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Misheard Song Lyrics -> Stories -> Jimmy Buffett
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!).
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Jimmy Buffett's, "Brown Eyed Girl"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Translates to radio
The Real Lyrics:
Transistor radio
The Story: I was born in '02 and thus postdated transistor radios, but Jimmy Buffett's version of this song was my jam at age 6 and I was familiar with the word "translate" already, so these lyrics just fell into place. I probably had enough misheard lyrics to rewrite the entire song. - Submitted by: Steve
Jimmy Buffett's, "Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Seeing the partridge signs in some big airport.
The Real Lyrics:
Reading departure signs in some big airport.
The Story: When I first heard it, I 'heard' the misheard version above. I puzzled a bit over what partridge signs one might see in an airport. Later I suddenly caught on to the real lyrics and saw how they made sense. - Submitted by: Connie Brady
Jimmy Buffett's, "Cheeseburger In Paradise"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Cheeseburger and carrot eyes
The Real Lyrics:
Cheeseburger in Paradise
The Story: I convinced a girl at work after listening to the song over and over that the lyrics were 'Cheeseburger and carrot eyes'. She kept saying I thought it was 'Cheeseburger in Paradise". - Submitted by: AnnMarie
Jimmy Buffett's, "Cheeseburger In Paradise"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Sheets burnin' and a pair of dikes
The Real Lyrics:
Cheeseburger in paradise
The Story: I sang it the wrong way for a long time. Then when I sung it to a girlfriend, she said, 'Oh my, no, what are you thiniking he is saying?' She corrected me, but now she always puts my verse in the song. - Submitted by: Cheri Campbell
Jimmy Buffett's, "Come Monday"
The Misheard Lyrics:
California is one big white tan
I just can't wait to see you again
I just can't wait to see you again
The Real Lyrics:
California has worn me quite thin
I just can't wait to see you again
I just can't wait to see you again
The Story: It doesn't make ANY sense but that is what I STILL hear after 49 years😞 - Submitted by: Elyssabeth
Jimmy Buffett's, "Come Monday"
The Misheard Lyrics:
I spent four lonely days in a brown chevrolet
The Real Lyrics:
I spent four lonely days in a brown L.A. Haze
The Story: Me and a friend of mine were sitting around playing guitars and singing some old tunes, several Jimmy Buffett tunes, and we came to Come Monday. As we were singing, I kept noticing that every time we got to the chorus something just didn't sound right. So I stopped and asked, 'Jack, what are you singing there'? He looked at me and said, 'I was gettin' ready to ask you the same thing . . . what are you singin' there'? I told him the correct lyrics, and he laughed with embarassment and said, 'For years, I've been thinkin' he was sayin' 'I spent four lonely days in a brown chevrolet''!!! I guess ya' had to be there. - Submitted by: Scott Donham
Jimmy Buffett's, "Come Monday"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Rental cars and westbound trains
The Real Lyrics:
Rent-a-cars and westbound trains
The Story: I kept getting confused about one or the other. - Submitted by: Cody Finke
Jimmy Buffett's, "Fins"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Dance to the left, dance to the right
Like your the only girl in town.
Like your the only girl in town.
The Real Lyrics:
Fins to the left, fins to the right
And you're the only bait in town.
And you're the only bait in town.
The Story: Busted by my wife singing the wrong lyrics at a Buffett concert. - Submitted by: Preston
Jimmy Buffett's, "Fruitcakes"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Meya Coopa, Meya Coopa, meya maxima Coopa.
The Real Lyrics:
Mea Culpa, Mea Culpa, Mea Maxima Culpa.
The Story: It's not about a mayor named Cooper in the Bronx. - Submitted by: 93639
Jimmy Buffett's, "Jolly Mon Sing"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Oh oh oh oh, Charlie Manson.
The Real Lyrics:
Oh oh oh oh, Jolly Mon sing.
The Story: I was walking around WalMart this evening and heard 'Oh Charlie Manson' on the speakers, and immediately thought that wasn't right. Then my wife said, 'Did he just sing about Charlie Manson?' It was then I knew we'd been at WalMart too long. - Submitted by: Heath Steele
Jimmy Buffett's, "Let's Get Drunk"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Why don't we get drunk and screw?
I just got a waterbed covered in Elmer's glue.
I just got a waterbed covered in Elmer's glue.
The Real Lyrics:
Why don't we get drunk and screw?
I just bought a waterbed, it's filled up for me and you.
I just bought a waterbed, it's filled up for me and you.
