Misunderstandings & Mondegreens
What you thought you heard vs what was said21 total reviews
Comment from karenina
So there IS a name for that? My sister-in-law and I had a running battle over lyrics in the Carly Simon hit "You're So Vain" --
I was CERTAIN the line was "You had one eye in the mirror as you watched yourself go out..."
She (spoiler alert) was correct that the line referred to a dance...and was in fact "As you watched yourself GAVOTTE"
We laughed eventually...
I loved the opening of your story and have experienced the nonsensical conversations that occur because now I am within that realm of people who think I hear everything clearly--but do not!
Great write!
Karenina
reply by the author on 07-Sep-2024
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So there IS a name for that? My sister-in-law and I had a running battle over lyrics in the Carly Simon hit "You're So Vain" --
I was CERTAIN the line was "You had one eye in the mirror as you watched yourself go out..."
She (spoiler alert) was correct that the line referred to a dance...and was in fact "As you watched yourself GAVOTTE"
We laughed eventually...
I loved the opening of your story and have experienced the nonsensical conversations that occur because now I am within that realm of people who think I hear everything clearly--but do not!
Great write!
Karenina
Comment Written 06-Sep-2024
reply by the author on 07-Sep-2024
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I thought your version made a lot more sense. How many people know what a gavotte is? Silly lyric for a popular song!
Incidentally, I happened to know what a gavotte was because in high school, I was in the chorus of the play "My Fair Lady" and we sang and danced to the song "The Ascot Gavotte." But I confess I never listened carefully enough to the lyrics of "You're So Vain" to have picked that up. I probably would have interpreted it the way you did.
Thanks very much for this fun review, karenina.
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Good for you that you'd heard the word! I was (much younger) and righteously indignant that she's turn such an OBVIOUS simple line (which made perfect sense to me since, after all, he was "So Vain"-- into some antiquated formal dance. Harrumph.
I've had to eat crow a number of times over the years...
(It's often brought up at holiday gatherings -- and NOT by me!)
Anyway, I loved your post. I could write a half hour on the number of lines to songs I had totally wrong!
Smiles...
Comment from Sharon Elwell
This was fun to read. Mondegreens are always fun when you run across them. I remember "Round John Virgin" from Silent Night. Now that I'm old, I make more of my own. Thanks for this piece!
reply by the author on 05-Sep-2024
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This was fun to read. Mondegreens are always fun when you run across them. I remember "Round John Virgin" from Silent Night. Now that I'm old, I make more of my own. Thanks for this piece!
Comment Written 05-Sep-2024
reply by the author on 05-Sep-2024
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So glad you enjoyed it, Sharon. How about, "and lead us not into Penn Station" from the Lord's Prayer? Lot's of funny ones.
Comment from Dolly'sPoems
Having conversations with my Grandma who was very partially deaf was a bit like this and when she came to visit us for Sunday lunch, our conversations used to amuse the children no end as the subject matter shifted to whatever was interpreted by my Grandma, it made us laugh a lot and my Grandma had no idea what we were laughing about. I enjoyed your humorous post Jim, love Dolly x x x
reply by the author on 05-Sep-2024
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Having conversations with my Grandma who was very partially deaf was a bit like this and when she came to visit us for Sunday lunch, our conversations used to amuse the children no end as the subject matter shifted to whatever was interpreted by my Grandma, it made us laugh a lot and my Grandma had no idea what we were laughing about. I enjoyed your humorous post Jim, love Dolly x x x
Comment Written 05-Sep-2024
reply by the author on 05-Sep-2024
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Sounds like she was very entertaining without even knowing it. What a neat story. Most mondegreens are pretty amusing!
Comment from Pearl Edwards
I've never heard of that term before, Jim, but you've written an amusing story about some of the miss heard lines. I didn't get the ladder reference, but that's not a surprise to me. I like the finish with Martha's 'I'm mindepond' - very vclever.
cheers,
valda
reply by the author on 05-Sep-2024
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I've never heard of that term before, Jim, but you've written an amusing story about some of the miss heard lines. I didn't get the ladder reference, but that's not a surprise to me. I like the finish with Martha's 'I'm mindepond' - very vclever.
cheers,
valda
Comment Written 04-Sep-2024
reply by the author on 05-Sep-2024
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Thanks, Valda. It seems like a number of people didn't get the ladder reference. It's from the poem "The Night Before Christmas."
When out on the roof, there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.
Comment from Wayne Fowler
Good work!
Rose Suchak Ladder - this went indepond for me. No idea what a rose ladder is.
How about "There's a bathroom on the right"? (Bad Moon Rising - Credence Clearwater Revival)
Best wishes.
reply by the author on 04-Sep-2024
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Good work!
Rose Suchak Ladder - this went indepond for me. No idea what a rose ladder is.
How about "There's a bathroom on the right"? (Bad Moon Rising - Credence Clearwater Revival)
Best wishes.
