Re: Lyrics I've always heard wrong until.....
 

niffer, I agree, and Char - no kidding! The US National Anthem, "The Star Spangled Banner", has probably been the most botched anthem song in history, LOL. According to a sports site I read, its been mangled over 30 times notoriously enough to make the news in sports history! :eek: I believe the 2 hours notice of the switcheroo bit was unfair - as niffer said - what a terrible and terrifying position to be in. I saw a few players role their eyes up a little, but they may not have known her predicament - OR they DID know it and THAT's what they were disturbed by - the set-up of the poor gal. Which is not to imply anyone meant to set her up, sounds just like poor planning. Not that THAT has EVER happened in the US, LOL

Back to the mis-heard lyrics thing for a moment, I've got a good one. One I've had wrong (again) for almost 40 years now. It does sound like what's being sung. To me.

So, in trying to think of songs with say, esoteric lyrics, which are not unusual for Gord, as he has pointed-out on a few, where actually he has said they are one of his more "ethereal" songs in concert, or in his Songbook descriptions, this one came strongly to mind. One of my favorites, but I have to be in the right mood to fully appreciate it when I listen to it.

THIS one's pretty funny, at the 3 minutes 10 seconds mark into "Seven Island Suite". It's sounds to me like this, and has ever since I owned it in '74, and have no doubt read the correct lyrics to at Wayne Francis' site dozens of times, but I never caught my mental blunder (what other kind is there?) in this line, as I hear it.

The way I hear it is:

Think of the rags around ya gone sailin 'til your brown in your face (like from a tan.... all that time in the sun, right? It could happen... :biggrin::rolleyes::whistle:


Versus the correct lyrics, which are:

"Think of the right and wrong and consider the frown on your face"

Am I hearing it that badly? LOL. Evidently, and a rhetorical question at that, I know. I was hoping some kind soul out there could ameliorate me of my guilt over committing a Lighthead "misdemeanor", LOL

Re: misheard lyrics
 

When I first heard "Circle of Steel," I just couldn't figure out the lyric - "the sun hits the handle of her "heirloom cup." Most of the lyrics of the song were very clear to me, but somehow I couldn't get "heirloom cup" without looking @ the lyrics in the Sundown piano/guitar book.

Misheard lyrics.
 

Many years ago, listening to ‘Can’t Depend on Love’ I heard the line ‘I was only trying to get by with some of life’s amenities’ as ‘I was only trying to get by with some of life’s many tears.’
Also, ‘I can’t depend on love to defend me’ as ‘I can’t depend on love to be fair to me.’
Oddly enough, it seems to give the whole verse a completely different meaning and one I could identify with because of something that happened to me in a relationship.

Re: Misheard lyrics.
 

I can figure out most of Gordon's lyrics pretty easily upon first hearing them. However, for the first few times I listened to "Carefree Highway," I thought he was singing "Every Highway." For "Circle of Steel" (my #1 Gordon song), I couldn't figure out "her heirloom cup" without the help of the lyric sheet from the piano/guitar that I have of his "Sundown" album. It was actually easier for me to figure out all of the French lyrics to "Nous Vivons Ensemble" just by replaying the song. Go figure!

Gail

Re: Misheard lyrics.
 

Thanks, Gail.
It’s been much easier since you can easily look up the lyrics on the Internet.
I’m with you on ‘Circle of Steel’, as it’s also one of my favourite GL songs.
What I do like doing is following the lyrics whilst listening, as it gives the songs an extra ‘something.’

Martyn.

Re: Misheard lyrics.
 

^ Yay for the internet!



Gail

Re: Misheard lyrics.
 

Thought he same myself.


Also for Old Dan's Records I though Gord was saying Dam.

Re: Misheard lyrics.
 

I still find it hilarious when I hear stories where someone thinks "Ghosts of Cape Horn" is about... err.. uhh… errrrr… uhh… "Gay Porn"

Re: Misheard lyrics.
 

LOL! :biggrin:


Gail

Re: Misheard lyrics.
 

As for ‘Old Dan’s Records’, I originally heard it as ‘Old Dance Records’ which sort of makes sense...

Re: Misheard lyrics.
 

I had to look this up but it rang a bell. Gordie's comments on that song for the box set collection:

"Kind of a play on the words old dance records. It reminds me of my uncle Jack's 78-RPM dance-record collection. It reminds me of hanging out with the grandparents at Christmastime or some other holiday, having a party and getting out the old vinyl."

Re: Misheard lyrics.
 

It probably wasn’t vinyl in those days...

Re: Misheard lyrics.
 

Nobody has mentioned the ditty about a 'Long Thin Dong" so I will

Re: Misheard lyrics.
 

Yeah John... it's "comin' up again"!!

Re: Misheard lyrics.
 

edit: John, you deleted your response!

Still I'll retain my downstreram reply:

That's what she said... :kiss:

Re: misheard lyrics
 

In "The Mountain and Maryann," there is a line that goes:
All is well
As I swing up to the border bent for hell
And the service station man agreed I didn't look too well

Since the 1970's whenever I sang that song, I thought he was saying
All is well
As I swing up to the border fence for help

Re: misheard lyrics
 

^ Well, I'll have to listen to that one more carefully, I guess. I love that song!

Gail