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Misheard Song Lyrics -> Stories -> Electric Light Orchestra

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!).


Time album at Amazon.com
Electric Light Orchestra's, "10538 Overture"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Did you see him high?
The Real Lyrics:
Did you see him hide?
The Story: Sounded like a drug reference. - Submitted by: Cody Finke
Electric Light Orchestra's, "All Over the World"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Montreal and Chinatown
The Real Lyrics:
L.A., New York, Amsterdam, Monte Carlo, Shard End and...
The Story: I listened to a station from Montreal so that is what I thought they said. Besides, Shard End and..is awkward to sing and I wouldn't have figured that line out at all! - Submitted by: Kerry
Electric Light Orchestra's, "All Over the World"
The Misheard Lyrics:
They're gonna get half damned down in the lake
(New York, Detroit, L.A.)
We're gonna take a trip across the sea
Everybody, come along with me
We're gonna hit the night
And get married
The Real Lyrics:
They're gonna get hot down in the U.S.A
(New York, Detroit, L.A.)
We're gonna take a trip across the sea
Everybody, come along with me
We're gonna hit the night
Down in gay Pareee
The Story: This song is on the good soundtrack to the lousy "Xanadu" movie. It stars Olivia Newton-John as a Muse (a Greek goddess of the arts). You got your goddess, there's the songs (the soundtrack has its sides designated as "ONJ Side" and "ELO Side", I was a teenager at the time, so do the math : ) - Submitted by: Kublah Khahn
Electric Light Orchestra's, "Calling America"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Calling a married girl.
The Real Lyrics:
Calling America.
The Story: ELO's song 'Calling America' came out when my sister was in high school. She said this guy she knew really liked the song and kept singing it in the school halls, but he was singing 'calling a married girl' instead of 'calling America.' He was really embarrassed when she told him. - Submitted by: Shannon Presley
Electric Light Orchestra's, "Calling America"
The Misheard Lyrics:
In a moldy world
The Real Lyrics:
In a modern world
The Story: Who would have thought about living in a moldy world? Thank goodness it's wrong! - Submitted by: Cody Finke
Electric Light Orchestra's, "Confusion"
The Misheard Lyrics:
But Cool Whip blown across your mind
The Real Lyrics:
But cold winds blow across your mind
The Story: I swear Jeff Lynne was dealing with a non-dairy whipped topping! - Submitted by: Cody Finke
Electric Light Orchestra's, "Don't Bring Me Down"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Don't bring me down, gruss!
The Real Lyrics:
Don't bring me down, grrroosss!
The Story: The German word that sounds similar is not Guten Morgen, it is gruss! As the expletive "Gruss Gott"! Which basically means "thank God!" - Submitted by: Mark Jackson
Electric Light Orchestra's, "Don't Bring Me Down"
The Misheard Lyrics:
I'll tell you what's wrong
The Real Lyrics:
I'll tell you once more
The Story: I heard this just recently in a Peloton commercial and finally inspired me about this lyric I have heard for years I am submitting here. - Submitted by: Cody Finke
Electric Light Orchestra's, "Don't Bring Me Down"
The Misheard Lyrics:
So now I'll tell you once more
Before you're dead on the floor
Don't bring me down.
The Real Lyrics:
I'll tell you once more
Before I get off the floor
Don't bring me down.
The Story: That's what I heard with my 9-volt transistor. It does make sense. - Submitted by: Ron
Electric Light Orchestra's, "Don't Bring Me Down"
The Misheard Lyrics:
You run around just like a snake in the grass
One of these days they're gonna kiss your ass
Don't bring me down,
No no no no no no no
The Real Lyrics:
You're lookin' good just like a snake in the grass
One of these days you're gonna break your glass
Don't bring me down, no no no no no no no
The Story: I hope not! We have enough problems today without more ass kissing. - Submitted by: ELO Starship Trooper
Electric Light Orchestra's, "Don't Bring Me Down"
The Misheard Lyrics:
You run around just like a snake in the grass
One of these days you're gonna bust your ass
Don't bring me down, no no no no no no no
The Real Lyrics:
You're lookin' good just like a snake in the grass
One of these days you're gonna break your glass
Don't bring me down, no no no no no no no
The Story: It was kind of a misinterpretation / mishearing in my middle school days. We pronounced this band name as 'EE-LOW' for kicks. - Submitted by: ELO Starship Trooper
Electric Light Orchestra's, "Evil Woman"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Albino-o World
The Real Lyrics:
Evil Woman
The Story: Heard when playing GTA San Andreas - Submitted by: Swedish teen
Electric Light Orchestra's, "Evil Woman"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Big Eagle Woman
The Real Lyrics:
The evil woman
The Story: Found out when my wife was cracking up when I was singing it while driving. - Submitted by: Mike
Electric Light Orchestra's, "Evil Woman"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Hey Number One!
The Real Lyrics:
An evil woman
The Story: I first heard it in an auto parts store when I was a kid and I figured this song was headed for "Number One" or maybe the singer's girl was his "Number One". - Submitted by: Number One With A Bullet
Electric Light Orchestra's, "Evil Woman"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Hey Number One!