The Story: The Elmer's glue that I thought I heard sort of added a bit of innuendo to the song for me. - Submitted by: Soulfulsteel
Jimmy Buffett's, "Manana"
The Misheard Lyrics:
She's got a plant hidden up her shirt sleeve
The Real Lyrics:
She's got a plan hidden up her shrewd sleeve
The Story: I always thought the she couldn't leave the country because she was smuggling marijuana (a.k.a. the plant up her shirt sleeve!) - Submitted by: Eddie Yeti
Jimmy Buffett's, "Margaretaville"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Threw off my flip-flop
Stepped on a Pop Tart
Cutmaheel had the cruise on back home.
Stepped on a Pop Tart
Cutmaheel had the cruise on back home.
The Real Lyrics:
Blew out my flip-flop
Stepped on a pop top
Cut my heel, had to cruise on back home.
Stepped on a pop top
Cut my heel, had to cruise on back home.
The Story: I was singing along with a band who was performing this song, when my friend leaned over and said to me, "Stepped on a what??" I was sooo embarrassed when I realized that what I had been singing was totally wrong!! And of course, she went up and told the band members!! - Submitted by: Amanda
Jimmy Buffett's, "Margaritaville"
The Misheard Lyrics:
All those tulips covered with oil.
The Real Lyrics:
All of those tourists covered with oil
The Story: One of my all time favorite songs. I listened to this song for years wondering why tulips would be covered in oil. All of a sudden, one day I heard the word "tourists" clear as a bell. Then I knew the truth. - Submitted by: Artie B. Curtis
Jimmy Buffett's, "Margaritaville"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Blew out my flip flop.
Stepped in a cow flop.
Stepped in a cow flop.
The Real Lyrics:
Blew out my flip flop.
Stepped on a pop top.
Stepped on a pop top.
The Story: Too much Strawberry Hill that night. - Submitted by: Bernard F Hronek
Jimmy Buffett's, "Margaritaville"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Blew out my flip flop
Stepped on a pop pop.
Stepped on a pop pop.
The Real Lyrics:
Blew out my flip flop
Stepped on a pop top.
Stepped on a pop top.
The Story: This is submitted for my daughter, who was about 4 at the time. Hence the reference to the old Fisher Price toy of the huge beads that snap together that she called 'pop pop''s. - Submitted by: Sylvia Petrella
Jimmy Buffett's, "Margaritaville"
The Misheard Lyrics:
But there's a peach in the blender.
The Real Lyrics:
But there's booze in the blender.
The Story: I figured he's making a peach margarita. :) - Submitted by: Matt
Jimmy Buffett's, "Margaritaville"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Livin' on sponge cake
The Real Lyrics:
Nibblin' on sponge cake
The Story: I had performed this live for over 10 years before someone told me about the correct opening word. - Submitted by: CJ
Jimmy Buffett's, "Margaritaville"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Living on sponge cake
Watching the sun bake All of those tourists covered with O
Watching the sun bake
The Real Lyrics:
Nibbling on sponge cake
Watching the sun bake All of those tourists covered with oil
Watching the sun bake
The Story: I could never figure out why the tourists were covered with "O". ;-) - Submitted by: Craig Johnson
Jimmy Buffett's, "Margaritaville"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Looking for my lost Sugar Dog
The Real Lyrics:
Searchin' for my last shaker of salt
The Story: Heard it as a kid, driving in the summer with family, always saw it as a fun summer song, until I really read the words when I was older. - Submitted by: Andrew
Jimmy Buffett's, "Margaritaville"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Looking for my lost checkered socks
The Real Lyrics:
Looking for my lost shaker of salt
The Story: I was a kid when this came out, so I knew nothing about a margarita using a shaker. I guess I heard what I could understand at the time. - Submitted by: Bernie Calkins
Jimmy Buffett's, "Margaritaville"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Nigger named SpongeBob
The Real Lyrics:
Nibbling on sponge cake
The Story: Why did he have to say the N word, especially about a kids' show? That's not right, obviously... - Submitted by: Cody Finke
Jimmy Buffett's, "Margaritaville"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Some people claim that there's a wampon to play
The Real Lyrics:
Some people claim that there's a woman to blame.
