Rock Lyrics I’ve Misunderstood: How about you?

There have been a lot of misunderstood lyrics in rock music over the years. Hey, it’s a good thing some lyrics were misunderstood or unnoticed. Ever listen to “Starting Over” by The Raspberries? This song was played on radio stations across America back in 1974.  Listen to the first line:

Yep, Eric Carmen sang the lyrics “Used to feel so f**kin’ optimistic, until she said goodbye . . .” and you know what? Nobody noticed.

Other songs, too, could be listened to over and over without realizing what you were hearing. For years I thought the Electric Light Orchestra was saying “Walking on a wave she came” in the song “Can’t Get It Out of My Head” when actually they were saying “Walking on a wave’s chicane” which is the very top of a wave before it breaks. I don’t feel too badly, because to this day you can go to song lyric pages and they get that line wrong.

You know song “Riders on the Storm” by The Doors? There’s a line that I, and nearly everyone else, interpreted as “Like a dog without a bone, an actor out alone” but that’s incorrect. What they’re saying is “Like a dog without a bone, an actor out on loan.”  Admit it. You didn’t know that either, did ya?

How about “Blinded By The Light” by Manfred Mann? Believe it or not, as a teenager I believed he was singing the line “Blinded by the light, wrapped up like a douche, another roller in the night”, when he’s actually saying, “Blinded by the light, revved up like a deuce, another runner in the night.” This common mistake wasn’t helped when Bruce Springsteen actually used the former line when singing the tune years later. Thanks, Boss.

So those are three songs with lyrics I’ve misunderstood, and it’s not just me. Hell, for years a friend of mine thought Elton John was saying, “Hold me closer, Tony Danza” instead of “Tiny Dancer.” Hey, it happens. On a related note, my friend is an idiot.

So be honest. Full disclosure here. What song lyrics have you misunderstood? Let’s hear it!