The Real Lyrics:
Evil woman
The Story: I was just old enough (barely) to know about songs on the radio reaching the "number one" position on a chart. It wasn't until I was a teen that I found out the facts when the deejay said, "This is ELO and you are an "evil woman". Of course! - Submitted by: I Coulda Had a V8!
Electric Light Orchestra's, "Evil Woman"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Hey number one!
The Real Lyrics:
Evil woman
The Story: I first heard this in an auto parts shop and I was barely old enough to know about pop charts. - Submitted by: Everybody Wants To Be On Top Of The Heap
Electric Light Orchestra's, "Evil Woman"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Hey number one
The Real Lyrics:
An evil woman
The Story: I thought it was the "Number One" song at the time. - Submitted by: Evil Man
Electric Light Orchestra's, "Evil Woman"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Illegal woman
The Real Lyrics:
Evil woman
The Story: With that extra syllable in there (e-evil woman), I think my brain just wanted to fill it in. I was at work, where they played classic rock until your ears about fell off. I asked one of the (elderly people) what 'illegal woman' meant. I mean, is she under age, or an alien, or something? She corrected me with an amused expression. - Submitted by: Sundee Cline
Electric Light Orchestra's, "Evil Woman"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Mean, evil woman
The Real Lyrics:
Evil woman
The Story: I grew up hearing a man making disparaging remarks about a woman. It makes sense with the rest of the lyrics as he refers to her as a "mean, evil woman". It wasn't till years later that I learned it was actually medieval woman, and only recently did I learn that it was ee evil woman. I still think my original version makes the most sense. - Submitted by: Jeff
Electric Light Orchestra's, "Evil Woman"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Medieval woman
Medieval woman
Medieval woman
E-evil woman
The Real Lyrics:
E-evil woman
E-evil woman
E-evil woman
Evil woman
The Story: When I first heard the song, I thought the chorus was singing about a medieval woman. I requested it on a radio station as "Medieval Woman" The DJs got a good laugh on the air-waves. - Submitted by: Peter H.
Electric Light Orchestra's, "Evil Woman"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Medieval woman
The Real Lyrics:
Evil woman
The Story: My husband was singing these incorrect lyrics and it's the title of the song. He argued with me. I called the radio station right then and there. The female dj got a big kick out of it. She recorded the conversation she and I had and aired it immediately. He was sooooo embarrassed. Needless to say......he's not so quit to question me on lyrics after this episode. - Submitted by: rayabb
Electric Light Orchestra's, "Evil Woman"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Rolled in from Levittown
The Real Lyrics:
Rolled in from another town
The Story: I really thought the singer had just moved into the city from Levittown. - Submitted by: Al
Electric Light Orchestra's, "Evil Woman"
The Misheard Lyrics:
They found Deadpool lying in a daze
The Real Lyrics:
You found a fool lying in a daze.
The Story: This song was playing on the radio while I was at a comic book store... that kinda says it all. - Submitted by: Al
Electric Light Orchestra's, "Evil Woman"
The Misheard Lyrics:
You found Ethel lying in a daze.
The Real Lyrics:
You found a fool lying in a daze.
The Story: I think of Ethel Mertz from "I Love Lucy" every time I hear this song. - Submitted by: Will Herrera
Electric Light Orchestra's, "Evil Woman"
The Misheard Lyrics:
You're a mean one, woman
The Real Lyrics:
Evil woman
The Story: Could have sworn they were looking towards a female Grinch! - Submitted by: Cody Finke
Electric Light Orchestra's, "Evil Woman"
The Misheard Lyrics:
believe in a woman
The Real Lyrics:
Evil woman
The Story: who would write a song about an evil woman...I am sure its 'believe in a woman' - Submitted by: jane
Electric Light Orchestra's, "Evil Woman"
The Misheard Lyrics:
medieval woman
The Real Lyrics:
evil woman, but more like, ee ee vil woman
The Story: I slip up and sing medieval woman to this day because it really sound like that is what is being sung. - Submitted by: steph
Electric Light Orchestra's, "Fire On High"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Down girls! Down girls! D*mn nerds! D*mn it!
It’s a miatza! All the servers in a zenith!
The Real Lyrics:
The music is reversible, but time is not!
Turn back! Turn back! Turn back! Turn back!
The Story: The misheard lyrics are what the song sounds like when played forward. In order to hear the real words, it must be played in reverse. - Submitted by: David Jones
Electric Light Orchestra's, "Hold On Tight To Your Dreams"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Hold on tight to your drink.
The Real Lyrics:
Hold on tight to your dreams.
The Story: I was about 5 years old when this song was new and I guess holding onto my beverage made more sense to me than holding onto dreams. I don't know. - Submitted by: Heather
Electric Light Orchestra's, "I'm Alive"
The Misheard Lyrics:
And the world shrines for me today
The Real Lyrics:
And the world shines for me today
The Story: I was like having to do with Shriners Hospitals for Children. - Submitted by: Cody Finke
Electric Light Orchestra's, "I'm Alive"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Dy-no-mite!
The Real Lyrics:
I'm alive.
