Misheard lyrics from iconic rock songs

-Misheard: "Big Old Jed had a light on"
-Correct: "Big ol' jet airliner"

If you've ever listened to this 1977 classic from the Steve Miller Band and wondered who Big Old Jed might be, you're not alone. But the actual lyrics call out the song's title, as the narrator pleads with the plane, "Don't carry me too far away."

-Misheard: "Dirty deeds and the thunder chief"
-Correct: "Dirty deeds and they're done dirt cheap"

Scores of AC/DC listeners admit to misunderstanding the chorus of 1976's "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap." Some think that the titular lyric mentions a mysterious thunder chief (or a new model of Jeep), while others believe that AC/DC is alluding to sheep, and so on and so forth. The correct line, however, is a hitman's offer to commit murder for a low fee.

-Misheard: "Rock the cashbox"
-Correct: "Rock the casbah"

People so often mishear The Clash's 1982 track that wireless network Cingular zeroed in on all those confusing lyrics for a 2006 commercial. Among the song's many misunderstood lines is its main refrain, "Rock the casbah," a reference to music bans in the Middle East. However, many listeners think the lyric is "rock the cashbox" or "lock the taskbar."

-Misheard: "We caught him a trout"
-Correct: "We're caught in a trap"

Considering Elvis Presley's signature, thick Southern drawl, it's only natural that some of his songs have befuddled listeners. While you might have applauded Presley's fishing skills after hearing the line "We caught him a trout" in his 1968 hit "Suspicious Minds," the actual lyric, "We're caught in a trap," aligns more with the song's themes of ill-fated romance.

-Misheard: "Money for nothing and chips for free"
-Correct: "Money for nothing and your chicks for free"

Dire Straits' 1985 ode to the rock and roll lifestyle says that musicians can earn "money for nothing and your chicks for free." Or, if you've misheard singer Mark Knopfler's low vocals, you could expect "money for nothing and chips for free."

- Misheard: "Hold me closer, Tony Danza"
- Correct: "Hold me closer, tiny dancer"

Elton John's hit song may be titled "Tiny Dancer," but that hasn't stopped people from mistaking the titular lyric for an ode to the star of the 1980s sitcom "Who's the Boss?" This misheard lyric was such a popular trope that it managed to forge its place in pop culture history when it landed as a joke on the show "Friends."

- Misheard: "I stomp on your heart"
- Correct: "I'm stuck on your heart"

If Tina Turner sang "I stomp on your heart" with her characteristic gruff rock wail, listeners wouldn't bat an eye. However, the real lyrics in "Simply the Best" are far less bitter about love.

- Misheard: "It doesn't make a difference if we're naked or not"
- Correct: "It doesn't make a difference if we make it or not"

At the height of his career, Bon Jovi was the ultimate rock heartthrob of the 1980s, which makes it all the more understandable for fans to mistake the lyrics to the hit song "Livin' on a Prayer" "make it or not" for "naked or not." 

- Misheard: "There's nothing that a hundred men on Mars could ever do"
- Correct: "There's nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do"

The connotation of the correct lyrics and the misheard lyrics are similar enough—the subject cannot be stopped, even by a great force. But the great force of a hundred men, as described in Toto's song, is not coming from Mars.

- Misheard: "'Scuse me, while I kiss this guy"
- Correct: "'Scuse me, while I kiss the sky"

Jimi Hendrix says "kiss the sky" in this song, but this often misheard lyric is a classic example of mondegreen. Said out loud, with the words blended and overlapping, it's easy to understand how the line could be mistaken for "kiss this guy."

- Misheard: "I challenge the mighty titan and his stupid horse"
- Correct: "I challenge the mighty titan and his troubadours"

In Queen's recording of this operatic rock song, Freddie Mercury sings the word "troubadours" very quickly. The speed of his singing allows listeners' ears to wander and interpret, and it becomes a not-so-far-fetched idea that the mighty titan might indeed have a stupid horse.

- Misheard: "Fly away on my sofa"
- Correct: "Fly away on my zephyr"

Another example where the title provides listeners with a context clue, and if you know the lyrics ahead of time you'll hear Red Hot Chili Peppers lead singer Anthony Kiedis emphasize the "Z" of "zephyr." But for a band known for some whimsical lyrics, flying away on a sofa is not so wild of a lyrical guess.

- Misheard: "Blue seal in the sky with diamonds"
- Correct: "Lucy in the sky with diamonds"

Both the correct version and the misheard "blue seal in the sky with diamonds" version conjure trippy, imaginative visuals. However, only the correct lyrics sneakily use the letters LSD, a cleverly hidden Easter egg sprinkled throughout the song, as the Beatles intended.

- Misheard: "Then I saw her face, now I'm gonna leave her"
- Correct: "Then I saw her face, now I'm a believer"

It would be uncharacteristically cruel for a bubblegum rock band like The Monkees to sing a song about leaving a girl after seeing her face, but the commonly misheard version of this lyric does exactly that. Fortunately, the correct lyrics are much more joyful.

