18 Hilarious Misheard Lyrics That Went Viral

A simple misheard word can turn a ballad into a belly laugh.

Have you ever found yourself singing along to a song, only to realize later that you’ve been belting out the wrong words? You’re not alone!

Misheard song lyrics, also known as mondegreens, have been cracking us up for years. From mistaking a line about an ex-lover for a shoutout to a coffee chain to thinking a pop star is singing about gassy vegetables, these have taken on a life of their own.

Here are some of the funniest misheard lyrics that became part of pop culture history.

1. “Blank Space” – Taylor Swift

• Actual lyrics: Got a long list of ex-lovers
• Misheard lyrics: All the lonely Starbucks lovers

When Taylor Swift sang about her “long list of ex-lovers” in her 2014 hit “Blank Space,” many listeners thought she was name-dropping a popular coffee chain.

The line “Got a long list of ex-lovers” was widely misheard as “All the lonely Starbucks lovers,” amusing Swift’s fans and shocking Starbucks.

The misinterpretation was so popular that it inspired countless jokes and memes. This is especially since even Swift’s mom thought it was the actual lyrics.

2. “Good for You” – Selena Gomez

• Actual lyrics: I’m 14 carats
• Misheard lyrics: I’m farting carrots

Selena Gomez’s 2015 single “Good for You” has a line that left some fans puzzled.

Instead of hearing “I’m 14 carats,” referring to the purity of gold, many listeners thought Gomez was singing “I’m farting carrots.”

The singer herself talked about the misheard lyric in an interview. Here, she laughed off the confusion and blaming it on the interviewers’ English accents.

3. “It’s Gonna Be Me” – NSYNC

• Actual lyrics: It’s gonna be me
• Misheard lyrics: It’s gonna be May

NSYNC’s 2000 hit “It’s Gonna Be Me” has a famous misheard lyric that has become a yearly internet tradition.

Many people mishear Justin Timberlake singing “it’s gonna be me” as “it’s gonna be May,” creating a yearly meme that shows up on social media at the end of April.

Even NSYNC members have joined in on the joke, sharing the meme on their own accounts.

4. “Old Town Road” – Lil Nas X

• Actual lyrics: I’m gonna take my horse to the old town road
• Misheard lyrics: I’m gonna take my horse to the hotel room

Lil Nas X’s record-breaking hit “Old Town Road” has a frequently misheard lyric. Instead of “Take my horse to the old town road,” many listeners hear “Take my horse to the hotel room.”

This wrong interpretation has gotten millions of search results on Google, making it a viral misheard lyric.

5. “We Will Rock You” – Queen

• Actual lyrics: Kicking your can all over the place
• Misheard lyrics: Kicking your cat all over the place

Speaking of animals, Queen’s iconic 1977 anthem “We Will Rock You” has a misheard lyric that has led to worries about animal welfare.

The actual line “Kicking your can all over the place” is often misheard as “Kicking your cat all over the place.”

Thankfully, no felines were hurt in the making of this classic stadium rock tune.

6. “Tiny Dancer” – Elton John

• Actual lyrics: Hold me closer, tiny dancer
• Misheard lyrics: Hold me close, young Tony Danza

Elton John’s classic 1971 song “Tiny Dancer” has a famous misheard lyric that was even mentioned in an episode of the TV show “Friends.”

The line “Hold me closer, tiny dancer” is often misunderstood as “Hold me close, young Tony Danza,” referring to the actor known for his roles in “Taxi” and “Who’s the Boss?”

This funny mixup has become a well-known pop culture joke.

7. “Empire State of Mind” – Jay-Z and Alicia Keys

• Actual lyrics: Concrete jungle where dreams are made of
• Misheard lyrics: Concrete jungle wet-dream tomato

The 2009 collaboration between Jay-Z and Alicia Keys, “Empire State of Mind,” has a misheard lyric that has taken on a life of its own.

Instead of “Concrete jungle where dreams are made of,” some listeners hear “Concrete jungle wet-dream tomato.”

This strange misinterpretation has been immortalized in YouTube videos and memes, with Ed Sheeran also admitting he misheard the lyrics.

8. “You’re the One That I Want” From Grease

• Actual lyrics: I’ve got chills, they’re multiplying
• Misheard lyrics: I’ve got shoes, they’re made of plywood

The iconic duet “You’re the One That I Want” from the 1978 movie musical “Grease” has a misheard lyric that turns the song from romantic to ridiculous.

Rather than hearing John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John sing “I’ve got chills, they’re multiplying,” some listeners have misinterpreted the line as “I’ve got shoes, they’re made of plywood.”

This odd mishearing has led to jokes about losing the soles of one’s shoes. Some people have even joked about it and added another line to replace the original “And I’m losing control” to “And I’m losing the soles”

9. “Purple Haze” – Jimi Hendrix

• Actual lyrics: ‘Scuse me while I kiss the sky
• Misheard lyrics: ‘Scuse me while I kiss this guy

Jimi Hendrix’s 1967 classic “Purple Haze” has perhaps the most famous misheard lyric of all time.

The line “’Scuse me while I kiss the sky” is often misheard as “’Scuse me while I kiss this guy,” leading to the creation of the popular misheard lyrics website KissThisGuy.com.

Hendrix himself even played into the joke, sometimes singing the misheard lyric on stage while pointing at his bandmates.

10. “Bohemian Rhapsody” – Queen

• Actual lyrics: Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me
• Misheard lyrics: “Beelzebub has a devil for a sideboard” or “The algebra has a devil for a sidekick eee!”