Comment Written 04-Sep-2024
reply by the author on 04-Sep-2024
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When out on the roof, there arose such a clatter
I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.
- From "The Night Before Christmas"
What is the correct line from Bad Moon Rising?
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"There's a bad moon on the rise"
Comment from lancellot
As someone who has messed up more than once on hearing and pronouncing someone's name (bad left ear) I totally understand this. I also tend to mumble so there's that.
Well written.
reply by the author on 04-Sep-2024
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As someone who has messed up more than once on hearing and pronouncing someone's name (bad left ear) I totally understand this. I also tend to mumble so there's that.
Well written.
Comment Written 04-Sep-2024
reply by the author on 04-Sep-2024
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I think we're all prone to these from time to time. I was sure it was "Reverend Blue Jeans."
There was another line from a song by England Dan and John Ford Coley called "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight." The line was: "I'm not talkin' 'bout movin' in" and it sounded to me like "I'm not talkin' 'bout meridian" which made no sense, but I couldn't hear it any other way.
Comment from Carol Clark2
I've never heard the term 'mondegreen,' so I learned something new from your post. Your examples are good, and I'm sure much humor results from the misunderstandings. Good explanations. Carol
reply by the author on 04-Sep-2024
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I've never heard the term 'mondegreen,' so I learned something new from your post. Your examples are good, and I'm sure much humor results from the misunderstandings. Good explanations. Carol
Comment Written 04-Sep-2024
reply by the author on 04-Sep-2024
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I hadn't heard that term myself until very recently when I said one to my wife. She knew there was a name for it and looked it up. So we learn something new every day!
Comment from royowen
Although the eyes can certainly deceive, because they depend on light, and if their is a schism like refraction or the sun, or the mind one can be deceived, but the ears have a number of problems besides, the impure tongue, it's understandable, if you read my poem on "Walking by sight" which you seem to do less of these days, scripture deals in detail with the subject, our perception lacks, we hear, but don't listen, we see but don't perceive, highly amusing, this seems like the hearing has dulled, beautifully written
reply by the author on 05-Sep-2024
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Although the eyes can certainly deceive, because they depend on light, and if their is a schism like refraction or the sun, or the mind one can be deceived, but the ears have a number of problems besides, the impure tongue, it's understandable, if you read my poem on "Walking by sight" which you seem to do less of these days, scripture deals in detail with the subject, our perception lacks, we hear, but don't listen, we see but don't perceive, highly amusing, this seems like the hearing has dulled, beautifully written
Comment Written 04-Sep-2024
reply by the author on 05-Sep-2024
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Not only has the hearing dulled, but people don't speak as clearly as they should. It's gotten to the point where I have to have closed captions on for everything I watch on TV, and my hearing is pretty good still. I miss a lot of what they say because they speak so fast and imprecisely that I need to read it at the same time or I miss a lot.
I haven't been to the movie theater since Covid began, and that's one of the reasons. I'd rather wait until the movies stream and I can watch them at home with closed captions on.
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Well done Jim,
Comment from BethShelby
I've never heard that phrase 'mondegreen" I'm always thinking I heard something which I didn't hear. I think it wouldn't be a good word to mention around people that don't hear well to begin with.
reply by the author on 05-Sep-2024
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I've never heard that phrase 'mondegreen" I'm always thinking I heard something which I didn't hear. I think it wouldn't be a good word to mention around people that don't hear well to begin with.
Comment Written 04-Sep-2024
reply by the author on 05-Sep-2024
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I've always known of the concept of a mondegreen, but just recently learned the word myself. Did you get the Rose Suchak Ladder reference to the poem "The Night Before Christmas?" A lot of people seemed to have missed that.
Comment from barbara.wilkey
I enjoyed reading. My dad went to a one room schoolhouse. He often shares the story about a song he sang loud and proud as a young child. His version, 'Holy smokes the preacher farted in his haste he lost his wig.' The song went, 'Holy smokes the preacher parted in his haste.' I honestly don't remember the rest. Anyway, Dad got teased a lot. Oh yea, Dad was a preacher's kid on top of it. Thank you for sharing.
reply by the author on 04-Sep-2024
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I enjoyed reading. My dad went to a one room schoolhouse. He often shares the story about a song he sang loud and proud as a young child. His version, 'Holy smokes the preacher farted in his haste he lost his wig.' The song went, 'Holy smokes the preacher parted in his haste.' I honestly don't remember the rest. Anyway, Dad got teased a lot. Oh yea, Dad was a preacher's kid on top of it. Thank you for sharing.
Comment Written 04-Sep-2024
reply by the author on 04-Sep-2024
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That's funny. I always liked the one about the little kid reciting The Lord's Prayer and coming to the line "but lead us not into temptation" but instead coming out with "but lead us not into Penn Station" which happens to be the big railroad terminal in New York City.
