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Misheard Song Lyrics -> Stories -> Elvis Costello

Misheard lyrics (also called mondegreens) occur when people misunderstand the lyrics in a song. These are NOT intentional rephrasing of lyrics, which is called parody. For more information about the misheard lyrics available on this site, please read our FAQ.

This page contains a list of the songs that have stories about their misheard lyrics submitted.

Song names are sorted by first letter, excluding A and The. This is sorted by song title only, not by song title and performer. So if two different performers preformed the same song, you'll see misheard lyrics for both on the same page (provided the song title was spelt the same both times, and misheard lyrics have been submitted for both!).


Armed Forces album at Amazon.com
Elvis Costello's, "(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes"
The Misheard Lyrics:
But since the Windsor got rusted.
Y'know, the angels wanna wear my red shoes
The Real Lyrics:
But since their wings have got rusted,
You know, the angels wanna wear my red shoes.
The Story: Thought it was an oblique shot at the royal family somehow. - Submitted by: n/a
Elvis Costello's, "Allison"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Allison, my anus, too.
The Real Lyrics:
Allison, my aim is true.
The Story: - Submitted by: Maya Weiss
Elvis Costello's, "Everyday I Write the Book"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Everyday I rock the boat
or
Everyday I ride the bus
The Real Lyrics:
Everyday I write the book
The Story: After extensive debate regarding the actual lyrics of the song, one of our roommates tells us, 'Duh, listen to the other lyrics... they're talking about book chapters, working on the sequel, etc.' - Submitted by: Gary & Brian
Elvis Costello's, "Hoover Factory"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Greenford oh Greenford From Park Royal to North Acton
The Real Lyrics:
Green for go, green for action From Park Royal to North Acton
The Story: Greenford is a suburb of West London, England, not far from the Hoover Factory in Perivale. - Submitted by: Andrew Jones
Elvis Costello's, "Oliver's Army"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Eye of the zombie
The Real Lyrics:
Oliver's army
The Story: As a kid I was wondering why there was a zombie eye on its way, presumably floating around to watch us - Submitted by: Bec
Elvis Costello's, "Oliver's Army"
The Misheard Lyrics:
I was only heard to state.
The Real Lyrics:
Oliver's Army is here to stay.
The Story: I never had any idea what this song was about until a couple of months ago - in 2024, when my wife mentioned it had something to do with the English Civil War. (It doesn't have much to do with the English Civil war besides the mention of Oliver Cromwell.) - Submitted by: Herman Pumpernickel
Elvis Costello's, "Oliver's Army"
The Misheard Lyrics:
Llandudno's full of Arabs.
The Real Lyrics:
London is full of Arabs.
The Story: When my family went to Colwyn Bay (Wales) for a holiday, we went to Llandudno, the nearest city, for a day. I was wondering where the Arabs were. - Submitted by: pickle
Elvis Costello's, "Oliver's Army"
The Misheard Lyrics:
London is full of apps
The Real Lyrics:
London is full of Arabs
The Story: The way Elvis Costello sings it, I always thought he sang about "Apps" (job applications) - Submitted by: Alex Portnoy-WoyWoy, NSW, AUSTRALIA
Elvis Costello's, "What's So Funny Bout Peace, Love And Understanding"
The Misheard Lyrics:
What's so funny about this little earth were standing on?
The Real Lyrics:
What's so funny about peace, love and understanding?
The Story: A former girlfriend actually the misheard lyrics. Not a bad interpretation, though. - Submitted by: DFitz
Indexes: [#] [A] [B] [C] [D] [E] [F] [G] [H] [I] [J] [K] [L] [M] [N] [O] [P] [Q] [R] [S] [T] [U] [V] [W] [Y] [Z]

New entries in this section are currently reviewed by Brian Kelly. Previous editors (if any) are listed on the editors page.

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