Editor's Corner

Happy Thursday!

I thought I’d see if there was anything new on the internet about mondegreens, since those are always a popular topic. While mondegreens are generally defined as misheard song lyrics, I found a book that covers “mishearings” from many sources, including children’s rhymes, advertisements, phrases, church songs, and a whole passel of different things. Here is the first batch of items I have for you from Mondegreens: A Book of Mishearings, by Jacquie Wines. First are the original words or lyrics, followed by the misheard version or versions.

Children’s Songs and Nursery Rhymes

Mary had a little lamb / Its fleece was white as snow

Mary had a little lamb / Its fleas were white as snow

Head, shoulders, knees, and toes

Head , shoulders, sneeze, and toes

Little Miss Muffet / Sat on a tuffet / Eating her curds and whey

Little Miss Muffet / Sat on a tuffet / Eating her curtains away

Lavender’s blue, dilly dilly, / Lavender’s green

Laugh and turn blue, dilly dilly, / Laugh and turn green

The Alphabet Song

Children are often encouraged to sing the alphabet. Many, however, get stuck on the letters “L, M, N, O, P”, as these offerings show:

…L, M, N, O, P…

Elly, belly, bee

Yellow, mellow, pee

I’m a little bee

Elementary

Church Sounds and Songs

Father, Son, and…?

Father, Son, and Holy Goat

Father, Son, and the whole East Coast

Father, Don, and the Holy Ghost

Father, Son, and the Holy Smoke

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound / That saved a wretch like me!

I’m aging great, how sweet thou are / To spare a wretch like me.

Amazing grace, how sweet my aunt / Who saved a wretch like me!

Amazing grapes, how sweet thou art / To spare some for my tea.

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound / That saved a wench like me.

And I have a bit of popular music, misheard like your standard mondegreen. The original song is by Bob Marley:

I shot the sheriff, but I did not shoot the deputy.

I shot the sheriff, but I didn’t shoot him dead you see.

I shot the sheriff, but I did not shoot the dead beauty.

I shot the sheriff, but I did not shoot the dead pony.

I shopped with Cheryl…

I shot the sherry…

Kara Church

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Technical Editor, Advisory

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