Some songs are so iconic that they become ingrained in our pop culture. You might not know every word, but you definitely recognize the tune.
But here’s the kicker: a lot of us have been getting the lyrics wrong this whole time! Check out these 15 classic songs where we’ve been hilariously off the mark.
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Queen – “We Will Rock You”
Believe it or not, there are legions of die-hard Queen fans all over the world who sing the lyrics “Kicking your cat all over the place” instead of the proper “Kicking your can all over the place.”
ABBA – “Dancing Queen”
ABBA’s iconic hit was 2014’s most commonly misunderstood lyrics, according to a 2014 NPR poll. The real lyrics are written “See that girl, watch that scene, diggin’ the dancing queen” although some prefer to sing “See that girl, watch her scream, kicking the dancing queen.”
Elton John – “Tiny Dancer”
It turns out that Phoebe Buffay had it wrong, after all. Despite what you might think you hear, the lyrics are most assuredly “Hold me closer, tiny dancer” and not “Hold me closer, Tony Danza.”
The Beatles – “I Want To Hold Your Hand”
This one blew my mind. I would’ve bet my life that Paul and John were singing the line “I get high” in the bridge. Nope! The real lyrics are “I can’t hide.”
Honestly, I like my version better.
Eurythmics – “Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)”
That’s right, the title is “Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This).” At no point in the song does Annie Lennox sing, “Sweet dreams are made of these,” even though it sounds like it.
Pink Floyd – “Another Brick In The Wall Pt. 2”
I absolutely love this song and I thought that the lyrics always seemed pretty straightforward. However, there’s apparently a large minority of people who sing “No docks and chasms in the classroom” instead of “No dark sarcasm in the classroom.”
The Eagles – “Desperado”
For my money, this is one of the best songs that’s ever been written. But although the lyrics sound like “You’ve been outright offensive for so long,” the actual lyric is “You’ve been out riding fences for so long.”
Beyoncé – “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”
I always thought that Queen Bey was singing “Hold me tighter than my very own jeans” when in fact, what she’s actually saying is “Hold me tighter than my Deréon jeans.”
Nirvana – “Smells Like Teen Spirit”
In fairness, the lyrics to this song are largely nonsensical. That being said, the chorus goes “A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido” — not “I’m a lion, I’m a vinyl, I’m a skittle, I’m a beetle.”
Third Eye Blind – “Semi-Charmed Life”
People tend to balk when they realize that this song is all about having s-x whilst doing chemical drugs. They also tend to mistake the line “I speak to you like the chorus to the verse” as being “I speak to you like the colors to the birds.”
Manfred Mann’s Earth Band – “Blinded By The Light”
If I’m being honest, I never really understood what the lyrics in the chorus were. Now that I know, I personally prefer the fan’s version of “Wrapped up like a douche, another rumor in the night” compared to the real lyrics “Revved up like a deuce, another runner in the night.”
John Henry Kurtz – “Drift Away”
For years, I thought that this song was an ode to Brian Wilson. It turns out that Kurtz was actually singing “Give me the beat boys, and free my soul” — even though most people tend to think it’s “Give me The Beach Boys, and free my soul.”
Missy Elliot – “Work It”
In the chorus, it sounds as if Missy loses control of her vocal cords and sings “Iss yurr fweminippi fwep yet.” In reality, the line is “Ti esrever dna ti plif nwod gniht ym tup I” — which is “I put my thing down flip it and reverse it,” written backward.
John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John – “One That I Want”
I love John Travolta in Grease, but it’s almost impossible to make out what he’s actually singing. In the final musical number, John sings “I’ve got chills, they’re multiplying” — even though it sounds a lot more like “I’ve got shoes, they’re made of plywood.”
John Legend – “All Of Me”
You can blame this one on Oprah, that’s who I’m pointing the finger at. Because the lyrics in “All Of Me” are sung “My head’s underwater but I’m breathin’ fine” and not “My head’s underwater and I’m breathing fire.”
So, there you have it — proof that even the catchiest songs can trip us up. But hey, whether you’re singing about cans, cats, or Tony Danza, it’s all part of the fun, right? Keep belting it out — wrong lyrics and all!
