"Hamburgers and leather....starts frying in the middle 'the night"....
(Heavy Metal - Sammy Hagar)
Also inspired by SunValley's 'Dare' post: how about some good examples of misunderstood lyrics? I know that someone did a book a few years back entitled, "'Scuse me while I kiss this guy" on this subject - but do you have any lyrics that you always filled in with your own words, only to discover later they were something totally different? ('Scuse me if we already had a thread on this topic...)
To get things started:
A band-mate in high school thought he heard Elvis singing, "I'm callin' a trout / I can't walk out..." ('Suspicious Minds')
Last edited by tjcurtin1; May 1st, 2010 at 08:08 PM.
"GAS never sleeps" - Gil Janus
"Now you got to pay your dues. Get that axe and play the blues." - Spudman
Gear: Epiphone Sheraton II, Epiphone Wildkat, Epiphone Emperor Joe Pass, Fender MIM Strat, Tacoma DR-14, Johnson JR-200 resonator; Fender Super Champ XD amp
"Hamburgers and leather....starts frying in the middle 'the night"....
(Heavy Metal - Sammy Hagar)
Guitars/Bass - MIM Fender Classic 50s Strat, MIM Fender Standard Strat, Squier Classic Vibe 50s Tele, Gibson Les Paul Studio, Epi '56 Gold Top Les Paul, Martin DSR acoustic, Sigma Martin Auditorium electric/acoustic, Squier Jazz Bass.
Amps/Cabinets/Modelers - Model 2558 50 watt Marshall Silver Anniversary Jubilee combo w/ Celestion Vintage 30s, 4x12 Marshall cabinet w/25 watt Greenback Celestions, Fender Blues Junior w/ a couple of Billm mods, Line 6 POD 2.0, Roland Micro Cube
Pedals/Effects - Cry Baby Classic Wah, Boss TU-2, Boss NS-2, Boss RC-2 Loop Station, Ross Compressor, MXR Micro Amp, Danelectro FAB Echo, Danelectro FAB Chorus, Danelectro Chicken Salad, Marshall Guv'nor Plus, Marshall Echohead, Duhvoodooman's Zonkin' Yellow Screamer, Digitech Digiverb, Digitech Bad Monkey, Dunlop Fuzz Face, Homemade Loop Bypass pedal, Duhvoodooman's Sonic Tonic (Maxon SD-9 clone +), Voodoo Labs Superfuzz
Dirty Deeds and the Thunderchief. (AC/DC)
Not being an English native speaker I get wrong lyrics a LOT, but also from Finnish music. Lemme think...
The worst ones I think must have been Three Doors Down: If I could be like that, I heard them sing Fu*k me like that for a long time and wondered how dirty the lyrics...and way back there was something like UB40 singing 'Sense of Love' and I thought for a long time they said 'Spatula' in the chorus...plenty of examples like that :-)
Dee
"When life's a biatch, be a horny dog"
Amps: Marshall JVM 410H w/ Plexi Cap mod, Choke Mod & Negative Feedback Removal mod, 4x12", Behringer GMX110, Amplitube 3/StealthPedal
Half a dozen custom built/bastardized guitars all with EMG's, mostly 85's, Ibanez Artwood acoustic & Yamaha SGR bass, Epiphone Prophecy SG, Vox Wah, Pitchblack tuner plus assorted pedals, rack gear etc. for home studio use.
R.E.M., Losing My Religion:
"Let's pee in the corner,
Let's pee in the spotlight."
