Sinister: Mishearings - do they matter?

[Mark Iles]

>My ridiculous ex-boyfriend (from many many moons ago) heard INXS' "Suicide
>Blonde" as "soup and salad bar"...

I always thought that they were singing 'suicide of love' and as if they
were trying to suggest that all love is pointless or something...

I think I must be the only one here who doesn't really bother reading the
lyrics. If I'm singing along to a song and don't know what the words are, I
just sing whatever they sound like to me, however unlikely that might be.
Like in Me and the Major I always sing "He remembers _watching_ music in
72". Now I know that's not right beause it makes no sense so I just went to
the web site to check what it was (fr the purpose of this mail) and it
turns out to be _Roxy_ Music. I'll even play a song to someone and tell
them how much I like it and comment that I've never understood what they
sing at a particular moment and the person I'm telling can't believe I've
never bothered to check the lyrics. But does it _really_ matter? I think
you can pick up the general feeling or mood of a song without knowing
exactly what it's about. Obviously if you mishear something and give it
completely the opposite meaning it'll never make any sense (Me and the
Midget must distort the entire meaning). But I know that Me and the Major
is about the gap between two people from completely different generations
and how they don't really understand each other but that there's some
empathy between them (at least from the singer) all the same. And I don't
think knowing all the lyrics especially helps you to feel what the songs
about - I think you're a lot better off just listening to it - it's meant
to be heard, after all, not read.

What do other people think?


				Mark

P.S. Having said that I do read the lyrics to some sons, like Arab Strap's
because I have terrible trouble understanding them otherwise...


___________________________________________________________________________

Mark Iles,                              Tel: +44 (0113) 2065042
Imperial Cancer Research Fund,          Fax: +44 (0113) 2340183
Genetic Epidemiology Laboratory,
Ashley Wing,                            Email: iles at boreas.leeds.icnet.uk
St James's University Hospital,
Beckett Street,
Leeds,
LS9 7TF
U.K.
____________________________________________________________________________


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