Making fun of music, one song at a time. Since the year 2000.
Check out the two amIright misheard lyrics books including one book devoted to misheard lyrics of the 1980s.
Misheard Song Lyrics -> Stories -> America
Misheard lyrics (also called mondegreens) occur when people misunderstand the lyrics in a song. These are NOT intentional rephrasing of lyrics, which is called parody. For more information about the misheard lyrics available on this site, please read our FAQ.
This page contains a list of the songs that have stories about their misheard lyrics submitted.
Song names are sorted by first letter, excluding A and The. This is sorted by song title only, not by song title and performer. So if two different performers preformed the same song, you'll see misheard lyrics for both on the same page (provided the song title was spelt the same both times, and misheard lyrics have been submitted for both!).
America - History: Greatest Hits album at Amazon.com
America's, "A Horse with No Name"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Sad to think it was debt
The Real Lyrics:
Sad to think it was dead
The Story: It made me wonder what debt had to do with this song. - Submitted by: Cody Finke
America's, "Don’t Cross The River"
The Misheard Lyrics:
There’s a little bird that’s flying low.
The Real Lyrics:
There’s a little girl out lying on her own.
The Story: I had these lyrics to the song’s opening line completely wrong for more than 20 years, until hearing a remastered version on Spotify - now they actually make sense and fit with the rest of the song! - Submitted by: Shane Stein
America's, "Horse With No Name"
The Misheard Lyrics:
I've been through the desert on a horse with no knees
The Real Lyrics:
I've been through the desert on a horse with no name
The Story: The misheard lyrics were being sung at the top of his voice in a college cafeteria by a friend of mine. Needless to say, he was wishing the floor would open up and swallow him after the cafeteria erupted in laughter. - Submitted by: Eponine
America's, "Horse With No Name"
The Misheard Lyrics:
In the desert you can't remember your name
'Cause there ain't no one for to give you cocaine.
'Cause there ain't no one for to give you cocaine.
The Real Lyrics:
In the desert you can remember your name
'Cause there ain't no one for to give you no pain.
'Cause there ain't no one for to give you no pain.
The Story: I was singing this song on the school bus one day and got a referral for it - Submitted by: Phil
America's, "Horse With No Name"
The Misheard Lyrics:
In the desert you can't remember your name
'Cause there ain't no one for to give you no fame.
'Cause there ain't no one for to give you no fame.
The Real Lyrics:
In the desert you can remember your name
'Cause there ain't no one for to give you no pain.
'Cause there ain't no one for to give you no pain.
The Story: While watching a show on TV regarding the 'Cowboy Rock?' genre, I blurted out what that this was such an excellent example of crappy lyrics (repeating my misheard version) and was promptly corrected. Embarrassing ......? Yes. - Submitted by: Rob Stuart
America's, "Horse With No Name"
The Misheard Lyrics:
You see I've been through the desert on a horse with no legs
The Real Lyrics:
You see I've been through the desert on a horse with no name
The Story: When my son Greg was very young, he used to run around singing this as 'horse with no legs.' Sometimes, when I want to embarras him, I remind him of this..and now I am posting it on a website for all to see! - Submitted by: Sher
America's, "Horse with No Name"
The Misheard Lyrics:
O we went to the desert on our horses one day
It felt good to be out of the rain
In the desert you can remember your name
'Cause there ain't no one there to give you no name
It felt good to be out of the rain
In the desert you can remember your name
'Cause there ain't no one there to give you no name
The Real Lyrics:
I've been through the desert on a horse with no name
It felt good to be out of the rain
In the desert you can remember your name
'Cause there ain't no one for to give you no pain
It felt good to be out of the rain
In the desert you can remember your name
'Cause there ain't no one for to give you no pain
The Story: I misheard this lyric for DECADES; only finding out the correct lyrics in the early-2000s. - Submitted by: Craig Johnson
America's, "Lonely People"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Wait 'til the silver comes
The Real Lyrics:
Drink from the silver cup
The Story: I used to think "silver" in the misheard lyric "Wait 'til the silver comes" meant gravy, and that particular misheard lyric reminded me of having mashed potatoes on my plate, among other foods, and waiting for gravy for my mashed potatoes. The reason I thought of "silver" as gravy is because of the opening lyrics "This is for all the lonely people." The first two words in the opening lyrics reminded me of my mother turned stepmother (obviously not my stepmother anymore) putting gravy on my mashed potatoes and saying "This is very hot, so blow it." - Submitted by: Isac
America's, "Sandman"
The Misheard Lyrics:
I understand you get money from the man
That goes by the name of the Sandman.
That goes by the name of the Sandman.
The Real Lyrics:
I understand you've been running from the man
That goes by the name of the Sandman.
That goes by the name of the Sandman.
The Story: What a dream job -- getting paid to sleep! - Submitted by: arnequis
America's, "Sister Golden Hair"
The Misheard Lyrics:
But I do agree there's times
When a four-man show can be a friend of mine.
When a four-man show can be a friend of mine.
The Real Lyrics:
But I do agree there's times
When a woman sure can be a friend of mine.
