Give me the knife, George?

I've been known to bungle and misunderstand lyrics to my favorite songs -- often. For years, I thought Billy Squier's "Stroke Me, Stroke Me" was actually "Long Live, Skunk Man." Which in all fairness, made more sense to me as a 12-year-old than "Stroke Me" did.

Another bad one: Pete Townshend surely was singing "Let Mother Open The Door" -- right? I never did understand his fascination with parental duties, so imagine my relief when I found it was "Let My Love Open The Door." (Seriously though -- he cranked out some brilliant songs during his solo career, didn't he?)

But my favorite one of all:

George Benson singing "Give Me The Knife?" Wow, he's pretty happy for someone who obviously wants to kill somebody. I still can't sing along with changing "Night" to "Knife." His 1980 tune hit the Top 5 on the pop, R&B and jazz charts.

Benson is playing Tampa's Ford Amphitheatre on Saturday, April 5. His performance is part of a two-day concert. Other acts playing include Boz Scaggs, Al Green and Dr. John. Go to the Ford Amp website for more info.

(Be forewarned: I'm betting they'll escort you out quietly and quickly if you start yelling 'Give Me The Knife').

Comments

[Marissa]

Steve, very nice! I had no idea which direction this post was taking. You sly devil.

I think everybody can relate to having this lyric gone awry affliction.
I find that once I start singing my interpretation of the lyrics, I can't stop even if I find out the correct ones.

Dido's "White Flag" declares she won't put her arms up and surrender.
I swear and still sing, "I won't poke my eyes out and surrender." God! I hate that song.

Sorry for the mention of a non 80s tune here, but it's the one that came to mind immediately.

[GlennS.]

For years I thought Cyndi Lauper was singing "What in the world can they get done?" on Girls Just Want To Have Fun, when she was actually singing "When the working day is done."

[jane]

There was a lovely, albeit, flaky girl named Brett who lived down the hall from me freshman year in college. A bunch of us were hanging out in my room, listening to the radio and waiting for the Domino's dude. Brett was sitting on my bed (top bunk), swinging her legs and singing along very loudly to the radio. No one really was paying much attention to her until we heard her belt out "Sharif don't like it... rock the cashbox, rock the cashbox." It took the rest of the night for us to convince her that yes, the lyrics really were "rock the casbah."

Oh -- and a very bright, exceedingly savvy woman who I consider one of my professional mentors swore that John Fogarty was singing about there being a baboon on the right. HA!

[Spears]

"Rock the Casbah" gets a lot of different interpretations. And by the way, can I say now it's the most overrated and overplayed song by The Clash?

[Marissa]

Why yes, Steve, you may.

[jane]

I am very over "Rock the Casbah" myself. Overplay done killed it indeed.

Agree that Pete Townshend had some fab solo cuts -- dug the White City album, especially "Face to Face". Might need to check that out again, as I haven't listened to it in years.

[Spears]

Fave Townshend solo cut: Slit Skirts.

[Rock_Vbrg]

The term for a misheard lyric is called a mondegreen ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mondegreen ). I have several books that are filled with them and most of them are ones that I heard the first time I listened to the song.

I will freely admit that I am tone deaf and have no rhythm; so I have misheard a lot of lyrics. My wife says I ruin more songs for her. But, my favorite was the Steve Winwood's "Well-Digger, Baby", I mean "Roll With It."

[jane]

Yeah. "Slit Skirts." After just listening to it for the first time in eons, I must concur. Especially at the point I'm at now in life...

[Clark]

I used to think Eric Clapton (sorry, that's who I heard it from first) had shot the cherry and a girl I dated thought Michael Jackson was upset about fitted jeans at my door.
And I used to think there was a verse in "Louie, Louie" that went 'Fine little girl waits for me
Catch a ship across the sea
Sail that ship about, all alone
Never know if I make it home' but now after many late night, late nights of research I realize that it's actually 'Muh nuh muh, muh muh muhnuh. Muh muh nuh muhnumma numb. Nuhmumnuh muh mum mum'.

