More Mondegreen Madness: Lyrics You've Misheard Quiz

Answer: We Built This City - Starship

The correct lyrics are: "We built this city on rock 'n' roll."

This song had an impeccable background: words by Bernie Taupin (who wrote many of Elton John's best songs) and music by Martin Page. However, Starship producers Dennis Lambert and Peter Wolf insisted on some changes including repetitions of the chorus and the addition of an announcer's voice.
The song topped the Billboard Hot 100, and was also a number one in Australia and Canada.

Answer: Dancing Queen - Abba

Correct lyrics: "See that girl, watch that scene, digging the dancing queen."

Many wedding DJs swear on the certainty of getting people up to dance by playing this song.
Abba had a long string of number one singles in the UK and Europe, and were also very popular in Australia. "Dancing Queen" was their only US number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
Anni-Frid Lyngstad later recalled that the first time the backing track was played to her she burst into tears: "And that was before me and Agnetha [Fältskog] had even sung on it! I knew it was absolutely the best song Abba had ever done."

Answer: Hound Dog - Elvis Presley

Correct lyrics: "Well, you ain't never caught a rabbit and you ain't no friend of mine."

Written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, this was a Billboard number one R&B hit for Big Mama Thornton in 1953. It was also sung by Freddie Bell and the Bell Boys in 1955, before Elvis got hold of it. (They both varied the style and lyrics that Thornton had used.) In 1956, Presley released the double A-side "Don't Be Cruel" and "Hound Dog". In its official history Billboard states that "Don't Be Cruel" was a Hot 100 number one and "Hound Dog" only a number two. On October 6, 1956, they were number one and number two on the Hot 100.
Mike Stoller was in Europe when the Presley version hit the top of the charts. Returning and being told of the success he said: "And I heard the record and I was disappointed. It just sounded terribly nervous, too fast, too white. But you know, after it sold seven or eight million records it started to sound better. I should also say that the other things we did with Elvis I liked very much."

Answer: Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) - Eurythmics

Correct lyrics: "Sweet Dreams are made of this."

The Eurythmics were the duo Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart.
The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 1983 and was a UK number two. It also topped the charts in France and Canada.
In a New York Times interview in October, 2007, Annie Lennox said the song was written by the duo just after they'd had a bitter fight. "I thought it was the end of the road and that was that. We were trying to write, and I was miserable. And he just went, well, 'I'll do this anyway."

Answer: Beast of Burden - Rolling Stones

Correct lyrics: "I'll never be your beast of burden."

The song was conceived by Keith Richards but Mick Jagger added some lines and others were improvised in the studio. It reached number seven in the Billboard Hot 100 in 1978.
Ronnie Wood later said: "That's another one that just came very naturally in the studio. And I slipped into my part and Keith had his going. It may have appeared as though it was planned. We can pick it up today and it will just naturally slip into the groove again with the guitars weaving in a special way."

Answer: Chasing Pavements - Adele

Correct lyrics: "...or should I just keep chasing pavements?"

This was a UK number two in 2008 and reached number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was taken from her debut album "19".
In an interview in 'The Sun' newspaper in 2008, Adele said 'Chasing Pavements' was about splitting up with a boyfriend and having her heart broken for the first time: "That song is about should I give up or should I just keep trying to run after you when there's nothing there? I was only with him for four months but when I signed my record deal I had to write an album, as I hardly had any songs, so I wrote about him."

Answer: Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue - Crystal Gayle

Correct lyrics: "Don't it make my brown eyes blue."

The song topped the Billboard Country charts and was a cross-over success, hitting number two in the Hot 100 pop charts.
Apparent trivia fact (allegedly): Songwriter Richard Leigh was inspired by his dog's eyes. (Presumably it was not a Siberian Husky...)
Crystal Gayle recorded her vocals in one take in the studio: She later told 'Billboard' magazine. "I did not re-sing it. It just fell into place beginning with Pig Robbins' opening work on the piano. It was magic in the studio that day."

Answer: Blank Space - Taylor Swift

Correct lyrics: "I've got a long list of ex-lovers."

"Blank Space" reached number one in the Billboard Hot 100 and also topped the charts in Australia, Canada, Finland and Scotland.
Taylor Swift, who wrote the song, was amused to be told of the misheard lyric remarking in a newspaper interview: "A delightful misunderstanding about this song that was written about misunderstandings."

Answer: Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds -Beatles.

Correct lyrics: "The girl with kaleidoscope eyes."

This was a number one in the US and Canada, but only reached number ten in the UK.
The Lucy in the song title actually existed. She was a classmate of John Lennon's son Julian. In a 1975 interview Lennon said: "Julian came in one day with a picture about a school friend of his named Lucy. He had sketched in some stars in the sky and called it Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds."

Answer: I Knew The Bride - Dave Edmunds

This was another of the songs that I misheard first time.

"I Knew the Bride (When She Used to Rock 'n' Roll)" was written by Nick Lowe. It was recorded initially by Dave Edmunds. Lowe also recorded a slower version of the song.