Misheard lyrics from iconic pop songs

Frank Micelotta Archive // Getty Images Kids learning the national anthem could be forgiven for hearing the lyric “by the dawnzer lee light”–even though the latter doesn’t make any sense, in any language. The actual line is “by the dawn’s early light.” Author Beverly Cleary immortalized this mistake in her children’s book “Ramona the Pest.” Misheard lyrics are known as mondegreens, a term that dates back to 1954. American author Sylvia Wright coined it in Harper’s Magazine while recounting a ballad that had confounded her when she was a child. But this misfiring of the connections between the ears and the brain can plague anyone of any age. It’s been the subject of both academic study and serious journalism. Researchers found that people sing the “wrong” words to a song due to an illusion of sound; it could indicate what we hope to hear, as reported by New York magazine. If nothing else, mondegreens are almost always funny (if not a bit embarrassing), so Stacker compiled a list of some of the most humorous misheard lyrics from popular music over the last 70 years. To qualify its popularity, each song on this list had to spend time on the Billboard Hot 100 chart–and many became #1 hits. This collection comes from pop culture references, news articles, music publications, social media posts, and community forums on the internet. ‘Blank Space’ by Taylor Swift Steve Azzara // Getty Images – Misheard: “It’s gonna be May” – Correct: “It’s gonna be me” One of the most widespread misheard lyrics in the modern age is also one of the most celebrated–every year, just before May Day, on April 30. That’s because when Justin Timberlake sings, “It’s gonna be me,” in the ‘N Sync song of the same name, he pronounces “me” like “may”–and in 2012 (12 years after the song was released), the internet exploded with “It’s Gonna Be May” memes. ‘Evil Woman’ by Electric Light Orchestra Chris Walter // Getty Images – Misheard: “Medieval woman” – Correct: “Evil woman” In the Electric Light Orchestra song “Evil Woman,” lead vocalist Jeff Lynne sings the word “evil” with three syllables, drawing out the “ee” sound over the course of two notes. The result? A mistaken title (and lyric) that brought the song into an entirely different era: “medieval woman.” ‘Bette Davis Eyes’ by Kim Carnes United Archives // Getty Images – Misheard: “Haul the bathtub just to please you” – Correct: “All the better just to please you” Kim Carnes was one of the biggest pop singers of the early 1980s, known for her distinctively raspy vocal style–one that could’ve enunciated just a bit better. In her Grammy Award-winning chart-topper “Bette Davis Eyes,” it might sound like she’s singing, “Haul the bathtub just to please you,” but the real lyrics are: “All the better just to please you.” ‘Rolling in the Deep’ by Adele Andy Sheppard // Getty Images – Misheard: “Go ahead and sell me out, and I’ll lay your s— bare” – Correct: “Go ahead and sell me out, and I’ll lay your ship bare” According to the authoritative music magazine SPIN, Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” contains the line “Go ahead and sell me out, and I’ll lay your ship bare.” So why is the word “ship” censored in versions played by some radio stations and streaming services? According to the National Coalition Against Censorship, it’s because it sounded too much like a bad word with the same first three letters–which is a case of music execs either mishearing the lyrics themselves or anticipating audiences mistakenly hearing an expletive. (For what it’s worth, Adele clearly sang the word “ship” during her 2020 appearance on “Saturday Night Live.”) ‘Forever in Blue Jeans’ by Neil Diamond Michael Ochs Archives // Getty Images – Misheard: “Reverend Blue Jeans” – Correct: “Forever in blue jeans” If you’ve misheard Neil Diamond’s “Forever in Blue Jeans” as “Reverend Blue Jeans,” you’re not the only one. Comedian and former talk-show host Conan O’Brien confessed in a 2023 podcast episode that he’s among the throngs of fans who thought Diamond was paying tribute to a man of the cloth who took Casual Friday very seriously. Data reporting by Lucas Hicks. Story editing by Chris Compendio. Copy editing by Paris Close. Photo selection by Abigail Renaud.