Guitar: Gibson SG Standard Natural Burst, Squier CV 50's Tele, Hell Guitars No. 2, Squier CV 50's Strat, Reverend Club King 290, Taylor 522e 12-Fret mahogany,
Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar Bass Short Scale
Amp: Fender Super Champ X2 Head, Egnater Tweaker 15, Fender Mustang I, Acoustic B20 1x12 bass amp
Pedal: Budda Budwah wah, Wampler Ego Compressor, Electro-Harmonix Soul Food, Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive, Wampler Velvet Fuzz, Seven Sisters Eve Tremolo, TC Electronics Gravy Tri Chorus & Vibrato, Catalinbread Echorec, TC Electronic Alter Ego 2 Delay, Hardwire Supernatural Ambient Verb, MXR Carbon Copy, Catalinbread RAH, Big Muff Pi with Tone Wicker, BYOC Mouse 2.0 Distortion, BYOC Boost/OD-2
From a series of commercials based on the mondegreen. Enjoy
Electric: Fat strat > Korg PB > TS7 > DS1 > DD-20 > Cube 60 (Fender model)
Acoustic: Guitar > microphone > audience
Lead singer in a band we had always sang..............
"Well, I think you saw the preacher...........makes me feel right at home"
when we did "Call Me The Breeze" by Skynyrd. (Well, actually by J.J. Cale, and we tried to play it close to Skynyrd's version.)
Guitars
Wilburn Versatare, '52 FrankenTele(Fender licensed parts), Fender USA Roadhouse Strat, Fender USA Standard B-bender Telecaster, Agile AL 3000 w/ WCR pickups, Ibanez MIJ V300 Acoustic, Squier Precision Bass,
Amps
Ceriatone Overtone Special, Musicman 212 Sixty-Five, Fender Blues Jr., Peavey Classic 30, Fender Super Reverb, Traynor YCV-40 WR Anniversary w/ matching 1x12 ext. cab, Epiphone SoCal 50w head w/ matching 4x12 cab (Lady Luck speakers), Avatar 2x12 semi-open back cab w/ Celestion speakers
Pedals
Digitech Bad Monkey, Digitech Jamman, DVM's ZYS, Goodrich volume pedal
There are several songs that, without looking at the lyrics, are inscrutable. My favorite example is the third line of the first verse of The Fixx's "One Thing Leads to Another." The line is "Communicate, pull out your party piece." Even WITH the lyrics that makes no sense. Then you've got guys like Jon Anderson of Yes who writes lyrics based on how the words sound, not what they mean. So if you are trying to guess the lyrics by meaning, you'll be out of luck.
Axen: Jackson DK2M, Fender Deluxe Nashville Telecaster, Reverend Warhawk 390, Taylor 914ce, ESP LTD Surveyor-414
Amphen: Jet City JCA22H and JCA12S cab, Carvin X-60 combo, Acoustic B20
Effecten: "Thesis 96" Overdrive/Boost (aka DVM OD2), Hardwire DL-8 Digital Delay/Looper, DigiTech Polara Reverb, DigiTech EX-7 Expression Factory and CF-7 Chorus Factory, Danelectro CF-1 Cool Cat Fuzz
"I wish Imagine Dragons would be stuck in an Arcade Fire for an entire Vampire Weekend."--Brian Posehn
Sexual innuendo. Talk to her then show her the man staff.Originally Posted by marnold
After all - one thing leads to another.
"No Tele For you." - The Tele Nazi
Ha! Tele-ish now inbound.
Still, this could fit very nicely in the lame lyrics too. "Party piece"? SRSLY?Originally Posted by Spudman
Axen: Jackson DK2M, Fender Deluxe Nashville Telecaster, Reverend Warhawk 390, Taylor 914ce, ESP LTD Surveyor-414
Amphen: Jet City JCA22H and JCA12S cab, Carvin X-60 combo, Acoustic B20
Effecten: "Thesis 96" Overdrive/Boost (aka DVM OD2), Hardwire DL-8 Digital Delay/Looper, DigiTech Polara Reverb, DigiTech EX-7 Expression Factory and CF-7 Chorus Factory, Danelectro CF-1 Cool Cat Fuzz
"I wish Imagine Dragons would be stuck in an Arcade Fire for an entire Vampire Weekend."--Brian Posehn
It's no worse than some country lyrics.
People used to constantly ask for the following.
"Achy breaky heart."
"Just a'swingin'."
"Boot-scootin' boogie."
I am still to this day sickened by them.
