard Lyrics:
I believe in Kubla Khan.
The Real Lyrics:
I believe in the kingdom come.
The Story: A high school friend, who just happened to be Asian-American, thought these were the words and defended his point hotly. (Editor s note: I am also Asian-American and your friend needs to take a chill pill.:D) - Submitted by: John Curl
U2's, "Love Is Blindness"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Baby, I need your a**.
The Real Lyrics:
Baby, a dangerous idea.
The Story: I was listening to this song one evening when I was a little too tired to still be awake. I thought I heard, 'Baby, I need your a** '. I went: 'Huh?!' I actually had to check up on the lyrics to make sure Bono -wasn't- singing what I had heard. lol. - Submitted by: Gwendolyn
U2's, "Mysterious Ways"
The Misheard Lyrics:
If you wanna kiss the guy
Better learn how to kneel
On your knees, boy.
Better learn how to kneel
On your knees, boy.
The Real Lyrics:
If you wanna kiss the sky
Better learn how to pray
On your knees, boy.
Better learn how to pray
On your knees, boy.
The Story: When my sister first heard this song, she exclaimed 'Is Bono gay!? Oh my God! I can't believe he just said kiss the guy! He is a guy!' I explained to her that it said sky, but she kept insisting it was guy. To this day, whenever she hears Mysterious Ways, she gives me a michevous look and says guy instead of sky. - Submitted by: Susie C.
U2's, "New Year's Day"
The Misheard Lyrics:
The world is wild, it's out of the way.
The Real Lyrics:
A world in white gets underway.
The Story: I originally thought it was "... in white get underway". then I went here, and saw this as the REAL lyrics, and listened and thought I heard it. So at the concert I sang these lyrics, drew a few stares, and wound up buying a few pints for them all. - Submitted by: nottellingyou
U2's, "One"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Love is a tampon.
The Real Lyrics:
Love is a temple.
The Story: I was over at my boyfriend's house one night for band rehearsal. I was playing and singing the crap out of this song (which I totally fell in love with) on the guitar, until I burst out singing, 'Love is a tampon' so loud. I was so embarrassed when I didn't realize that the correct lyrics were 'Love is a temple'. My face turned a bright beet red when that happened, especially when my boyfriend had also questioned me about that other lyric: 'Have you come here to play Jesus to the lepers in your head?'. - Submitted by: Jen
U2's, "One"
The Misheard Lyrics:
The leopards in your head
The Real Lyrics:
The lepers in your head
The Story: My brother and I have argued about this; he thinks it's leopards. I say it's lepers, but I haven't convinced him because he says neither really makes sense but 'leopards' is funnier. I say U2 doesn't do funny. - Submitted by: S
U2's, "One"
The Misheard Lyrics:
We get to harry each other.
The Real Lyrics:
We get to carry each other.BR>
The Story: Actually, I'm not the one who misheard the lyric. It was my dear friend Norman Fizz. He actually looked up 'harry' to try to understand the meaning of the lyric. Then he asked me why on earth Bono would write a song about everybody being 'one' yet say we get to torment each other! I just stared at him blankly. :-) - Submitted by: Tara O'Donnell
U2's, "Pride (In The Name Of Love)"
The Misheard Lyrics:
But they could not take your pie.
The Real Lyrics:
But they could not take your pride.
The Story: For years I sang along, screaming the word 'pie'. I could have sworn Bono said pie. I wasn't quote sure what pie had to do with Martin Luther King Jr., but I decided not to question Bono's wisdom and accept his lyrics. Later, when I got into U2, I realized my folly and I can't help but thinking of it now when I hear Pride. - Submitted by: Susie C.
U2's, "Pride (In The Name Of Love)"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Free at last, they took your life
They could not take your past.
They could not take your past.
The Real Lyrics:
Free at last, they took your life
They could not take your pride.
They could not take your pride.
The Story: I always wondered why the song was called 'Pride', if the word 'pride' wasn't in it. - Submitted by: Troy
U2's, "Pride"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Free the blacks
The Real Lyrics:
Free at last
The Story: Nah, not really. My ex-boyfriend used to howl 'free the blacks'. Of course, I had to whip him into shape. Shortly after that, we went to see U2 for the first time...just for kicks, in unison, we sang 'free the blacks.' - Submitted by: Fleur
U2's, "Salome"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Bake it, bake it, bake, Salome.
The Real Lyrics:
Shake it, shake it, shake, Salome.
The Story: When I worked in a donut shop, I overheard a cop singing this while working with hot coffee. I was laughing so hard, I spilled coffee down my arm and didn't even feel it! The cop just asked me what was so funny, and I explained the difference. He then saw the humor of his goof, and laughed along with me. To this day, when he sees me at kareoke night, he still sings it wrong, but just for laughs. - Submitted by: Mazotti
U2's, "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own"
The Misheard Lyrics:
You're the reason why we have poison rain.
The Real Lyrics:
You're the reason why the opera is in me.
