Mondegreens

[ksmith]

Mondegreens as defined here are misheard words, often song lyrics or prayers or such. Stephen King mentions an instance in Danse Macabre in which a child's transmutation of the phrase "grim reaper" into "green ripper" led to a few sleepless nights .

I think they're still trying to figure out the words to Blinded by the Light.

Comments

[christymarx.livejournal.com]

That's too funny. I mishear things all the friggin' time!

[hoosier-red.livejournal.com]

Well, I know that in the Dave Matthews Band song "Too Much" the lyric "God, I’m coming to your country" sounds an AWFUL lot like "God, come into your con suite."

Which, when I mentioned this on my newsgroup, sparked the idea of an antho about divinely run con suites. There are some strange, strange people on SFF.Net.

[alfreda89.livejournal.com]

Actually, I read an essay about this, and I can't remember if the woman created the name "Mondegrin" or found it through someone else. It comes from a song where she thought the chorus was finished off by the line "and Lady Mondegrin" implying she was a mourner for those who died, or some such.

Turns out the words were "and laid them on the green."

"Blinded by the light" is a great example. I know people who start singing Guantanamera (sp?) with "One ton tomato!"

By the way--this LJ style doesn't work correctly in FireFox--the black field to the right overlaps the Message box.