Guitars
Wilburn Versatare, '52 FrankenTele(Fender licensed parts), Fender USA Roadhouse Strat, Fender USA Standard B-bender Telecaster, Agile AL 3000 w/ WCR pickups, Ibanez MIJ V300 Acoustic, Squier Precision Bass,
Amps
Ceriatone Overtone Special, Musicman 212 Sixty-Five, Fender Blues Jr., Peavey Classic 30, Fender Super Reverb, Traynor YCV-40 WR Anniversary w/ matching 1x12 ext. cab, Epiphone SoCal 50w head w/ matching 4x12 cab (Lady Luck speakers), Avatar 2x12 semi-open back cab w/ Celestion speakers
Pedals
Digitech Bad Monkey, Digitech Jamman, DVM's ZYS, Goodrich volume pedal
What, you don't love "Boot-scootin' boogie" and "Achy breaky heart"?Originally Posted by oldguy
You stock just went way up!
So, let me digress a bit...
County lyrics can be a mixed bag. I love songs like Willie Nelson's "Funny How Time Slips Away"
Well hello there
My, it's been a long, long time
And how am I doing?
Well, I guess that I'm doing fine
It's been been so long now, but it seems like it was only yesterday
Gee, ain't it funny, how time slips away.
And how's your new love?
Well, I hope that he's doin fine
I heard you told him, that you'd love him till the end of time
It's been so long now
But it seems like only yesterday
Gee, ain't it funny, how time just slips away.
Well I gotta go now
And I guess I'll see you around
But I don't know when though
Cause you never know when I'll be back in town
But remember, what I told you
That in time your gonna pay
And it's surprising, how time slips away.
Gee, ain't it funny, how times just slips away
I remember enjoying some of David Allen Coe's trashy, hilarious, yet true to life lyrics, most of which can't be posted here. Here's a prime example, "If That Ain't Country".
The old man was covered with tattoos and scars
He got some in prison and others in bars
The rest he got workin' on old junk cars in the daytime
They looked like tombstones in our yard
And I never seen him when he wasn't tired and mean
He sold used parts to make ends meet
Covered with grease from his head to his feet
Cussin' the sweat and the Texas heat and mosquiters
And the neighbors said we lived like hicks
But they brung their cars for pa to fix anyhow
He was veteran-proud tried and true
He'd fought till his heart was black and blue
Didn't know how he'd made it through the hard times
He bought our house on the GI Bill
But it wasn't worth all he had to kill to git it... (can't post some of the lyrics)
Guitar: Gibson SG Standard Natural Burst, Squier CV 50's Tele, Hell Guitars No. 2, Squier CV 50's Strat, Reverend Club King 290, Taylor 522e 12-Fret mahogany,
Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar Bass Short Scale
Amp: Fender Super Champ X2 Head, Egnater Tweaker 15, Fender Mustang I, Acoustic B20 1x12 bass amp
Pedal: Budda Budwah wah, Wampler Ego Compressor, Electro-Harmonix Soul Food, Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive, Wampler Velvet Fuzz, Seven Sisters Eve Tremolo, TC Electronics Gravy Tri Chorus & Vibrato, Catalinbread Echorec, TC Electronic Alter Ego 2 Delay, Hardwire Supernatural Ambient Verb, MXR Carbon Copy, Catalinbread RAH, Big Muff Pi with Tone Wicker, BYOC Mouse 2.0 Distortion, BYOC Boost/OD-2
Ladies and gentlemen . . . Mr. Conway Twitty.
Axen: Jackson DK2M, Fender Deluxe Nashville Telecaster, Reverend Warhawk 390, Taylor 914ce, ESP LTD Surveyor-414
Amphen: Jet City JCA22H and JCA12S cab, Carvin X-60 combo, Acoustic B20
Effecten: "Thesis 96" Overdrive/Boost (aka DVM OD2), Hardwire DL-8 Digital Delay/Looper, DigiTech Polara Reverb, DigiTech EX-7 Expression Factory and CF-7 Chorus Factory, Danelectro CF-1 Cool Cat Fuzz
"I wish Imagine Dragons would be stuck in an Arcade Fire for an entire Vampire Weekend."--Brian Posehn
All the words to Louie, Louie, except the chorus....
