misheard beatles lyrics

[sgt. peppie]

Well, just like Bob Dylan, I misheard "I want to hold your hand", thinking that they were singing, "I get high! I get high! etc. etc." 

[breedofrandy]

For the longest time I thought the line in "Blue Jay Way" was "There's a fog upon a lake" instead of L.A.... I just realised about 20 min ago.

I thought the same thing. I found out not to long ago as well.  ha2ha

[Octie]

When I first heard I Am the Walrus, I didn't realise the bit at the end was King Lear, and instead of "oh, untimely [death]" I heard "*yawn* I'm tired" ha2ha

[Mairi]

Well, just like Bob Dylan, I misheard "I want to hold your hand", thinking that they were singing, "I get high! I get high! etc. etc." 

I always thought the same thing too. I like my misheard version better.

[Here There Everywhere]

With regard to an earlier post in this thread about "Long Tall Sally" and Paul singing "bald headed Sally":

On the Long Tall Sally EP version (and thus Past Masters version) of the song, as well as other released recordings of the song from the same era, Paul sings two lines like this:

"Saw Uncle John with Long Tall Sally, saw Aunt Mary coming and they jumped back in the alley"

and later,

"Long Tall Sally, she's really twee, she's got everything that Uncle John needs".

"Long Tall Sally", as you may or may not be aware, was written by Little Richard, a rock and roll singer/pianist who, prior to his fame, in addition to singing gospel music in church, would sing in bars in drag, and was very involved in gay culture (I don't think he's gay himself, but he enjoyed dressing in drag). The original lyrics of the song, as written and performed by Little Richard, are:

"Saw Uncle John with bald-headed Sally, saw Aunt Mary coming and they jumped back in the alley"

and,

"Long Tall Sally, she's built for speed, she's got everything that Uncle John needs"

The original song is, of course, about how the singer is giddy with the idea of ratting to his Aunt Mary about how he saw his Uncle John screwing a transvestite prostitute in an alley. Paul McCartney cleaned it up.

As for actual misheard lyrics, I can't help, in the harmony part of "Paperback Writer" where they sing,

"Paperback writer,
                paperback writer,
                              paperback writer",

probably due to the exact lining up of the first R sound in the second "writer" with the first P sound in the third "paperback", but to hear the last repetition as "Rape a bad writer". I think rape might be a bit harsh of a punishment for poor authorship, but that's what I sometimes hear.

That's really interesting! I didn't know that!
And for the 'rape a bad writer'.. been laughing for the past five minutes.
I am easily amused.

[modfinger]

At first I thought "Goo goo ga joob" was "look, look at you" which could have made sense in the context of the song where the lyrics were inviting self-evaluation.

[Here There Everywhere]

I think someone has said this but I'm not sure who but I also thought the lyrics to 'Rock and Roll Music' were:

'It's got a backbeat you can't flooze it'

[Octie]

I think someone has said this but I'm not sure who but I also thought the lyrics to 'Rock and Roll Music' were:

'It's got a backbeat you can't flooze it'

That was me ha2ha Yay, I'm not alone!

[Almighty Doer of Stuff]

I heard that too, actually. Maybe that means rock and roll is good sex music (derived from "floozy", a slut)? I don't really see it that way, but different strokes for different folks, I suppose.

Abbey Road, on the other hand...

[Here There Everywhere]

That was me ha2ha Yay, I'm not alone!

It really does sound like that!

[lennonista]

This is not so much a misheard lyric as just a lyric that doesn't make any sense and has always bugged me.

In She's Leaving Home, I hate it when they sing, "fun is the one thing that money can't buy."

I mean, isn't fun one of the things that money can actually buy? 

[Octie]

^ also, it can't be the one and only thing that money can't buy, because, as we know from another song, it can't buy you love either. Hehe, sorry, just kidding around

[KelMar]

Hope it's okay if I bump this topic. I've been amusing myself with this thread today so I'm hoping some of the other newer people will have something to add. Although it's not particularly funny, I used to think "Paperback Writer" was "Make the bag lighter". Had to be a drug reference, right?  Anything that doesn't make sense is. 

[Ovi]

This is not so much a misheard lyric as just a lyric that doesn't make any sense and has always bugged me.

In She's Leaving Home, I hate it when they sing, "fun is the one thing that money can't buy."

I mean, isn't fun one of the things that money can actually buy?  

I think her parents gave her everything she wanted, including money("We gave her everything money could buy"). She had everything she wanted, except for freedom, and that's probably why she left home. With all the money she had, she had no fun, => the conclusion is that "fun is the one thing that money can't buy". Great lyrics, and one of my favourite Beatles songs.

[Hello Goodbye]

Had to be a drug reference, right?  Anything that doesn't make sense is. 

Nice bump, Kelley. 

Until I bought The Complete Beatles Songbook, I had trouble hearing the correct lyric in I'm A Loser.  John had to make "And so it's true, pride comes before a fall" fit the melody.  It was a bit awkward as you can see by the face he makes...

The Beatles I'm a loser