Misheard
“There’s a bad moon on the rise.”
~ John Fogerty, Creedence Clearwater Revival
CCR sings about bad weather as a warning that something ominous is coming. The lyric is, “There’s a bad moon on the rise.” But my dad pointed out that, with Fogerty’s accent, it sounds a lot like “There’s a bathroom on the right.”
Now, every time my family hears “Bad Moon Rising,” we sing it with the new lyrics. Apparently, the misheard version is so common that Fogerty himself sometimes sings it that way live.
In Robert Palmer’s “Addicted to Love” he sings, “Mices wear faces, You’re addicted to love.” Well, at least that is how I hear it. I am not sure whether I misheard this, or I was coached on this one, too. The liner notes say, “Might as well face it, you’re addicted to love.” It is also fun to sing Guns N Roses’ “Sweet Child o Mine” to the tune of Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline.”
Some people hear the lyrics clearly, but not everyone. Once I’ve misheard something, it’s hard to unhear it. Once I’ve believed something, it’s hard to unbelieve it. The mind is quick to tune out anything that doesn’t fit.
Sometimes I’m unclear. Sometimes I’m not really listening. Sometimes I am waiting to hear what confirms what I already believe. Sometimes there’s a bathroom on the right.
Can I communicate better? Can I listen better? Am I hearing what was said or what I want to hear?
Be curious, be kind, be whole, do good things.
Richard, this is so true. Every time the kids would listen to Dancing in the Sheets, I told them to turn it off. They kept saying, it isn’t bad, mom. So then I explained to them how Dancing in the Sheets was a kind way of saying they were in the sheets together. They laughed and said, “Mom, the song says Dancing in the Street!”. Every time I heard it, it was the other.
Great lesson, as usual. Have a great weekend my friend.