When a woman sure can be a friend of mine.
The Story: I was listening to my car radio when this came on. In the lines above it sure seemed that I heard 'four-man show' quite clearly. But I said to myself, that isn't right, as my vague memory of this song, a song I hadn't heard previously for quite awhile, was telling me something like, 'doesn't that line say something about `a woman's love' or something like that?' But I couldn't remember the real words on my own. So I checked a lyrics site and found the real lyrics, confirming that my memory was partially right and my recent hearing, however clear it sounded, was definitely wrong, just as I supposed. - Submitted by: Ashley Michelle McGowan
America's, "Sister Golden Hair"
The Misheard Lyrics:
I been one war correspondent
I been too too hard to find
But it doesn't mean you ain't been on my mind.
I been too too hard to find
But it doesn't mean you ain't been on my mind.
The Real Lyrics:
I been one poor correspondent
I been too too hard to find
But it doesn't mean you ain't been on my mind.
I been too too hard to find
But it doesn't mean you ain't been on my mind.
The Story: I figured it made sense that a war correspondent might want to be hard to find -- undercover in Cambodia or something. - Submitted by: Lorin Christensen
America's, "Sister Golden Hair"
The Misheard Lyrics:
I'm not ready for the offer
The Real Lyrics:
I'm not ready for the altar
The Story: Kept thinking that he wasn't ready for the offer! - Submitted by: Cody Finke
America's, "Sister Golden Hair"
The Misheard Lyrics:
I've been one more Boris Karloff
The Real Lyrics:
I been one poor correspondent
The Story: I had no idea what the real lyrics were, so I would sing what it sounds like to me. What the heck is a "poor correspondent" in a relationship? Must be a British thing. - Submitted by: Vicki
America's, "The Border"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Naked to the border
The Real Lyrics:
Make it to the border.
The Story: I was traveling in the car with my husband, daughter, & her friend while the song was playing and I accidently made the mistake of singing the lyrics as you see them written in the misheard section. My daughter and her friend tease me everytime the song plays. - Submitted by: Mary Henderson
America's, "Tin Man"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Ah's never did give nothing to the Tin Man
The Real Lyrics:
Oz never did give nothing to the Tin Man
The Story: It was actually a friend of mine who misheard it and assumed it was--sorry, just stating the facts--"black dialect". And she made fun of me for thinking it was "I'm not talking 'bout the linen" in "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight" (glad to see I wasn't the only one) - Submitted by: Booker Jones
America's, "Tin Man"
The Misheard Lyrics:
And Cos never was the reason for the evening
The Real Lyrics:
And Cause never was the reason for the evening
The Story: I thought they said "Cos" because Bill Cosby was popular when this song came out, and Cosby's nickname was "Cos". - Submitted by: SD
America's, "Ventura Highway"
The Misheard Lyrics:
And a Gaylord lizard in the air
The Real Lyrics:
Alligator lizards in the air
The Story: Until this morning I thought there were gay lizards flying around the Ventura Highway. It made no sense but I liked the song. - Submitted by: Gilbert Green
America's, "Ventura Highway"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Chewin' on a piece of crap, walkin' down the road.
The Real Lyrics:
Chewin' on a piece of grass, walkin' down the road.
The Story: Ok, so this is kinda gross, but every time I hear this song, I always think of the misheard lyrics. - Submitted by: Professor Incubus
America's, "Ventura Highway"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Gotta get a message in the air
The Real Lyrics:
Alligator lizards in the air
The Story: Well I always thought it said "gotta get a message in the air", made sense to me. Then as I am listening to it today I hear "gotta get our lizards in the air" well I thought it was funny as hell. Decided to check out what they were saying....okay I checked 4 sites because what the lyrics really are make no sense to me so I decided to try this site to see if anyone else heard what I did...nope, on both counts. - Submitted by: Jane
America's, "Ventura Highway"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Vince, you're a highway.
The Real Lyrics:
Ventura Highway
The Story: The dj corrected me 'on air' after I requested he play 'Vince, You're a Highway'. - Submitted by: stephenson
America's, "Ventura Hwy"
The Misheard Lyrics:
A gaylord of lizards in the air
The Real Lyrics:
Alligator lizards in the air
The Story: This is what I've always thought it was, you know, like a flock of sheep, herd of cattle, gaylord of lizards. - Submitted by: cindy
There are more America misheard lyrics available.
| Indexes: | [#] | [A] | [B] | [C] | [D] | [E] | [F] | [G] | [H] | [I] | [J] | [K] | [L] | [M] | [N] | [O] | [P] | [Q] | [R] | [S] | [T] | [U] | [V] | [W] | [Y] | [Z] |
New entries in this section are currently reviewed by Brian Kelly. Previous editors (if any) are listed on the editors page.
Submissions!
Would you like to Submit some Misheard Lyrics for a song We're always looking for more entries.
Disclaimer
Disclaimer: amIright.com makes no claims to the accuracy of the correct lyrics. All correct lyrics are copyrighted, amIright.com does not claim ownership of the original lyrics.