Songs with incorrect lyrics

Songs with incorrect lyrics

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Skyedriver

Original Poster:

20,608 posts

297 months

Friday 22nd September 2023
quotequote all
Sparked by a comment Graham Nash made last night at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall (brilliant concert by the way) about the English.

He sang the Beatles song "A Day In The Life" (and did a good job of it) but there's a lyric in there "the English Army had just won the war" erm, what about the Scots, Welsh, Irish, Americans, Polish etc etc

Lennon was usually pretty good with his lyrics.

Panamax

6,335 posts

49 months

Friday 22nd September 2023
quotequote all
Back in the day I doubt the expression "UK" was used much at all. It's mainly a creature of joining the EEC/EU where the official name of our state was "United Kingdom". United Kingdom actually means "the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland". Great Britain principally means "England and Wales" (which was one country), plus Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Britain and Great Britain would also have been rare terms to hear.

The two most common expressions will have been,

"England" - which was used to include Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and

"British Empire" - which included Australia, Canada, India etc. The "British army" will have contained troops from all of those.

The idea that places like Wales and NI were "countries" would have been considered laughable. Even Scotland will have been seen as a special flavour of Englishness rather than somewhere completely separate from England. the Scots, of course, may have disagreed...

So perhaps England fielded the British army after all....

Edited by Panamax on Friday 22 September 15:38

Granadier

859 posts

42 months

Friday 22nd September 2023
quotequote all
Panamax said:
Back in the day I doubt the expression "UK" was used much at all. It's mainly a creature of joining the EEC/EU where the official name of our state was "United Kingdom". United Kingdom actually means "the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland". Great Britain principally means "England and Wales" (which was one country), plus Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Britain and Great Britain would also have been rare terms to hear.

The two most common expressions will have been,

"England" - which was used to include Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and

"British Empire" - which included Australia, Canada, India etc. The "British army" will have contained troops from all of those.

The idea that places like Wales and NI were "countries" would have been considered laughable. Even Scotland will have been seen as a special flavour of Englishness rather than somewhere completely separate from England. the Scots, of course, may have disagreed...

So perhaps England fielded the British army after all....

Edited by Panamax on Friday 22 September 15:38
I've been rereading some of the original James Bond books and it's noticeable that in most cases Fleming talks about "England" when referring to the UK state.

Skyedriver

Original Poster:

20,608 posts

297 months

Friday 22nd September 2023
quotequote all
Think you'll find the Scots feel a little differently.

Different scenario but Andy Murray is Scottish but media usually class him as British, whilst and English player is usually English but I digress.
Back to song lyrics.

Yahonza

2,734 posts

45 months

Friday 22nd September 2023
quotequote all
Especially as it was the Scots who created the union in the first place (we ran out of money).
John Lennon used to visit his aunt in Edinburgh, probably where the b*llocks lyrics came from.

2 sMoKiN bArReLs

31,198 posts

250 months

Friday 22nd September 2023
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"As sure as Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengeti"

Nope

2 sMoKiN bArReLs

31,198 posts

250 months

Friday 22nd September 2023
quotequote all
It was made in fifty-nine
In a factory by the Tyne
It says Morris on the door
The GPO owned it before

Oxfordshire surely?

2 sMoKiN bArReLs

31,198 posts

250 months

Friday 22nd September 2023
quotequote all
I took her rather nifty
Down to an incubator
Where thirty minutes later
She gave birth to a daughter

Who goes to an incubator before a babe is born? biggrin

2 sMoKiN bArReLs

31,198 posts

250 months

Friday 22nd September 2023
quotequote all
Not exactly incorrect....but where is the other place?

If a man could be two places at one time
I'd be with you
Tomorrow and today, beside you all the way

forsure

2,159 posts

283 months

Friday 22nd September 2023
quotequote all
'And I miss you, like the deserts miss the rain' - Everything but the Girl.

The deserts don't miss the rain, They've evolved over millions of years to manage without it.

bigpriest

2,081 posts

145 months

Friday 22nd September 2023
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The Smiths : Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before

I was detained, I was restrained
And broke my spleen
And broke my knee
And then he really lays into me
Friday night in Outpatients
Who said I'd lied to her?

That would be A&E on a Friday night with those injuries

MikeT66

2,693 posts

139 months

Saturday 23rd September 2023
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Bruce Springsteen - Racing In The Street

"I got a '69 Chevy with a three-ninety-six
Fuelie heads and a Hurst on the floor"

Going to have to take someone else's notes on this, as it's a bit technical for me!

"The issue is the fuelly heads on a big block. A 396 is the smallest big block ("Rat" in Chevy parlance, vs. "Mouse" for the small block) Chevrolet motor made. The 427 was the most common and popular "Rat" motor.

The sticking point: "Fuelly" heads only fit small block Chevy motors. Completely different architecture and castings. No way, Jose. My own first '55 Chevy Nomad strip car (first car I owned, back in '68!) had a 283 with "Fuelly" heads. These heads fit most small block engines, and were distinguished by their larger ports and valves."

Seem to also recall that a 396, 'Fuelly' Head and Hurst gearbox components together would be a very odd combo to choose due to certain spec issues.

I did read that this was highlighted to Bruce sometime after the writing and recording, and it's bothered him since!!! Still a brilliant song.

dave_s13

13,915 posts

284 months

Saturday 23rd September 2023
quotequote all
2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:
"As sure as Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengeti"

Nope
Is killimanjaro not visible from the Serengeti on a clear day?

It might be......
https://reddit.com/r/geek/s/i6Vt43dsZG

2 sMoKiN bArReLs

31,198 posts

250 months

Saturday 23rd September 2023
quotequote all
dave_s13 said:
2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:
"As sure as Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengeti"

Nope
Is killimanjaro not visible from the Serengeti on a clear day?

It might be......
https://reddit.com/r/geek/s/i6Vt43dsZG
Never hehe

Jehu son of Nimshi

28 posts

63 months

Saturday 23rd September 2023
quotequote all
forsure said:
'And I miss you, like the deserts miss the rain' - Everything but the Girl.

The deserts don't miss the rain, They've evolved over millions of years to manage without it.
Love this song but yeah, can't help but have that very thought everytime i hear it!

Jordie Barretts sock

6,018 posts

34 months

Saturday 23rd September 2023
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One more widow, one less white n--ger.

No, Elvis Costello, it should be one fewer.

laugh

droopsnoot

13,488 posts

257 months

Saturday 23rd September 2023
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MikeT66 said:
Bruce Springsteen - Racing In The Street

"I got a '69 Chevy with a three-ninety-six
Fuelie heads and a Hurst on the floor"
On the subject of cars, the song "Greased Lighting" seems to start with "Well, this car's automatic, it's a load of other -matics", yet later it apparently has "a four-speed on the floor". Would a fifties American car have a four-speed auto box?

Tyrell Corp

258 posts

35 months

Saturday 23rd September 2023
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Iron Maiden 22 Acacia Avenue (song about a punter's relationship with a hooker)

official: you're packing your bags you're coming with me

real lyric: you're back in your bed, you're coming with me.

Nickp82

3,605 posts

108 months

jayymannon

265 posts

92 months

Sunday 24th September 2023
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'There are nine million bicycles in Beijing
That's a fact
It's a thing we can't deny'

Katie Melua


Ok, so I've no idea how many there are either, but I doubt she's counted them all smile