Queen’s epic 1975 song “Bohemian Rhapsody” is full of lyrics that are easy to mishear, from “Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you do the Fandango?” to “Bismillah! No, we will not let you go.”

Many people sing these lines wrong because of their unusual words and references. But one of the most commonly misunderstood lines comes near the end of the song: “Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me.”

Listeners have come up with various incorrect versions, from “Beelzebub has a devil for a sideboard” to “The algebra has a devil for a sidekick.”

It’s not just a classic anthem but a song for everyone who hates math, I guess?

11. “Dancing Queen” – ABBA

• Actual lyrics: See that girl, watch that scene, diggin’ the dancing queen
• Misheard lyrics: See that girl, watch her scream, kicking the dancing queen.

ABBA’s enduring 1976 hit “Dancing Queen” has a frequently misheard lyric that turns the song from joyful to violent.

The actual line “See that girl, watch that scene, diggin’ the dancing queen” is often misinterpreted as “See that girl, watch her scream, kicking the dancing queen.”

This mixup was even named the most commonly misheard lyric in a 2014 British poll.

12. “Because of You” – Kelly Clarkson

• Actual lyrics: I never stray too far from the sidewalk
• Misheard lyrics: I never stray too far from the salad bowl

Kelly Clarkson became a pop sensation after winning the first season of “American Idol” in 2002, and her track “Because of You” was released on her second studio album, alongside hits like “Since U Been Gone.”

The ballad gained a funny twist thanks to a viral Vine video. The clip pointed out that the line “I never stray too far from the sidewalk” sounds very similar to “I never stray too far from the salad bowl,” turning the emotional song into an accidental ode to leafy greens.

13. “Sugar, We’re Going Down” – Fall Out Boy

• Actual lyrics: We’re going down, down in an earlier round / And sugar, we’re going down swinging / I’ll be your number one with a bullet / A loaded god complex, cock it and pull it”
• Misheard lyrics: We’re going down, down in the merry-go-round / Sure girl we’re going down swimming / I’ll be your number one with a bullet / I know you got cornflakes, c*ck-eating bullet

Fall Out Boy’s 2005 hit “Sugar, We’re Going Down” has a chorus that’s notoriously hard to figure out. So, listeners have come up with creative interpretations involving everything from merry-go-rounds to cornflakes. Others, however, have resorted to gibberish.

Either way, Patrick Stump sounds great, and the song became a hit, even if he doesn’t clearly say the consonants.

14. “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” – Eurythmics

• Actual lyrics: Sweet dreams are made of this
• Misheard lyrics: Sweet dreams are made of cheese

You’d think using exact words from the title will make you free from misheard lyrics but the Eurythmics’ 1983 hit “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” has led to a long-running internet joke based on a misheard lyric.

Rather than singing “Sweet dreams are made of this,” some listeners choose to belt out “Sweet dreams are made of cheese,” turning the song into a cheesy fantasy.

This has been a meme around the internet for years, with people changing the entire chorus as an ode to cheese.

15. “Thank U, Next” – Ariana Grande

• Actual lyrics: Thank you, next / I’m so f*cking grateful for my ex.
• Misheard lyrics: Bacon, eggs / I’m so f*cking grateful for my eggs.

Fron an ode to cheese, Ariana Grande’s 2018 smash “Thank U, Next” was misheard by some listeners as an ode to breakfast foods.

Instead of “Thank you, next,” they heard “Bacon, eggs,” turning the empowering breakup anthem into a morning meal chant.

While Grande is known for her sometimes hard-to-understand vocals, this misinterpretation really takes the cake (or should we say bacon?). Some fans are sad that it’s not the actual lyrics, but who can stop them from singing about breakfast?

16. “Losing My Religion” – R.E.M

• Actual lyrics: That’s me in the corner, that’s me in the spotlight
• Misheard lyrics: Let’s pee in the corner, let’s pee in the spotlight.

R.E.M.’s 1991 hit “Losing My Religion” has a misheard lyric that turns the song’s meaning upside down.

Instead of “That’s me in the corner, that’s me in the spotlight,” some listeners hear “Let’s pee in the corner, let’s pee in the spotlight.”

While lead singer Michael Stipe has said the song is actually about unrequited love, the funny misinterpretation has become a popular joke among fans. Either way, here’s hoping you’re always able to find a bathroom when the need comes up and that you don’t ever feel the urge to sing about it in public.

17. “You Are Not Alone” – Michael Jackson

• Actual lyrics: Your burdens I will bear
• Misheard lyrics: Your burgers are the best

Michael Jackson’s 1995 ballad “You Are Not Alone” has a misheard lyric that turns the heartfelt song into a fast food jingle.

The line “Your burdens I will bear” is often misheard as “Your burgers are the best,” leading to jokes about the King of Pop secretly promoting a burger chain. The misheard lyric got even more attention after being featured in a comedy sketch by English comedian Peter Kay.

18. The U.S. Pledge of Allegiance

• Actual lyrics: I pledge allegiance to the flag… and to the Republic for which it stands… indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
• Misheard lyrics: I led the pigeons to the flag …and to the Republic for witches’ dance …invisible and liver tea and just us four, all.

It’s not just songs that get misheard lyrics – even the U.S. Pledge of Allegiance has been subject to funny misinterpretations by children.

People of all ages can mishear things, but children, being perfect little vessels for all kinds of delightful curiosities, are an especially entertaining source.

From “I led the pigeons to the flag” to “liver tea and just us four, all,” these innocent mistakes often happen when kids try to make sense of the unfamiliar words and phrases in the pledge.