Everybody has misheard lyrics before, phenomena known as mondegreens. Then they usually keep on singing what they think is being sung, until they pick up the lyric sheet or have somebody embarrassingly correct them! Even Ozzy Osbourne has said that he thought the line in "Purple Haze " was "'scuse me while I kiss THIS GUY"!
But of all the metal bands I've misheard lyrics from, it looks like Iron Maiden tops the list. These are all lyrics which either I actually misheard, or somebody else told me they honestly misheard.
| Song | Actual Lyric | What was Heard |
|---|---|---|
| Wasted Years | When you can't find the words to say | When you're camped by the woods they say... |
| Infinite Dreams | Can it be all coincidence? | Caviar, coincidence? (Also, "Cannonball, coincidence") |
| Fear of the Dark | Fear of the dark | Fear of the DUCK |
| Running Free | Hit the gas and here I go | Hear me dancing, here I go |
| Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner | Back through the north, through the fog and ice | ...through the fuckin' ice |
| Lord of the Flies | Saints and Sinners, something within us | Same-sex sinners, something within us |
| Back In the Village | Questions are a burden | Christians are a burden |
| To Tame a Land | He rules the sandworms and the Freman | He moves the asylums in a freighter |
| To Tame a Land | He is the Wizatz Haderach | He has this wizard's Cadalac |
| And some newer ones... | ||
| Stranger In A Strange Land | all are gone, and their souls departed | ...and they're so retarded (Thanks to Bo for mentioning this one!) |
| Wicker Man | Your time will come | Your tongue is cold |
If you have any other Iron Maiden Mondegreens, and I mean real ones that don't sound too far fetched, send them to me and I'll try to post them here!
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The "Killers" Album |
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I've owned this album for over ten years, and it's one of my favorites from the band. And I have barely understood any of the words! When the remasters came out, I finally got a copy on CD, and it included the lyrics. So what I did was sit down with the CD, the lyric book completely out of view, and I attempted a transcrition of the lyrics myself. Some of the lines I wrote down and just knew they couldn't be right, because they really made no sense! But if I could really hear it, and made my best guess, I wrote it down.
Needless to say, I was in for quite a surprise when checked the lyric book. Either Paul D'ianno has to speak more clearly, or my ears need serious medical help!
Here is my ever-so-embarrassing transcription of the lyrics from the Killers album, with the real lyrics next to it. I removed whole lines of lyrics that I pretty much got correct.
Wrathchild |
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| The Real Lyrics | My Transcription |
|
I was born into a scene, of angriness and greed, of angriness and persecuation. [...] Now I spend my time looking all around, for a man that's nowhere to be found [...]
Some say it shouldn't matter, ain't nothing gonna alter, the course of my destination
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Born to a scene, analysts agree, dominatrix prosecution [...] Now I spend my time getting all around, for a mad-mass nowhere to be found [...] Safe doesn't matter, ain't nothing going wrong, cause it's only destinationNo one into violence, symmetries of mind, I know I just go a-crazy |
Murders in the Rue Morgue |
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| The Real Lyrics | My Transcription |
| (I got the first verse almost exactly right!)
Murders in the Rue Morgue, Someone call the gendarmes.
I can't speak French, so I couldn't explain and like a fool I started running away
Murders in the Rue Morgue, someone call the gendarmes.
And now I've gotta get away from the arms of the law, all of France is looking for me
Murders in the Rue Morgue, I'm never going home Well I made it to the border at last, but I can't erase the scene from my mind
Murders in the Rue Morgue, running from the arms of the law Murders in the Rue Morgue, running from the gendarmes
It took so long and I'm getting so tired, I'm running out of places to hide
Murders in the Rue Morge, I'm never going home |
Murders in the rue morgue, someone call the shotguns I cuss and cringe, so I couldn't explain, so like a fool I started running away
Murder in the Rue morgue, someone come and talk now
and now I gotta get away from me, out from the law, aw, force a-living for me
murders in the rue morgue, running for the chow now
well I made it to the front of the block, with a carry-over sickle of mine
Muders in the Rue Morgue, burning for me after the law Murders in the Rue Morgue, defer me from the jailhouse
if there's a law, when against the talk, I'm running out of places to hide
when I know that inside my mind, that the cops had said I done it before
murders in the rue morgue, they're never gonna find me
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Another Life |
|
Innocent Exile | |
| The Real Lyrics | My Transcription | My mind is so empty, nothing to live for
My mind is all confusion, 'cause I defied the law When you weren't there to help me, I lost my mind and ran I never had no trouble, before this all began, yeah (repeat) I'm running away, nowhere to go
They said I killed a woman, they know it isn't true
Lord I'm running...ow!! |
My mind is so empty, nothing to live for
minds of confusion, sanctify the lore, you weren't there to help me, a lot of my main man never had no trouble, before this song began, yeah (repeat) I'm running away, I've no where to go,
They say I killed a woman, but no way, it isn't true,
Lord I'm grounded out |
Killers | |
| The Real Lyrics | My Transcription |
|
You walk throught he subway
Scream for mercy
[...] I have no one
I can see
[...] the death call arises
I have found you |
You walk through the subway,
scream for mercy,
[...] I, have no one,
I can see
[...]
the death call of my "Jesus!" [OK, I got the last part right] |
Prodigal Son |
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| The Real Lyrics | My Transcription |
Listen to me lamia, listen to what
I feel unsettled now
[...] Oh lamia please try to help me |
Listen to me long here, listen to what
I feel asserted now,
[...] Oh lord here please try to help me, |
Twilight Zone |
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| The Real Lyrics | My Transcription |
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She lays in bed at night
I can't get used to purgatory
go...I'm crying, deep inside me
I"m looking forward
I try to show her |
She left the bed another night
I can't confuse the puppetry
Go-o-home crying, oh deep inside me
I'm looking forward
I told you that |
Purgatory |
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| The Real Lyrics | My Transcription |
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Thinking of an age old dream
Over clouds my mind will fly
Memories rising from the past
oh another time, another place |
Taking off a major dream
All the cars of mine went wild
little closet from the past
Oh another time, another place |
DrifterThis wasn't too bad either. Besides, I think I've embarrassed myself enough anyway! Why? Well, I still thought it was funny. |
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Written Feb 2000, last modified 10/00
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