The Story: When I first heard this I thought, "Wow, that's pretty harsh". :) - Submitted by: David Silver
U2's, "Sunday Bloody Sunday"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Bodies strewn across Stilletto Street
The Real Lyrics:
Bodies strewn across a dead end street
The Story: I actually heard this sung one night at karaoke. I told the guy singing afterward he was way off, and what the correct lyrics were. Needless to say, it was kinda funny, and maybe there is a Stilletto Street someplace, I don't know. - Submitted by: Mazotti Jordan
U2's, "Sunday Bloody Sunday"
The Misheard Lyrics:
So naked, it's lovely
So naked, it's lovely
So naked, it's lovely
The Real Lyrics:
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Sunday Bloody Sunday
The Story: It was on the mini-War tour, before the 'War' album came out ,and Bono was introducing this song at a concert in Birmingham, uk. He told the audience the lyric as so we could all sing-a-long as was the style of U2 in the early 80's....only I misheard and was singing at the top of my voice 'So Naked, it's lovely'. Then went to school bragging about this new song from U2 and feeling really cool that I knew, 'So naked, it's lovely'......I only to find out the *correct* lyric, 'Sunday Bloody Sunday' when the War album came out about 3 or 4 months later. How embarassing. Thing is, I was so enamoured of U2 as a 15 year old year old at the time, that I did not stop to question how absurd the lyric 'So naked it's lovely' is! - Submitted by: Laura Smith
U2's, "Sunday Bloody Sunday"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Someday, Buddy, someday
The Real Lyrics:
Sunday, Bloody, Sunday
The Story: A group of friends and I were at the beach, with the boombox going good, everyone having a good time. When this song came on, only one person was singing along, loud and clear for all to hear. When she got to this part, practically everyone stopped in their tracks and were sort of in shock for a moment. After a few seconds, you could hear the laughter all over the beach... - Submitted by: Matt Kozak
U2's, "Sunday Bloody Sunday"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Sunday, Sunday, Sunday
The Real Lyrics:
Sunday, Bloody Sunday
The Story: Yea, this was actually my friend Brittany's mistake. We were watching U2's movie 'Rattle and Hum' and she started singing along. She wsang the wrong lyrics, but I caught her and started making fun of her. She has not lived it down yet!! - Submitted by: Lyssa
U2's, "Sunday, Bloody Sunday"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Someday darlin', someday
The Real Lyrics:
Sunday, bloody Sunday
The Story: I was at a club dancing with a friend and singing my head off to this song when she stopped, grabbed my arm and yelled, "What did you just sing?" I repeated it and she fell on the floor laughing. After composing herself she said, "You do know the song is called 'Sunday, Bloody Sunday', don't you?" Apparently, I didn't. Fifteen years later, she still loves to tell this story to anyone who will listen. - Submitted by: Lorkeet
U2's, "The Sweetest Thing"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Instead of fire, she turned me to straw.
The Real Lyrics:
Eternal fire, she turned me to straw.
The Story: When my brother and I first heard this song, we thought that was what he was saying. So, we kept making fun of the song, and making fun of Bono for writing such lyrics for a song. Why does he want to be fire?! Then, I saw the lyrics in a U2 book, and I felt like such an idiot! I should have known Bono wouldn't have written such bad lyrics for a song, especially since 'The Sweetest Thing' is supposed to have a real meaning. Whenever I hear the song now, I want to say 'instead of fire.' - Submitted by: Allicat
U2's, "The Sweetest Thing"
The Misheard Lyrics:
You know I got black guys up my butt
The Real Lyrics:
You know I got black eyes, but they burn
The Story: I work in a bank where music is played for atmosphere, and I embarassed myself bigtime when I misheard this lyric and started laughing uncontrolably. It took me 15 minutes before I could get my composure enough to tell my supervisor why I was laughing so hard. I think she was ready to fire me. - Submitted by: El Davo
U2's, "Until The End Of The World"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Hadn't seen you in quite a while
I was down the hall, just passing time.
I was down the hall, just passing time.
The Real Lyrics:
Haven't seen you in quite a while
I was down the hold just passing time.
I was down the hold just passing time.
The Story: This song is about Judas speaking to Jesus somewhere in the afterlife, and is about the guilt and punishment Judas had after he betrayed Jesus. I thought it was about some guy getting a girl bombed so that he could get into her pants. - Submitted by: AndreB
U2's, "Vertigo"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Shot dead
Shots fall
Joe Namath
Shots fall
Joe Namath
The Real Lyrics:
Shot dead
Shots fall
Show me, yeah
Shots fall
Show me, yeah
The Story: I went looking for the original lyrics for this part and realized that not everyone agrees on what they are; I'm pretty sure I hear "shot dead, shots fall" but the last part doesn't sound like "show me, yeah" as much as it sounds like "Joe Namath" which I'm pretty sure isn't right... XD - Submitted by: WG
U2's, "Where The Streets Have No Name"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Where the sheep have no names.
The Real Lyrics:
Where the streets have no name.
The Story: For years I could not figure out what he was singing, so I just guessed 'sheep.' Finally a dj said the name of the song, and no one ever knew about my stupidity (until now)! - Submitted by: Rita Meduna
U2's, "Yahweh"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Polyester white trash made in Norway
The Real Lyrics:
Polyester white trash made in nowhere
The Story: Here I was, with visions of a Norwegian sweatshop cranking out cheap shirts... - Submitted by: Roopkong Islander
U2's, "Zoo Station"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Sensation
The Real Lyrics:
Zoo Station
The Story: I thought that this song was maybe about a guy having sex, so he said sensation... the first time I heard this song was when I bought the zoo-tv video, and Bono makes a movement like he were having sex, and he says 'I'm ready for the push'... So, I tought he was having sex - Submitted by: Perry Empelota
There are more U2 misheard lyrics available.
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