Flying Negroes and Other Misunderstandings

Posted by Mimi on April 2nd, 2008 filed in Humor

It is a beautiful day in 1975 and I am on a summer’s drive with my mom. We are listening to Steve Miller’s “Fly Like an Eagle” blare through the speakers of her golden brown Monte Carlo. I am riding along contemplating how I can help stop racism:

“Mama, why come do people treat blacks so bad?”

“I don’t know honey. I wish it weren’t that way.”

“Well, I especially don’t know why they treat them mean if they have special powers and all.” I say quizzically.

“What do you mean sweetie?”

“I mean, I haven’t ever seen any of them fly. Have you?”

“What on earth are you talking about, Mimi?”

“You know, like this song says: ‘I want to fly like a negro’”

My mom stifles a laugh. “EAGLE. The song is: “Fly Like an EAGLE“.

“Oh” I mutter quietly, “that makes more sense.”

To this day I giggle every time I hear that song. Maybe now you will, too.

If this post inspires you to share your misheard lyrics, please post them so the rest of us can get a good chuckle.


5 Responses to “Flying Negroes and Other Misunderstandings”

  1. dogsrule Says:
    April 3rd, 2008 at 10:41 am

    I used to think the 80s song “Amadeus” was saying “Hot Potatoes, hot potatoes, hot potatoes, ooh rock me hot potatoes”

    You’re not the only one who didn’t get song lyrics :P

  2. gigi Says:
    May 4th, 2008 at 11:54 am

    Around the same time 1975ish. I recall being in the station wagon w/my mom driving down the GIANT hill on Sandy Lane wondering WHY do we want to
    “take it to the lemon”?? The Eagles
    I also thought Sandy Lane was infinite and swore that when I was old enough to drive, I would “take it to the lemon”

  3. j. Says:
    May 28th, 2008 at 12:29 pm

    When I was 9 or 10, I really thought the song “Blinded By The Light” by Manfred Mann’s Earth Band was cool. It had lots of synth piano and swirling guitar parts, but the best part for me, was the chorus, which I thought was…

    “Blinded by the light, wrapped up like a DOUCHE, another RUBBER in the night.”

    I remember one night staying up until 5 in the morning harassing a local DJ to play “The Douche Song”. I called every half hour through his graveyard shift. At first he would just hang up on me, thinking it was a prank call. I wasn’t going to give up until he played the song.

    Finally, he said something like, “Kid what song are you talking about?” So, I sung him the chorus as I understood it and he laughed and replied something like “I’ll see what I can do.”

    Finally, at 5 in the morning, he played the song and I recorded it a cassette tape on my Sony Sport jam box.

    It wasn’t until mimi’s post that I thought back to all the songs I didn’t know the actual lyrics to, and this stood out as the funniest. Here are the correct lyrics to “Blinded By The Light” written by Bruce Springsteen and performed by Manfred Mann’s Earth Band.

    And (s)he was blinded by the light/cut loose like a deuce, another runner in the night

    I’m still not sure what these lyrics are supposed to mean. “Cut loose like a deuce” sounds like pinching off a turd to me.

  4. j. Says:
    July 7th, 2008 at 5:06 pm

    http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mondegreen

    Mondegreen is apparently a new word which means to misunderstand lyrics.

  5. j. Says:
    July 7th, 2008 at 5:13 pm

    I remembered this one too,

    Elton John, “Benny and The Jets”

    I heard, “She’s got electric boobs, you know that’s cool.”

    The actual lyrics, “She’s got electric boots, a mohair suit.
    You know I read it in a magazine”

Leave a Comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.