There's a Bathroom on the Right

Back when I heard popular music primarily on the radio, it was often hard to match up titles and band names with their songs because they were rarely introduced in a simple manner. After several numbers and a couple of commercials, the DJ might breeze through that information. It could take me a long time to connect them. For all the issues I have with my computer and phone, I do love how easy it is to look up info in a matter of seconds. I had to refresh my memory of the exact titles that are coming, and it was a so simple. In the old days you had to look at the record jacket or a specialized magazine, but that almost always involved at trip to a store or library. No one could own all the available records. But I'm getting off track here. No pun intended. Occasionally, what I heard was not what was being sung. My first example is "There's a Bad Moon on the Rise," by Credence Clearwater Revival. When they sang that line I heard, "There's a bathroom on the right." After many years I worked out that I was totally off-base, that it was the line the title came from. I'm admitting it to you now because eventually, when I was listening to an oldies station, they talked about this exact issue. Apparently I was one of thousands who misheard it. I felt less ridiculous, but the wrong words were firmly etched in my mind. To this day when I hear that song, I hear, "There's a bathroom on the right," even if I try to hear the correct lyrics. It's useless. "A Little Bit of Soap," by The Jamels, was a similar problem. I heard, "A little bit of soul." The song is about a girl breaking up with a boy and he's saying that soap will wash away her lipstick, but not his pain or tears. My version was a bit metaphorical, but it made sense. To me anyway. When I finally heard the word correctly, it made more sense, but I was a little disappointed. Lastly I offer "A Must To Avoid," by Herman's Hermits. This group was one of my favorites and I owned their albums, so I'm not sure what excuse I have. When they sang "She's a must to avoid," I heard "She's a muscular boy." I was very young and beyond confused, especially since the next line was, "a complete impossibility." I don't remember how long it took before I understood the lyrics, but I do remember laughing. So, I've confessed. I'd love to hear any examples you have of twisted lyrics from your own listening experiences!