What is a Mondegreen? (no Medical content)

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 WHAT IS A MONDEGREEN?

Technically, it is a result of near-homophony.

A mondegreen is simply a misheard lyric. The word was coined by Sylvia Wright, a writer and editor of Harper's magazine, and  published in Harper's Magazine in November 1954.  Sylvia  recounted hearing the Scottish folk song, "The Bonny Earl Of Morray."

She heard the lyric,

"Oh, they have slain the Earl o' Morray

and laid him on the green"

as

"Oh, they have slain the Earl o' Morray

and Lady Mondegreen."

Listen to it here. ♫ Scottish Music - The Bonnie Earl O' Moray ♫
Just need to hear the first line...

Get it? 

Like " There's a Bathroom on the right" for "There's a Bad Moon on the Rise

or  "The ants are my friends" for "The answer, my friend"," in "Blowing in the Wind," by Bob Dylan

or  "Olive, the Other Reindeer, used to laugh and call him names"

Or these two  from Sunday School 

"Gladly, the Cross - Eyed Bear", and  "Up from the Gravy a Rose'


Ever wonder what those lyrics you are a little fuzzy about really are?   Find  a vast collection of misheard lyrics over the Jump



The definitive site for misheard lyrics is named after Jimi's mondegreen  " scuse me while I kiss the sky"
on  Foxy Lady , today's Soundtrack.

The Site

http://www.kissthisguy.com/

Searchable, by Artist Song, Genre, Lyric,  and will put your mind to rest about what, for instance 

Manfred Mann's Earth Band was really singing in

  Blinded by the Light

     Wrapped up like a ____?

    and  ___?in the night.

 Here is the Search result  for Blinded By the Light, and there are 39 mishearings,

 some of which are hilarious. Here is one:

Artist: Manfred Mann's Earth Band
Song: Blinded by the Light
Real Lyric: Blinded by the light Reved up like a deuce another runner in the night
Misheard Lyric: Blinded by the light reved up like a Deusenberg to run away tonight.
User: Anonymous
Genre: Rock


Here is the comedy group  The Vacant Lot singing their versions of Blinded by the Light on youtube.

The Vacant Lot - Blinded By The Light

Back on http://www.kissthisguy.com/

   If you click on the top 100 funniest, it should be of note to the armchair musicologist that the newer the song, the more it is misheard.  Even though the mondegreen was first identified with a near homophony,  in a Child Ballad from the 1700's it was not delivered by  an electronically enhanced, distorted rock or punk band. Hard to find any mondegreens in the Crooners Genre.  The preponderance of the top 100 are songs and bands I have never heard of, much less had a chance to mishear.

Another site with misheard lyrics, parodies,and more is Am I right?

amIright is a famous music humor site dealing in misheard song lyrics (Mondegreens) for pop songs of the past 50 years including Country, Christian music, and Christmas music. Music humor of all kinds can be found here, such as song parodies,jokes, quotes, band name manipulations, lyrics observations, and music trivia.

Please  post your misheard comments in the little comment box.

You can do it anonymously and no one will be the wiser.

A few more I have heard over the years

"Anal sunshine when she's gone" - K Brittle
" I've sewn a costume to your face"  S.Dorsey

Cheers,

Cap'n Chris

 "Shirley, good Mrs. Murphy, shall follow me all the days of my life." 
                                                                                                -  23rd psalm