Ah, nothing relieves the discomfort of GAS pains like the sound of the UPS truck rumbling down your street. It's like the musician's Beano.
There's some good ones.
My wife was walking through the crowded student union and thought she heard the Doobie Brothers singing "Jesus is just a rat to me." Needless to say, she wasn't familiar with the song "Jesus is just alright to me"
I have a friend who thought CCR were sing "There's a bathroom on the right" instead of There's a Bad Moon on the Rise."
I'll probably post more as I think of them.
Guitars: Epiphone Les Paul Ultra; pretty red Squier Acoustic;
Amps: Vox VT30;
Pedals: Dunlop Fuzz Face; Dunlop Crybaby Wah
My kids have: Squier Affinity Stratocaster MII; Fender G-DEC; Squire Acoustic; Jay Turser Strat-copy, Roland Cube amp
"I am a sworn enemy of the saccharine, and a believer in grace over karma." Bono 2001
Must be universally misunderstood. I have a friend here who used to think they were singing the same thing....Originally Posted by Retro Hound
Ah, nothing relieves the discomfort of GAS pains like the sound of the UPS truck rumbling down your street. It's like the musician's Beano.
I just found out yesterday that the lyrics to Groovin' by the Rascals do not say:
"That would be ecstasy, you and me and Leslie"
but rather:
"That would be ecstasy you and me endlessly"
Guitars: Jimmie Vaughan Strat, 2001 Affinity Squier Strat with 70's Japanese pickups, Affinity Squier Tele
Amps: Fender Pro Junior w/ Ragin' Cajun speaker, Peavey Delta Blues 115
Pedals: Ibanez TS9DX w/ Humphrey mod, Dunlop Crybaby Wah, Dano PB&J Delay, Arion Tubulator w/Indyguitarist mod, Boss CS-3, Dano Fish and Chips EQ, Boss CH-1, Dano TunaMelt Tremolo, Boss RV-3, Boss DS-1
Strings: Darco 10's
Website: www.bluesrow.com
I think I like your version.Originally Posted by birv2
-Sean
Guitars: Lots.
Amphs: More than last year.
Pedals: Many, although I go straight from guitar to amp more often lately.
Given the song's title, it's stunning, but true how widely that line's been perceived. A cover bar-band I played in actually sang it that way as a last set number...primarily to tease and/or convince gullible drunks on the verge of barfing.Originally Posted by Retro Hound
Of course, we'd also intentionally fracture lyrics to mess with or test bar patrons....like with the Beatles I Saw Her Staniding There:
"...and the way she looked was way beyond repair."
It took me a quite a while to get past the shock of Hendrix's rather frightening line from Purple Haze:
"S'cuse me, while I kiss this guy."
^^
AXES: Fender '81 The STRAT, '12 Standard Tele, '78 Musicmaster Bass, '13 CN-240SCE Thinline; Rickenbacker '82 360-12BWB; Epiphone '05 Casino, '08 John Lennon EJ-160E; Guild '70 D-40NT; Ovation '99 Celebrity CS-257; Yamaha '96 FG411CE-12; Washburn '05 M6SW Mando, '08 Oscar Schmidt OU250Bell Uke; Johnson '96 JR-200-SB Squareneck Reso; Hofner '07 Icon B-Bass; Ibanez '12 AR-325. AMPS: Tech 21 Trademark 10; Peavey ValveKing Royal 8; Fender Acoustonic 90, Passport Mini, Mini Tonemaster; Marshall MS-2 Micro Stack; Behringer BX-108 Thunderbird; Tom Scholz Rockman. PEDALS/FX: Boss ME-50; Yamaha EMP100; Stage DE-1; Samson C-Com 16 L.R. Baggs ParaAcoustic D.I; MXR EQ-10.