"Excuse me while I kiss this guy." misheard lyrics / letras malentendidas

 Actual lyric: "Excuse me, while I kiss the sky." (Purple Haze by Jimi Hendrix)

This post is going to be a little different.    I want English learners to know that there are always going to be words of songs that they don´t understand.  Even native speakers misunderstand song lyrics, a lot.  There is even a special name for misheard lyrics, mondegreens and websites and videos specifically about this phenomena.   So it is important for people who are studying English to remember that the words to many songs are difficult, and sometimes almost impossible, to understand.    Don´t get frustrated.

Real lyric:   "No one wants to be defeated" . (Beat It by Michael Jackson)

The title of this post, excuse me while I kiss this guy, is one of the most famous misheard lyrics (letras malentendidas) from a song and also the name of a website that is dedicated to collecting all these funny and crazy things that people think they hear.  There is actually a story behind this line and it turns out that  (resulta que) Hendrix actually sang  "excuse me while I kiss this guy"  several times during concerts.    For the whole story (la historia completa) click here.http://kissthisguy.com/jimi.php

Actual lyric:  "It doesn´t matter if we make it or not".  (Living on a Prayer by Bon Jovi)

There are also many singers who are famous for being difficult to understand, including Michael Stipe (R.E.M), Kurt Cobain (Nirvana), Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan.    You can check out the complete list:            The Best Singers Who Kind Of Mumble  (mumble = mascullar)  

The Kingsmen's hit song Louie, Louie was the subject of an FBI investigation about the supposed (supuestos)  but nonexistent obscenity of the lyrics, an investigation that ended without prosecution.   The FBI said that it was impossible to understand the lyrics.    Ironically, the song notably includes the drummer yelling "Fuck!" after dropping his drumstick (baqeta)  at the 0:54 mark.

  Actual lyric:  "That´s me in the corner, that´s me in the spotlight (foco)"  (Losing My Religion by R.E.M.)

But sometimes hearing the lyrics to a song incorrectly can be a good thing.   The Ketchup Song" is the English title of the song "Aserejé recorded by the Spanish pop group Las Ketchup, which was an international hit in 2002.  The chorus is based on the 1979 rap hit "Rapper's Delight" by The Sugarhill Gang

I said a hip, hop, the hippie to the hippie

Aserejé ja de je de jebe

the hip-hip-hop, a you don't stop

tu de jebere sebiunouva (seibiunouva)

the rock it to the bang bang boogie say up jumped the boogie

majabi (majavi) an de bugui

to the rhythm of the boogie, the beat

an de buididipí" (Wikipedia)

The lyrics in Spanish don´t make sense (tener sentido) but, in spite of this (a pesar de eso) it was still a big hit (gran éxito).   

And here are some more images people have made to make fun of (burlarse de)  the crazy things people think they hear.

 Actual lyric: "Hold me closer  tiny dancer."  (Tiny Dancer by Elton John) [tiny= very, very small]

 Actual lyric:"There´s an old man sitting next to me making love to his tonic and gin." (Piano Man-Billy Joel)

 Actual lyric: "Shake it like a Polaroid picture." (Hey Ya by Outkast)

.  Real lyric: "Sweet dreams are made of this."  (Sweet Dreams by Eurythmics)

Finally, here is video with 

THE TOP 10 MISHEARD LYRICS:

Your Song by Elton John (importar - lesson 2)

It´s a little bit funny = "funny" is very commonly used to mean strange, out of the ordinary, suspicious, etc.

boy = used for emphasis:   "Oh boy" "¡Ay tio!"

I'd buy a big house where we both could live = Notice (presta atención a) the conditional: "I´d buy" = "I would buy" = "Compraría",   "could live" = podriamos vivir"

If I was a sculptor = It should be "If I were a sculptor", when saying "fuera" in English it should always be "were", "if I were you" = " si yo fuera él", "if he were rich" = "si él fuera rico". However (sin embargo), you will hear natives speakers saying "was" instead of "were" all the time (todo el tiempo)

but then again = literally "pero entonces otra vez" but what it really means is "pero pensándolo bien"

traveling - "traveling" is the common US spelling and "travelling" is the common British spelling

I hope you don't mind = "I hope this doesn´t bother you" = "espero que esto no te moleste"  "To mind" is commonly translated as "importar" which is correct but can easily be confused with "I don´t care." which is "No me importa" meaning "I do not have a preference."  or "It is all the same to me." = "Me da igual."

got me quite cross = "cruzado" meaning "angry".   However (sin embargo), it is not very commonly used today.   Remember also that Americans commonly use "mad" to mean "angry" while (mientras) "mad" usually means "crazy" in British English.

Anyway the thing is what I really mean = Here is a great example of colloquial English.  "Anyway" = "de todas formas", "the thing is" = "es que" (Spanish speakers love this expression so I suggest you learn it in English), "what I really mean" = "lo que realmente quiero decir" (this one is REALLY common in English and so (así que) I suggest you learn it too):

Your Song by Elton John

It's a little bit funny, this feeling inside  
Es un poco raro, lo que siento por dentro

I'm not one of those who can easily hide  
Yo no soy uno de esos que pueden ocultar fácilmente 

I don't have much money but boy if I did  
No tengo mucho dinero pero hombre si lo tuviera

I'd buy a big house where we both could live

Compraría una casa grande donde los dos pudiéramos vivir

If I was a sculptor, but then again, no  
Si yo fuera un escultor, pero pensandolo bien, no

Or a man who makes potions in a traveling show  
O un hombre que hace pócimas en un espectáculo itinerante

I know it's not much but it's the best I can do  
Sé que no es mucho pero es lo mejor que puedo hacer

My gift is my song and this one's for you

Mi regalo es mi canción y esta es para ti

And you can tell everybody this is your song  
Y puedes decirle a todos que ésta es su canción

It may be quite simple but now that it's done  
Puede ser bastante simple pero ahora que ya está hecha

I hope you don't mind  
Espero que no te importe

I hope you don't mind that I put down in words  
Espero que no te importe que ponga en palabras

How wonderful life is while you're in the world

Qúe marvilosa es la vida mientras tú estés en el mundo

I sat on the roof and kicked off the moss  
Me sentí en el tejado y quité el musgo con el pie

Well a few of the verses well they've got me quite cross  
Bueno algunos de los versos,  me dejaron  bastante cruzado

But the sun's been quite kind while I wrote this song  
Pero el sol ha sido bastante amable mientras escribía esta canción

It's for people like you that keep it turned on

Es para gente como tú que lo mantiene encendido

So excuse me forgetting but these things I do
Así que discúlpame el olvido pero estas cosas que hago
You see I've forgotten if they're green or they're blue 
Ves que he olvidado si son verdes o son azules
Anyway the thing is what I really mean 
De todas formas, es que, lo que realmente quiero decir
Yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever seen
Tus ojos son los más dulces que he visto nunca