- Misheard: "Here we are now, in containers"
- Correct: "Here we are now, entertain us"

Nirvana lead singer Kurt Cobain was known for his grungy, growly, often slurred vocals—even parodist Al Yankovic poked fun of how incoherent the iconic '90s band's lyrics can be in his song "Smells Like Nirvana." But through his growl, Cobain is indeed singing "entertain us" and not "in containers."

- Misheard: "I want to rock and roll all night, and part of every day"
- Correct: "I want to rock and roll all night, and party every day"

There is an important distinction between the misheard lyrics and the correct lyrics in this famous glam rock anthem. KISS doesn't want to rock and roll just a mere part of every day—they want to party every day.

- Misheard: "Dreams of war, dreams of lies, dreams of dragon's fire and of baked apple pie"
- Correct: "Dreams of war, dreams of lies, dreams of dragon's fire and of things that will bite"

In Metallica's metal hit, it would be uncharacteristic if the headbanging group was singing about apple pie. Instead, vocalist James Hetfield says, "things that will bite," which feels much more appropriate for this song and band.

- Misheard: "We're working for peanuts"
- Correct: "We're heading for Venus"

Europe's operatic '80s glam metal anthem is over five minutes long, meaning there are plenty of lyrics for listeners to misinterpret. The most commonly misheard lyrics come at the top of the second verse, but the correct lyrics, "we're heading for Venus" make the most sense in the context of a song about space travel.

- Misheard: "There's a bathroom on the right"
- Correct: "There's a bad moon on the rise"

Creedence Clearwater Revival is not directing listeners to the restroom, despite how it may sound. The correct lyrics reference the song's title.

- Misheard: "Just like the one-winged dove"
- Correct: "Just like the white-winged dove"

Stevie Nicks' song spawned from her own mishearing: While working on a song for Tom Petty, Petty's wife Jane had told Nicks that she met him at the "age of seventeen," Nicks heard "edge," and the rest is history. In this particular line in the song, some have heard Nicks' wailing, powerful vocals singing "one-winged" instead of "white-winged."

- Misheard: "I get high"
- Correct: "I can't hide"

Although the line repeats three consecutive times, many still hear the Beatles singing "I get high" instead of "I can't hide." "I get high" might be more likely to appear in a later Beatles song like the aforementioned "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds."

- Misheard: "We built this city on sausage rolls"
- Correct: "We built this city on rock and roll"

In Starship's pop rock anthem, they are building a city on rock and roll—not on sausage rolls, as some have mistakenly heard. However, a 2018 parody version of the song by YouTuber LadBaby does describe building a city on sausage rolls.

- Misheard: "Wrapped up like a douche"
- Correct: "Revved up like a deuce"

Manfred Mann's cover of Bruce Springsteen's song does change the lyrics from the original "cut loose like a deuce," but not quite so drastically. The revved-up "deuce," not the "douche," references a Deuce Coupe, which is a type of car.

- Misheard: "What a nice surprise when your rabbi dies"
- Correct: "What a nice surprise bring your alibis"

This is a misheard lyric that would be tough to wrap your head around if "what a nice surprise when your rabbi dies" is what you heard when playing this song back. Those closely listening will hear that the Eagles are saying "your alibis" and not "your rabbi dies." So it's more about accountability and less about the tragic death of your religious leader.

- Misheard: "Annie are you walking?"
- Correct: "Annie are you okay?"

Michael Jackson's vocals are tight, fast, and sharp on this track, which heightens the risk of potential mondegreen. Some may hear Jackson ask Annie if she's walking, but he is, in fact, asking if she's okay.

- Misheard: "I got my first real sex dream"
- Correct: "I got my first real six-string"

In the context of a song that is essentially about coming of age, it might make sense for a listener to hear Bryan Adams say that he had a "sex dream." He actually says, "six-string," which refers to a guitar.

- Misheard: "I'm begging you for a little sip of tea"
- Correct: "I'm begging you for a little sympathy"

Half of the members of Fleetwood Mac are British, which is perhaps why some listeners have accidentally heard them imploring for some tea in this often confused lyric. Christine McVie wrote this song about a year before she separated from her bandmate and husband, John.

- Misheard: "Them good old boys were drinking whiskey and wine"
- Correct: "Them good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye"

Whiskey and rye is a much safer, and classic, alcoholic combination than whiskey and wine, which are not the true lyrics to Don McLean's Americana rock hit.

- Misheard: "A year has passed since I broke my nose"
- Correct: "A year has passed since I wrote my note"

Both are dramatic events: breaking a nose and writing a love note. However, The Police explore the subject matter of the latter.

- Misheard: "Don't bring me down, Bruce"
- Correct: "Don't bring me down, groose"

It's difficult to know what the actual lyrics are when the actual lyrics are made-up words. "Groose" was originally a placeholder word in the song, until ELO singer and songwriter Jeff Lynne decided to keep it. He learned that the word sounded like the German word for "greetings" and felt it was a good enough reason to leave it.

Additional writing by Cu Fleshman. Story editing by Olivia Monahan. Copy editing by Kristen Wegrzyn. Photo selection by Clarese Moller.