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Mondegreens
a misunderstood or misinterpreted word or phrase resulting from mishearing the lyrics of a song.
Origin
From the first stanza of the seventeenth-century ballad “The Bonnie Earl o’ Moray”
They hae slain the Earl o’ Moray / And laid him on the
green.
which was misheard as:
They hae slain the Earl Amurray / And Lady Mondegreen.
Examples
- “Excuse me while I kiss this guy…” - Hendrix, Purple Haze
- “The ants are my friends, they’re blowin’ in the wind…” - Dylan, Blowin’ in the Wind
- “There’s a bathroom on the right” - CCR, Bad Moon Rising