Say What?

Like many people, I from time to time misunderstand something I have heard.  Most notably, song lyrics.  There are two examples I'll share.

This came to mind this morning because I caught the song on my ride in:



The song is featured in the movie Cedar Rapids - a goofy little indie with a lot of funny and fun people.  The point is, the end credits play out to this song, and I started singing with it - we were at home - I don't burst into song at a movie theater.  But Matt started laughing because I confidently belted out, "Ain't nothing going to break my spine..."

It's actually stride.  "Ain't nothing going to break my stride."  Which makes more sense.

The other one is something I figured out on my own, and it was within the last few years.

The song is Love Shack, by the B-52s.  The correct lyric is "Wearing next to nothing, always hot as an oven".

I spent decades thinking it was "Wearing next to nothing, always hard as a nubbin."

Apparently, close enough that nobody ever stopped and corrected me.   I was listening to it one afternoon at a restaurant and finally heard the right words, and it was like a light went off in my brain.  It was fabulous.

I suspect this will keep happening for a period of time, and at some point, my brain will just stop trying to pick everything apart.

But until then, keep your nubbins, spines and strides intact.

ae

Comments

Christopher said…
You know how there are songs about fake bands, like Elton John's "Benny & The Jets"? Perhaps my weirdest misheard lyric of all time is that for the longest time I thought "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" was about a band called Dirty Dietz & The Thunder Chiefs, which is actually better than the original.
Also if you know the B-52s you know the song "Monster In My Pants" and "hard as a nubbin" doesn't sound too far off from something they'd actually sing.