Misheard prog lyrics

[A. Scherze]

The line from "Thick As A Brick" "he coughed up a tenner on a premium bond win." Not surprisingly this line was a bit strange to people in the Midwest like a friend of mine who misheard it as "coughed up his dinner."

And, who outside the UK knew ERNIE was a computer? Not me.

[GuitarGeek]

Agreed.
A nuclear device would definitely bring forth a new clear dawn (with everything cleared out of the way).

The early 80's new wave band The Vapors had an album called New Clear Days. The cover artwork showed a image of a weather man standing in front of a map of the UK, with the image manipulated so that the rain clouds on the map appear to look like mushroom clouds (such as created by a nuclear explosion). Took me years to catch that pun.

[DrGoon]

I don't think anybody other than Steven Wilson knows for sure what he whispers at the start of the title track from Porcupine Tree's The Incident, but I've always heard "You get to mow this shit". I have a T-shirt that I made and wore to the RCMH show featuring a man mowing the lawn with a hand mower.

[Sylvan]

Spock's Beard's Beware of Darkness cover: "Farts that linger" instead of "thoughts that linger." Seriously, it's almost like he did it on purpose.

[Neptune]

Spock's Beard's Beware of Darkness cover: "Farts that linger" instead of "thoughts that linger." Seriously, it's almost like he did it on purpose.

LOL, yep - that's the first one that came to my mind.

[thos]

This reminds me, until a few years ago I thought the line in Aqualung was "coughing up pieces of his broken luck." (instead of broken lungs)

Pretty sure it's "spitting out pieces of his broken luck"

[pb2015]

Pretty sure it's "spitting out pieces of his broken luck"

That's what was on the lyric sheet.

[JKL2000]

Pretty sure it's "spitting out pieces of his broken luck"

If so, then I have it the wrong way round. Whichever it is, I heard the other.

[Scott Bails]

"I'm the scab of the Earth" which, I guess, is really "Armies scatter the Earth."

For years I thought Jon Anderson had a sense of humor.

Not so.

It's actually "Armies gather near"

I always thought it sounded more like he was saying "armies scatter the Earth." Anderson has odd pronunciations sometimes.

Karn Evil 9 3rd impression: Guardians of a nuclear dawn - I thought it was "a new clear dawn" until I saw the lyrics.

I seem to remember that on the original LP of Brian Salad Surgery, the lyrics read "new clear dawn" but Lake pronounces it more as "nuclear". I think that was a deliberate pun.

Or, if you're George W. Bush, "nu-cue-lar."

"Go, Stanley Snail" rather than "gold stainless nail."

The Keneally/Gilbert/D'Virgilio tribute act Stanley Snail is famously named after this misheard lyric from Siberian Khatru.

First one I thought of.

In Marillion's Sugar Mice, I always thought it was:

"So if you want my address, it's number one at the end of the bar, where I sit with the broken angels, clutching at straws and nursing a scotch"

The real lyrics of course, being "nursing our scars"

...

I still like mine better!

Definitely!!

[lak611]

I seem to remember that on the original LP of Brian Salad Surgery, the lyrics read "new clear dawn" but Lake pronounces it more as "nuclear". I think that was a deliberate pun.

Maybe Lake chewed gum during the studio recording too.

[helicase]

Genesis - The Knife
Gabriel sings: Martyrs of course to the freedom that I shall provide
What I heard: Others of course share the freedom that I shall provide

[JKL2000]

In Marillion's Sugar Mice, I always thought it was:

"So if you want my address, it's number one at the end of the bar, where I sit with the broken angels, clutching at straws and nursing a scotch"

The real lyrics of course, being "nursing our scars"

...

I still like mine better!

Not to nitpick, but to nitpick, I've been told a Scottish person would ever refer to Scotch whiskey as "Scotch." He'd just call it whiskey. Maybe DrGoon can confirm this for us.

But I support your right to have heard "nursing a scotch!"

[Mister Triscuits]

Pretty sure it's "spitting out pieces of his broken luck"

It is. But the first time I heard the song on the radio, before the album was even released, I heard it as "Spitting out pieces of his throat and lung."

[Socrates]

Not to nitpick, but to nitpick, I've been told a Scottish person would ever refer to Scotch whiskey as "Scotch." He'd just call it whiskey. Maybe DrGoon can confirm this for us.

But I support your right to have heard "nursing a scotch!"

Nitpicking squared: that would be whisky in Scotland, not whiskey!

[Halmyre]

Not to nitpick, but to nitpick, I've been told a Scottish person would ever refer to Scotch whiskey as "Scotch." He'd just call it whiskey. Maybe DrGoon can confirm this for us.

But I support your right to have heard "nursing a scotch!"

Oh yes, in my student days I actually got told off by a barman for asking for a 'Scotch' (and I am a Scot, shame on me).

[lak611]

ELP "Great Gates of Kiev":"Stir me in salty string and a bit of seed."

Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk

[DrGoon]

Not to nitpick, but to nitpick, I've been told a Scottish person would ever refer to Scotch whiskey as "Scotch." He'd just call it whiskey. Maybe DrGoon can confirm this for us.

It would usually be called whisky if you're ordering the 'well' (to use American vernacular). It's also called just by measure - a 'dram' or a 'nip'. If you're looking for a particular brand, you would use its name just as you would (for a 'call') in the US. If you go to The Pot Still in Glasgow you should probably explain what you like best and how much you're willing to pay, and have a pie and beans while you're at it.

[A. Scherze]

Laibach - "Geburt Einer Nation"

Give me a light beer!

Gibt mir ein Leitbild!

[Progbear]

I think the prog song that has generated the greatest plentitude of “mondegreens” has to be “Epic Forest” by Rare Bird:

“Ooo-ooh, Veronica”
“Ooo-ooh, the warriors”
“Ooo-ooh, for Lorien”
“Ooo-ooh, Ferrari land”
“Ooo-ooh, my mommy lost”
“Ooo-ooh, gourami love”
“Ooo-ooh, tamale balls”

Could someone please contact Steve Gould and have him set the record straight once and for all?

[kenschwartz]

I think the prog song that has generated the greatest plentitude of “mondegreens” has to be “Epic Forest” by Rare Bird:

ah, good to see the "correct" (or at least "most amusing") name being used.

[Dave the Brave]

Actually Scots don't mind saying scotch to describe the drink especially if out of the country.
However they don't like being described as a Scotch person it should be Scot.

DtB

[JKL2000]

In the Yes song "Leave It" I always hear "Hot damn, a diggety dog" instead of "Uptown they're digging it out."

[ProgArtist]

In the Yes song "Leave It" I always hear "Hot damn, a diggety dog" instead of "Uptown they're digging it out."

In "Love Will Find a Way" I hear "I eat at chez nous".

[Scott Bails]

In "Love Will Find a Way" I hear "I eat at chez nous".

Probably because that's the actual lyric.

[syncopatico]

speaking of mis-heard (Tull-related) lyrics, it always sounded to me like Bowie was singing "Never thought Jethro Tull that fine" in Golden Years (which would be a rather rude thing to say ) when the actual lyric is: "Never look back, walk tall, act fine".