Music has always been my first love and passion. Growing up, it annoyed me when people would mistake bands for the songs they wrote. When someone said: “Oh I love Livin’ on a Prayer by Journey,” I would correct them and say, “You mean Bon Jovi?” Actually, it still bothers me, and then (because I am a nerd) I can tell you, off the top of my head, that Livin’ on a Prayer is from the 1986 album Slippery When Wet (track 3, right after You Give Love a Bad Name) and recorded in Vancouver as the band’s breakthrough album. You see, I was in 8th grade when this came out and I wore out the cassette tape. My high school rock band played Livin’ on a Prayer as well as the opening track from side 2 entitled “Raise Your Hands.” Classic Bon Jovi.
I was an 80’s kid and I loved all the big hair bands. I learned to play drums along with Van Halen albums, Motley Crue, Poison, Ozzy, and so many more. I still love all of that music because it transports me back in time to happy memories, playing in bands, getting my drivers license and hanging out with great friends. There is great freedom in teenage years….but sadly, no wisdom haha.
Since there was no internet in the 80’s (google it, kids), we also had to hope that bands printed their song lyrics in the liner notes on the album or in the cassette insert. When CD’s came out, many bands did this, but some still left you guessing. I clearly remember sitting around during jam sessions listening to songs OVER and OVER again to try to decipher the lyrics so Gary or Scotty (rock God friends and bandmates) could sing them, while I memorized drum parts to play that are still swimming around in my head today. I know there are a lot of websites and short reels dedicated to misheard song lyrics, but here are some personal ones that I remember while we were trying to become famous as an up and coming rock band called Euphoria. We were not as good as we thought we were, but as David Lee Roth once sang….we had damn good times. Eric….this first one is for you. Remember these? Oh man, we spent hours….and we were still wrong. Damn you Ozzy….
- Crazy Train. What we heard: “The many nostalgic, and newly paroled.”
- What is actually sung: “The media sells it, and you live the role.”
- Saturday Night’s All Right For Fighting (Elton John).
- We heard: “Get your body started like a diesel train.”
- What is actually sung: “Get about as oiled as a diesel train.”
- Purple Haze (Hendrix)
- We heard: “‘Scuse me, while I kiss this guy!”
- What is actually sung: “‘Scuse me, while I kiss the sky.”
- Jump (Van Halen)
- We heard: “Can’t you see me standin’ here, I got my back against a raking machine.”
- What is actually sung: “Can’t you see me standin’ here, I got my back against the record machine.”
- Love in an Elevator (Aerosmith)
- We heard: “Bettin’ all the time on Tarzan.”
- What is actually sung: “Bettin’ on the dice I’m tossin'” (that one killed us forever)
- Blowin’ in the Wind (Dylan)
- We heard: “The ants are my friends.”
- Sung: “The answer my friends.”
- Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds (The Beatles)
- We heard: “Lucy and this guy with diamonds”
- This one is a joke since the lyrics are printed on the back of the album cover making Sgt. Pepper the first album in rock history to print the lyrics for the listener. The Beatles were first with a lot of stuff, but that’s another whole blog. Take that one to trivia Jay…
- Rock the Casbah (The Clash)
- We heard: “Shareem don’t like me.”
- Sung: “Sharif don’t like it.”
- BONUS ITEMS BELOW FROM MY LOVELY WIFE VANESSA who sings lyrics in the car and then says to me: “Leave me alone, I like the way I sing it.” The woman knows how to press my buttons.
- Band on the Run (Wings)
- Vanessa: “Man on the run. Man on the run.”
- Me: Do you know the name of this song?
- No Rain (Blind Melon….Jim I want my CD back)
- Vanessa: “You know I like to keep my teenage progeny.” (progeny? noun: a descendant or the descendants of a person, animal, or plant; offspring.) She’s smart…I don’t even know that word…
- Actual lyric: “You know I’d like to keep my cheeks dry today.”
So know you know how I spent my time from 1987 until the internet saved all of us from wondering what these people were actually singing. You can stop reading now, unless you are a nerd like me for the double sick bonus… (this is what I used to call the extra question on my classroom music tests.) One of the first things I actually did when I got online in 1996 or so was to search the lyrics for a classic 80’s song that was totally impossible to decipher without help. You may want to open Spotify, Apple or whatever you use to listen along while reading this beast. I would never have figured out these lyrics in a million years. The video is pretty awful, but the tune has a great hook. Back in the day, I printed the lyrics so I could memorize them and be annoying in bars when the song was played. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the ACTUAL SUNG LYRICS TO……Come on Eileen (Dexy’s Midnight Runners 1982…their band name is a drug reference….who knew? Enjoy this ear worm.)
Poor old Johnny Ray
Sounded sad upon the radio
He moved a million hearts in mono
Our mothers used
To sing along, who’d blame them
You’re grown (a grown up),
So grown (so grown up), now I must say more than ever
(Come on Eileen)
Toora loora toora loo rye aye
And we can sing just like our fathers
Come on Eileen, oh I swear (well he means)
At this moment, you mean everything
You in that dress, oh my thoughts I confess
Verge on dirty
Ah come on Eileen
Come on Eileen
These people round here
Wear beaten down eyes
Sunk in smoke dried faces
Resigned to what their fate is
But not us (no never), no not us (no never)
We are far too young and clever
Remember
Toora loora toora loo rye aye
Eileen I’ll hum this tune forever
Eileen I’ll hum this tune forever
Come on Eileen oh I swear (well he means)
Ah come on, let’s take off everything
That pretty red dress, oh Eileen tell him yes
Ah come on let’s, Ah come on Eileen
Come on Eileen oh I swear (well he means)
At this moment you mean everything
Come on Eileen too-loo rye-aye
Come on Eileen too-loo rye-aye
Toora toora-too-loora
Oh, Eileen
Oh, Eileen
We are far too young and clever
And things wont ever change
I say toora loora toora loo rye aye
Come on Eileen, oh I swear (well he means)
At this moment, you mean everything to me
You mean everything
Stay safe, stay awesome, and stay tuned. Maybe the dude mumbled on purpose to get the lyrics played on the radio. This song is racy and is actually about Catholic repression…and there is no such real person as Eileen. Ok…I googled for that information. I couldn’t help myself to these acts I confess…
Patrick moeschen 
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div dir=”ltr”>My favorite is Ne
My favorite is Neil Diamond’s “Forever in Bluejeans”