A pre-planned emergency exit is always useful for any karaoke singer who’s miserably and desperately free-falling in front of unknown song lyrics. We’ve all been there, trying to save face by mumbling through the words. Even some well-known songs may still get the best of us. Maybe it's the lyrics that are just a little too complex or simply some wacky word play instead of comprehensible text. Whatever the cause, here are six songs with misunderstood song lyrics.
Purple Haze as made famous by Jimi Hendrix
"S’cuse me while I kiss this guy" vs. "'Scuse me while I kiss the sky"
The title was released in 1967, in the middle of the Summer of Love, triggering a liberation of sexual mores. It’s wasn't intended to be LGBT friendly, but more so a flirtation with surrealism.
Unconditionally, as made famous by Katy Perry
"Air conditioner" vs. "Unconditionally"
When you use humor as Katy Perry often does, misunderstanding can occur in a brief moment of seriousness, like when this song takes a turn and evokes unconditional love. Listeners naturally find a way to hear "air conditioner," breaking all the poetry and romance of the moment.
Bohemian Rhapsody as made famous by Queen
"Saving his life from this warm sausage tea: vs. "Spare him his life from this monstrosity"
Is it the exoticism of this song full of Baroque terms such as "Fandango", "Scaramouche", "Galileo" that leads English speakers to use a simpler vocabulary that's more familiar like sausage and tea?
Good For You as made famous by Selena Gomez
"I’m farting carrots" vs. "I’m on my fourteen carats"
It is said that money has no smell, which must explain why some confuse "carrot farts" with "14 carats." In the former case, you’re rich in vitamin A, in the other, you're just plain rich.
Tiny Dancer as made famous by Elton John
"Hold me closer Tony Danza" vs. "Hold me closer tiny dancer"
It’s certainly one of the most famous auditory hallucinations we may come across when doing karaoke, but it is also the most zany. Just think, Elton John belting out the ballerina skills of the Italian-American actor in the 80s hit TV series Who's the Boss?.
You Oughta Know, as made famous by Alanis Morissette
"The cross-eyed bear that you gave to me" vs. "the cross I bear that you gave to me"
"A cross-eyed bear" or "a cross to wear": in either case, we suggest offering a bouquet of flowers or a box of chocolates, more traditional yes, but less risky as a gift.
