A mondegreen (/ˈmɒndɪˌɡriːn/) is when we mishear a phrase—especially in song lyrics—in a way that completely changes its meaning. The term was coined by writer Sylvia Wright, who, as a child, misheard a line from a Scottish ballad. Instead of hearing "laid him on the green," she thought it was "Lady Mondegreen." And thus, a linguistic phenomenon was born.
Why Do Mondegreens Happen?
Our brains are pattern-seeking machines, constantly trying to make sense of what we hear. When lyrics are sung quickly, mumbled, or distorted by accents and instruments, our brains fill in the blanks—often with amusing results. Sometimes, our native language influences what we think we hear, leading to even more creative misunderstandings.
Some Legendary and Recent Mondegreens
- 🎸 Jimi Hendrix – "Excuse me while I kiss this guy" (Actual lyric: "Excuse me while I kiss the sky")
- ☕ Taylor Swift – "Starbucks lovers" (Actual lyric: "Got a long list of ex-lovers" from Blank Space)
- 🐔 The Weeknd – "I’m a mother chicken Starboy" (Actual lyric: "I’m a motherfreakin’ Starboy")
- 🐧 Adele – "Should I give up or should I just keep chasing penguins?" (Actual lyric: "Chasing pavements")
- 😈 Doja Cat – "Satan" (Some mishear "Say so") from Say So
- 🌀 Paula Cole – "Anauonawei" (Actual lyric: "I don’t want to wait") from I Don’t Want to Wait (Dawson’s Creek theme song)
My Personal Mondegreens
I’m no stranger to mondegreens myself. One of my funniest misunderstandings came from the phrase "Made in China." As an Albanian speaker, I always misheard it as "Even in China" because "madje" in Albanian means "even." It made perfect sense to me at the time! Another classic one was from the Swedish band Ace of Base. Their song "All That She Wants" had me convinced they were singing "All Thatchi Boy" instead.
Mondegreens remind us that language—and music—can be delightfully unpredictable. So next time you catch yourself singing nonsense, own it. Who knows? Your version might be even better than the original.
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