We’ve all screwed up the lyrics to popular songs over the years. Even the simplest of songs seem to get misinterpreted and can be sung for decades before the true lyrics are made known. Despite the risk of embarrassment, I’m here to tell you several songs I butchered when I was younger and some I still butcher to this day. I’m also here to spread of few songs I’ve overheard other people mess up, but I’ll try keep the guilty parties anonymous.
The first misheard lyric in this journey is one I misheard from day one. I remember owning a Ford factory cassette that we received when my mother bought a new car back in 1984. It was a compilation of pop music, country, and classical music. One of the tracks was “Sweet Dreams are Made of This” by Eurythmics.
I loved the song, especially the hypnotizing keyboard sounds. My 7-year old brain though processed the lyrics as “Sweet dreams are made of these…” Listening to the song now, I can understand the mistake with how Annie Lennox lengthens “this” when she sings. But also in hind sight, singing “these” made no sense. These what? It’s not like she was holding two plush sheep or something in the music video that would undoubtedly explain to the listener “these” are the things that make sweet dreams. The true lyric “this” still wasn’t much much of an explanation, so whatever Lennox is referring to is likely still a McGuffin of ’80s music.
According to AmIRight, here are more misheard lyrics from “Sweet Dreams are Made of This”:
“Sweet dreams are made of tears” (this)
“Traveled the world in the seventies” (seven seas)
“Everybody’s lookin’ for pumpkins.” (something)
“Hold your hair, keep your hair.” (head up)
Have you heard any of these misheard lyrics over the years? Any others you want to throw into the mix?
I still think it’s these. The rest of the song doesn’t rhyme if it’s this.