The Story: I thought a "wampon" was some sort of instrument similar to a mandolin or a ukulele. - Submitted by: HelloI'mJoe
Jimmy Buffett's, "Margaritaville"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Stepped on a pop tart
The Real Lyrics:
stepped on a pop top
The Story: I actually thought this thru and realized if I was on a beach and stepped on a pop tart, the filling would ooze between my toes, get sand stuck to it. This made sense because he sings he went on home after, so would I. I didn't realize this was a misheard lyric until I was in a Karoke booth with some friends and sang out this line at the top of my lungs. Needless to say we couldn't finish the song. I will never live this down. - Submitted by: Mary Montgomery
Jimmy Buffett's, "Margaritaville"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Wastin away again in margarita babe
Searchin for my lost vigorous soul
Searchin for my lost vigorous soul
The Real Lyrics:
Wastin away again in Margaritaville
Searchin for my lost shaker of salt
Searchin for my lost shaker of salt
The Story: Well, it wasn't me, it was my cousin, and it was a whole bunch of people, mostly our friends, in her room and that song was on and she decided to sing this part the loudest, everybody all of a sudden got quiet and looked at her, then we all cracked up!! She had no idea what was going on!! - Submitted by: Stephanie
Jimmy Buffett's, "Margaritaville"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Wastin' away again in Margaritaville
Searchin' for my lost shaker of salt
Some people claim that there's only one world to blame
But I know it's my own damn fault
Yes and some people claim that there's only one world to blame
And I know it's my own damn fault
Searchin' for my lost shaker of salt
Some people claim that there's only one world to blame
But I know it's my own damn fault
Yes and some people claim that there's only one world to blame
And I know it's my own damn fault
The Real Lyrics:
Wastin' away again in Margaritaville
Searchin' for my lost shaker of salt
Some people claim that there's a woman to blame
But I know it's my own damn fault
Yes and some people claim that there's a woman to blame
And I know it's my own damn fault
Searchin' for my lost shaker of salt
Some people claim that there's a woman to blame
But I know it's my own damn fault
Yes and some people claim that there's a woman to blame
And I know it's my own damn fault
The Story: I've misheard this lyric for decades!!! Only recently (within the last couple of years) did I realise that the planet was ***NOT*** to blame -- it was just some douchenoozle!!! :-O - Submitted by: Craig Johnson
Jimmy Buffett's, "Margaritaville"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Wastin' away again in Margaritaville
Searching for my lost sugar and son
Searching for my lost sugar and son
The Real Lyrics:
Wastin' away again in Margaritaville
Searching for my lost shaker of salt
Searching for my lost shaker of salt
The Story: I was singing it in the car and my mom told me what it really was. - Submitted by: Wesley Ovecash
Jimmy Buffett's, "Margaritaville"
The Misheard Lyrics:
searchin for my last jigger and salt
The Real Lyrics:
Searchin' for my last shaker of salt
The Story: girlfriend proved me wrong - Submitted by: ED
Jimmy Buffett's, "Volcano"
The Misheard Lyrics:
I don't know where I'm a gona go
When the bars get closed.
When the bars get closed.
The Real Lyrics:
I don't know where I'm a gonna go
When the volcano blows.
When the volcano blows.
The Story: It was actually my wife that misheard and then always sang the lyric. I now can not hear/sing the song the right way. - Submitted by: Red
Jimmy Buffett's, "Volcano"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Summer smoke up in the sky
The Real Lyrics:
Sulphur smoke up in the sky
The Story: My boyfriend and I play in a corporate party band together, and we have covered this song so many times at our gigs. When my boyfriend first started learning that song, he had asked me if Jimmy was saying 'Summer smoke up in the sky'. I said 'no' and told him the real lyric. Sometimes, I may not notice during our gigs. But whenever we play that song, that's what it sounds like he's singing in that lyric. - Submitted by: Jen
Jimmy Buffett's, "Who's the Blonde Stranger?"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Who's the Von-stranger
The Real Lyrics:
Who's the blonde stranger?
The Story: Plays at work all the time and I sing these lyrics everytime - Submitted by: Emily
Jimmy Buffett's, "Why Don't We Get Drunk and Screw?"
The Misheard Lyrics:
I just bought a water bed filled up with Elmer’s glue
The Real Lyrics:
I just bought a water bed, it's filled up for me and you.
The Story: Jimmy actually sings filled up with Elmer’s glue on the Feeding Frenzy live album. Because he found the misheard lyrics amusing. - Submitted by: Steve Edgerton
Jimmy Buffett's, "Why Don't We Get Drunk and Screw?"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Why don't we get lunch at school?
The Real Lyrics:
Why don't we get drunk and screw?
The Story: My mom always said that when we were little instead of the words. I thought I had caught on and thought it was "why don't we get drunk at school" but didn't find out for years it was actually screw. - Submitted by: Mallory
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