Subject: Re: Misheard Song Lyrics
From: "jjh"
To: Vocalist <vocalist>
Send reply to: VOCALIST <vocalist>

Dear Vocalist:

I have been in hysterics all weekend, reading your contributions to the
genre of Misheard Song Lyrics. I can't wait to see my Diction class
tomorrow! We're starting to discuss "How to Sing in English and Still be
Understood," and this is a perfect way to start the class.

The first Misheard Song Lyric I remember hearing about comes from the
children's book Ramona the Pest. Ramona is learning how to sing "The
Star-Spangled Banner" in school, but she can't figure out what the "dawnzer
lee light" is. She thinks it might be some sort of big lamp. As I recall
(whew--it's been a few years!), she asks her sister to turn on the table
lamp by saying, "would you please turn on the dawnzer lee light?", and is
very upset to find out that the words are really "the dawn's early light."

In college, I knew a girl who insisted that the Van Halen song "Jump" was
about a man named "Maxwell Jump" (..."might as well...Jump!"). Nobody could
change her mind.

This has been fun! Thanks for your contributions!

Jana
--
Jana Holzmeier
Dept. of Music
Nebraska Wesleyan University
5000 Saint Paul Ave.
Lincoln, NE 68504
jjh-at-nebrwesleyan.edu
402-465-2284