Mondegreen: Difference between revisions

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The [[JC]]’s Own favourite example comes from the Blondie classic picture of this. For years the JC heard the concluding line of the chorus:  
The [[JC]]’s Own favourite example comes from the Blondie classic picture of this. For years the JC heard the concluding line of the chorus:  
{{quote|“... you'd be on the skids <br>
{{quote|“... and you’d be on the skids  
if it weren't for your job at the garage<br>
if it weren’t for your job at the garage
you could own the whole world.”}}
you could own the whole world.”}}


This always struck me as a beautifully ambiguous: the very same thing which keeps us from oblivion holds us back from paradise. Imagine the disappointment therefore to find the real lyrics were as follows:
This always struck me as a beautifully ambiguous: the very same thing which keeps us from oblivion holds us back from paradise. Imagine the disappointment therefore to find the real lyrics were as follows:
{{quote|“... you'd be on the skids <br>
{{quote|“... and you’d be on the skids
if it weren't for your job at the garage<br>
if it weren’t for your job at the garage
you could only whoa, whoa.”}}
if you could only whoa, whoa.”}}


{{sa}}
{{sa}}
*[[DK]]
*[[DK]]

Revision as of 10:29, 12 February 2021

The Jolly Contrarian’s Glossary
The snippy guide to financial services lingo.™


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A mis-heard lyric, especially one that is better than the original.

American writer Sylvia Wright coined the term in 1954, writing that as a girl she had misheard the lyric “layd him on the green” in the fourth line of The Bonny Earl of Murray as “Lady Mondegreen”. See also “scuse me while I kiss this guy” from Hendrix’s Purple Haze.

The JC’s Own favourite example comes from the Blondie classic picture of this. For years the JC heard the concluding line of the chorus:

“... and you’d be on the skids

if it weren’t for your job at the garage you could own the whole world.”

This always struck me as a beautifully ambiguous: the very same thing which keeps us from oblivion holds us back from paradise. Imagine the disappointment therefore to find the real lyrics were as follows:

“... and you’d be on the skids

if it weren’t for your job at the garage if you could only whoa, whoa.”

See also