JapanSylvian.com

I know that someone on another forum once pointed out that in the Librarian it sounds suspiciously like David is singing "The Netherlands is at back of every place you look"

I once thought there was a line in "Waterfront" that went "Young boys dry their hair"

Any other amusing mishearings?

Speaking of mishearings, I've had a couple of them on "the unconventional" and a few on Dali's Car and on Sylvian's solo work .

"There's a girl about town, I'd like to know... I'd like to slip away with you"

"There's a girl about town, I'd like to go home... I'd like to spend the night with you"



-K-

Silver Moon wrote:"There's a girl about town, I'd like to know... I'd like to slip away with you"

"There's a girl about town, I'd like to go home... I'd like to spend the night with you"



-K-

I think that one was probably a Freudian slip.

Other evidence that I need a hearing aid:

"Hitching your wings to Bud's struggled car"

and

"Now that you've filled the weather, was it all in vain?"

As even I realised that that couldn't be right, I later amended it to "Now that you've failed, however". I still think that's better than the real words, actually.

Silver Moon wrote:"There's a girl about town, I'd like to know... I'd like to slip away with you"

"There's a girl about town, I'd like to go home... I'd like to spend the night with you"



-K-

LOL. Hey, at least you're close.

I can't tell you how many times I've misheard David's lyrics....I am too embarrassed to even post what I think he said because it never makes any sense to me. I have to look up David's lyrics just so I can understand what he is singing about, after I listen to the music several hundred times.

OK I have to admit the most confusing lyrics I have ever heard are from Mark Hollis in Talk Talk! I can never understand them...

It usually takes me a few months just to understand what he is singing... And it turns out he is singing something totally different!!

For example...

"Time it's time to live... Time it's time to live for the living..."

What I heard:

"Someone's comin'... Someone's comin back for revenge..."

Hehe

-K-

OK, TRY and beat this one. Since I heard the Nightboat I always thought Simon was singing "Skin was so cummy in the night", instead of
'Stillness overcomes me in the night!'

I even had it written on my leg one day and my brother's g/f saw it and gave me this look. Bwahahahaaaaa Boy did I feel silly when I discovered the real words. But knowing Simon, I wouldn't have been surprised if I was right!

Or PT's Access Denied
Misheard: He's kicking me with that look of shitty stain"

Actual: "He's kicking me With that look of sheer disdain"

Actual lyric - "Zero down to zero, submerging in every man..."

My interpretation was -"Zero down to zero, there's a virgin in every man...".

I like my version better.

heartofdavid wrote:Actual lyric - "Zero down to zero, submerging in every man..."

My interpretation was -"Zero down to zero, there's a virgin in every man...".

I like my version better.

No kidding! Right up until I read your post I honest to God thought that that was what he was singing.

heartofdavid wrote:Actual lyric - "Zero down to zero, submerging in every man..."

My interpretation was -"Zero down to zero, there's a virgin in every man...".

I like my version better.

Holy cow...I, too, thought "submerging in every man...". That's too funny.

With most of Japan's lyrics, I don't even dare look up the real lyrics because I've usually been singing along with the wrong words for the last 25 years, and by now it's too late to teach an old dog new tricks!

Plus in mid- late Japan David did this really annoying thing of dropping his voice whenever he got to the end of a line, so the last word of the line is usually frustratingly indistinct and really easy to get wrong.

With Nine Horses, it's so recent that I guess it's worth the effort trying to remember that "Bud's struggled car" is actually "bus, truck or car".

In stead of 'red army calls you' in Cantonese Boy, I thought I heard 'let me curse you'.

"Jean the Birdman" has always been a particular botched lyricfest for me.

David's version: "Six hearts cut short, still dreaming they're alive"

My version: "Six hot scutches, still dreaming they're alive" (I always imagined that a "scutch" must be some sort of North American wild animal, perhaps a large rodent!)

David's version: "Just look out for the card sharks and the danger signs"

My version: "Just look out for the gods and scent the danger signs"

Thanks Melaszka, this is a great thread! I seriously laugh out loud when I read some of the misheard lyrics.

I really laughed hard when I read Bridget's version of "let me curse you". OMG....

Cheery Cherry wrote:Thanks Melaszka, this is a great thread! I seriously laugh out loud when I read some of the misheard lyrics.

I really laughed hard when I read Bridget's version of "let me curse you". OMG....

Thanks, Cheery Cherry!

I know - I'm going to relisten to Tin Drum in a minute to listen out for Bridget's words!