Whatever happened to clear enunciation?

None of us are strangers to badly written songs. In fact, most of what constitutes as popular commercial music today is ironically a package of a catchy beat/tune and some less than mediocre lyrics.

But what about those songs whose lyrics have been widely misheard?

 

1. Gangnam Style

Honestly, most people who have heard this song are not familiar or fluent with Korean, but how many of you could swear you heard the words – β€˜open condom style’ the first time you heard the song? Giggle worthy, indeed. No hate to Psy though. It’s not his fault most of his fans aren’t Korean!

 

2. I Wanna Hold Your Hand

The Beatles are probably one the greatest bands that have ever existed, no doubt. But even the greatest band in the world went through their share of enunciation issues. For awhile, most people associated β€˜I wanna hold your hand’ with, β€˜I wanna hold your ham’ which for some was the butt of many perverted jokes. Either way, we love the song. Mad respect to you McCartney!

 

3. Hollaback Girl

Gwenniiie! You awesome Ska vocalist, you! But why do you keep singing, β€˜I ain’t no Harlem black girl’? We know you aren’t black or from Harlem. That much is obvious. So why write a song about it? Oh waaaaait, now we get it.

 

4. Beat It

King of pop = Ruler of the world! However, why was Michael Jackson caught singing β€˜Beaded, beaded. No one wants to eat a peanut,’ on a track that was called, β€˜Beat it’? Hello, everyone LOVES peanuts so we don’t know what you were talking about, MJ.

Regardless, may your soul rest in peace.

 

5. Purple Haze

Jimi Hendrix was the man. His songs sounded brilliant, even when they were misheard. Probably one of the most popular and known misheard lyrics to have ever existed comes from Hendrix’s β€œScuse me while I kiss the sky” which many (eager) fans heard as β€œScuse me while I kiss this guy”. But like we said, Jimi was the man. So what did he do? He took the misheard lyrics and adopted it himself!