In the early days of the internet, when lyrics sites were lyric sites and not spyware traps, people used to get the lyrics to songs really wrong. I was usually met with resistance when I would politely attempt to correct them. Here are some that have stuck with me over the years:
Pink Floyd's "Pillow of Winds"
Incorrect lyric: "Now wakes the hour that sleeps the swan"
Correct lyric: "Now wakes the owl, now sleeps the swan"
The correct line is fairly poignant, but the lyric guy was hostile when I pointed it out.
Van Halen's "Light Up the Sky"
Incorrect lyric: "I had to pay admission when I came tonight"
Correct lyric: "I had some crazy vision, one I can't deny"
The next line is "And it said, 'Open your eyes, leave it all behind.'" How would the "funny" incorrect lyric make sense? "I had to pay admission when I came tonight AND IT SAID." What? Context, people. Sadly, this lyric was on the *Official Van Halen Website*. They were nice when I pointed it out, however, and they promptly changed it.
Another Van Halen mondegreen reveals the tendency of certain webizens to apply their humor to lyrics. Instead of "Ain't talkin' 'bout love," they had it as "Eat chunky butt love." Nope. I refuse to believe anyone really thought the song said that.
Doobie Brothers' "Long Train Running"
Incorrect lyric: "See them groceries run, and you watch them disappear"
Approximately correct lyric: "See that old train run, and you watch it disappear"
Incorrect lyric: "And the healing's always central in a southern central station"
Approximately correct lyric: "Now the Illinois Central and the Southern Central Freight"
Doobie Brothers' "China Grove"
Incorrect lyric: "And the power they wear, they gain"
Approximately correct lyric: "And they're proud of where they came"
"China Grove" has a lot of lyrics issues online.
Led Zeppelin's "The Rover"
Incorrect lyric: "And the flatworm's cryin'. There's a new plague on the land."
Correct lyric: "And the flag we're flyin' is the new flag of the land"
Again, context! Come on! I'm not much better, though. I thought LZ's "Custard Pie" said, "See me coming through your brown oak door." It's, "See me comin', throw your man outdoor."
A major problem, as I mentioned with the one Van Halen song, is the tendency of people to upload what they consider to be funny alternate lyrics under the guise of incorrectly heard lyrics. I'm guilty of it myself on one song on amiright.com, but I'm not saying which one (mainly because I don't want you to inform them and get it taken down
).