The Story: The phrase "Dy-no-mite!" had been popular in America for the previous 5 years + due to other pop culture phenomena such as J.J. Evans of the TV show "Good Times" and the tween/teen magazine Dynamite. Coincidentally, it was in an issue of that magazine that I read about ELO's famous flying saucer tour prop. The article was titled, "Is It a UFO? No, It's ELO!" - Submitted by: James Wilbury
Electric Light Orchestra's, "Mr. Blue Sky"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Everybody's positive
The Real Lyrics:
Everybody smiles at you
The Story: Ever since I the first time I listened to this song, I always believed the line "everybody smiles at you" was "everybody's positive" until I searched the lyrics and realized it was a misheard lyric - Submitted by: Kevin
Electric Light Orchestra's, "Mr. Blue Sky"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Mr. Blue Sky-iy
The Real Lyrics:
Please turn me over
The Story: The very end, when the heavily vocoded voice speaks. - Submitted by: manfrom3005
Electric Light Orchestra's, "Mr. Blue Sky"
The Misheard Lyrics:
See how this song signs rightly
The Real Lyrics:
See how the sun shines brightly
The Story: I heard this in an Adobe Sign commercial, so I am submitting this here. - Submitted by: Cody Finke
Electric Light Orchestra's, "Mr. Blue Sky"
The Misheard Lyrics:
There ain't a cloud in the sky
The Real Lyrics:
There ain't a cloud in sight
The Story: I thought he said "in the sky", not "in sight". - Submitted by: Cody Finke
Electric Light Orchestra's, "Mr. Blue Sky"
The Misheard Lyrics:
There ain't no cloud in the sky
The Real Lyrics:
There ain't a cloud in sight
The Story: Used to think it was "in the sky", not "in sight". - Submitted by: Cody Finke
Electric Light Orchestra's, "Shine a Little Love"
The Misheard Lyrics:
You shine and light up my life
The Real Lyrics:
You shine a little love on my life
The Story: It was that it was hard to tell since they were singing so fast. It sounded like they extended the title of a Joe Brooks song. - Submitted by: Cody Finke
Electric Light Orchestra's, "Strange Magic"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Got to stretch my dick
The Real Lyrics:
got a strange magic!
The Story: I was 10 or 11 when this song came out and I was horrified by the lyrics. I couldn't believe it was on the radio. I would listen over and over and kept hearing "stretch my dick". Every time it would come on the radio and other people were there I thought I was going to die. - Submitted by: Carol
Electric Light Orchestra's, "Strange Magic"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Shake my d***
The Real Lyrics:
Strange magic
The Story: This is actually a friend's story. Whenever this song came on the radio when she was in the car with her dad, she'd quickly turn it off, thinking they were singing 'shake my d***'. She was afraid if her dad heard that obscene song, he wouldn't let her listen to that 'rock and roll' music any more! - Submitted by: Ellen Crow
Electric Light Orchestra's, "Strange Magic"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Strange man's d***
The Real Lyrics:
Strange magic
The Story: My friend and I were sitting out on the porch, when her mom came out and exclaimed, 'Turn that song off! That's filithy!!' My friend and I turned to each other and were like what is she talking about? Appearently here mother thought ELO was singing about a 'strange man's (appendage)'. - Submitted by: Karen
Electric Light Orchestra's, "Sweet Talkin' Woman"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Hold on, hold on, sweet talkin' Lola, hold on.
The Real Lyrics:
Hold on, hold on, sweet talkin' lover, hold on.
The Story: I had an ex of the nickname 'Lola' who this song reminded me of. I only sat down and read the lyrics weeks later to discover that in fact the word was lover. - Not too far off --sobs-- - Submitted by: Jamie
Electric Light Orchestra's, "Sweet Talkin' Woman"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Insufficient tator coming through
The Real Lyrics:
Insufficient data coming through
The Story: I was singing to this song one time, when I started to hear it as 'Sufficient tator' not, 'Insufficient data', which made me laugh. So I told my sister and mother about it. Sure enough, it sounded exactly the same to their ears as mine. - Submitted by: solidgameboy12
Electric Light Orchestra's, "Sweet Talking Woman."
The Misheard Lyrics:
You gotta slow down
Sweet little Lola
The Real Lyrics:
You gotta slow down
Sweet talking woman.
The Story: My second grade teacher's first name was 'Lola'. - Submitted by: James Wilbury
Electric Light Orchestra's, "Sweet Talking Woman"
The Misheard Lyrics:
You gotta slow down
Sweet talking Lola.
The Real Lyrics:
You gotta slow down
Sweet talking woman.
The Story: Makes me think of an old friend in high school :-). She wore socks that had elastic that looked like a Hanes [boys underwear] waistband. LOL - Submitted by: Daniel
Electric Light Orchestra's, "Telephone Line"
The Misheard Lyrics:
And I'm wandering
The Real Lyrics:
And I wonder why
The Story: Why we hear "wander" instead of "wonder", and vice versa, thanks to confusion and similarity! - Submitted by: Cody Finke

There are more Electric Light Orchestra misheard lyrics available.

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