[Melissa]

My best friend used to think Til Tuesdays "Voices Carry" was "you're so scary". It worked, we still sing it like that.

[DoctorDrew]

We were playing one of those sing the lyrics games a few years ago. The Song was "Grovin'." I sang, "You and me and Leslie."

I still catch grief about that to this day. And since all those lyrics shows came on, I've heard about it even more.

[page]

My sister thought INXS' "Suicidal Blonde' was "Soup and Salad Bar.'

[Bassnote]

Everybody Wants To Rule The World by Tears for Fears:

The actual line is, "One headline, why believe it..."

What I thought it was: "Why the hell don't I believe it..."

[Greg Jones]

One of my co-workers was riding down the road singing "New Orleans. Doot doot, doot doo."
His brother asked what song he was singing.
"You know, 'New Orleans', by The Who."
"You idiot, it's 'Who Are You'."
"Oh."

[Big Tex]

My son was singing along to "Love Shack" (it's my ringtone), and I heard him say, "So hurry up, and bring your juice box money!"

I'd go to that concert in a heartbeat. I've seen Benson before and he puts on a great show, but to add Rev. Green to the mix is really taking it up a notch!

[grandllama]

My money is still on 'Heaven's Just a Funky Moose'

Although to this day I still swear the opening line to Everclear's Santa Monica is

"I am still living with your goat"

[call-sign viper]

kissthisguy.com has some great misunderstood lyrics. Someone else misunderstood "The Stroke" as, "Stove Top Stuffin', Stove!". One of my favorites is George Harrison's "I've Got My Mind Set On You" mistakenly heard as "I thought my Mom sat on you".

[Rick]

Steve, you had me laughing out loud!

I am usually pretty good at understanding lyrics, but I recall a major gaff being exposed while singing in the kitchen of the dorm I worked at in college. It was actually a 70s number by England Dan & John Ford Coley, "Really Love to See You Tonight." The actual lyrics were, "I'm not talkin' 'bout movin' in..." but at the top of my sophomore lungs I sang, "I'm not talkin' 'bout my linen."

I actually had an argument with a girl I had a crush on over the disputed line. After that I was a little less confident of my listening skills especially one I started listening to bands like Duran Duran.

The funny thing about their songs is that even when you get their lyrics right, they still make precious little sense.

How about this from "New Religion":

Bring my timing in, seagulls gather on the wind
Lady screaming, lady leave me out
'Cause sometimes people stare
Coming down, electric chair
And steaming crowds they gather and they shout

HUH?! WHA???

[malibu]

I read an article about this years ago, and there is a book about this subject--it's called "Scuse me while I kiss this guy"--someone mentioned the website above, too:
http://www.amazon.com/Scuse-While-Kiss-This-Guy/dp/0671501283/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1206713407&sr=8-1

My favorite misheard lyric from the article I read was someone thought that "Ain't No Woman Like the One I Got" was "Ain't No Woman Like the One Eyed Gott." I STILL laugh about that one!

[Michelle]

I still laugh becasuse back in 1977 my sister and I though Steven Tyler from Aerosmith was singing:
"Born to Swing" instead of "Walk This Way".

[Spiky Sandy]

It's John Fogarty singing, "There's a bathroom on the right." I sing it that way on purpose because I don't like him or CCR.

[Al]

I always thought Tom Cochrane was singing "Let's learn French" instead of Lunatic Fringe when I was a kid.

It happens to the best of us.

[Marissa]

Michael McDonald always leaves me guessing at the lyrics. If you fill your mouth with oatmeal and then attempt to sing, you can utter pretty much the same sounds he does.

[Jeff in Cuba]

For years I couldn't figure out why Stevie Nicks kept singing about "a one-winged dove".

I kept picturing this poor bird flying in a really tight little circle...