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Welcome to Techsurvivors => Community => Topic started by: Gregg on July 31, 2008, 09:15:37 PM

Title: iPod blamed for misunderstanding
Post by: Gregg on July 31, 2008, 09:15:37 PM
Top Ten

If you ask me, people just aren't listening. I don't know how you could get some of those so far off the actual lyrics.
Title: iPod blamed for misunderstanding
Post by: Xairbusdriver on August 01, 2008, 04:52:58 PM
I have no problem with people misunderstanding most of these lyrics. The few times I've listened to many 'popular' vocals, I've been confused all too often. Many times, it's an accent that hides the words, sometimes it's a loud/distorted instrument, sometimes the speed of delivery. Mind you, I am not even touching on what is called "Rap!" That's a completely different animal, in, as far as I can tell, a completely different language and delivery. Most of it sounds like a poorly written poem set to several sets of garbage can lids along with a broken phonograph player.

Amazingly often, the easiest to understand singers in English are actually those that grew up with another primary language (French, German, Spanish, etc.). Arguably, all those are from the same roots as English but their common usage is usually way beyond my understanding. blush-anim-cl.gif Well, other than "Volkswagen" and "Hey?!" laugh.gif

It just reminds me of the old parlor game of telling one person in the circle a sentence and having each person, in turn, repeat that to the next. The last person's understanding of what s/he was told is usually pretty far from the initial sentence. BTW, anyone here ever used the word "parlor" lately?! smile.gif

No matter who we listen to, our brain tries to interpret the sounds we hear into words we have already become acquainted. Even if it's some bizarre combination such as "Chicken tikka!" rofl.gif Wonder what some Russians or Iranians might have thought the original words were?! Thinking.gif
Title: iPod blamed for misunderstanding
Post by: krissel on August 02, 2008, 04:27:30 AM
Back in the days of AM radio and lousy speakers I regularly heard the lyrics wrong.  It often wasn't until I read the album insert with the correct lyrics did I figure out what they were saying.  rolleyes.gif


And I swear there is a commercial on TV that screws up this and says "Secret Asian man";

http://kissthisguy.com/1968misheard.htm
Title: iPod blamed for misunderstanding
Post by: Gregg on August 02, 2008, 09:13:37 AM
QUOTE(krissel @ Aug 2 2008, 04:27 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
And I swear there is a commercial on TV that screws up this and says "Secret Asian man";

http://kissthisguy.com/1968misheard.htm


Love that website. laughhard.gif I had been there before.

Your lyrical misunderstanding is at least reasonable: same number of syllables, same meter. Some of those "Top Ten" ones just don't match up.

My most vexing one is the Mazda commercials that stopped running a couple of years ago. They were using that "Zoom, Zoom!" slogan, and they had a young boy who pops up at the end. I swear, from what I heard and from the movement of his lips, he said "Zub, Zub!" There's no way to get "zoom, zoom" out of what he mouthed. no2.gif
Title: iPod blamed for misunderstanding
Post by: dolphin on August 02, 2008, 11:09:17 AM
QUOTE
Starship, 'We Built This City' - "We built this city on the wrong damn road."


I know its the wrong lyric...however; it fits well in some areas of the country where mudslides and other natural disasters have made homes and whole sections of towns disappear! NO humor intended.
Title: iPod blamed for misunderstanding
Post by: Gregg on August 02, 2008, 12:51:08 PM
Here are some more mondegreens, as they're called...

http://www.uh.edu/~mbarber/mondegreens.html

http://www.corsinet.com/braincandy/wrlyric.html


Title: iPod blamed for misunderstanding
Post by: Xairbusdriver on August 02, 2008, 01:24:18 PM
Well, I'm still "Searching for my lost singer from Mars." rofl.gif Maybe my ears aren't as bad as I thought! eek2.gif