25+ Iconic Song Lyrics That Everybody Gets Wrong

Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit

Kurt Cobain’s growling vocals in Smells Like Teen Spirit aren’t always easy to decipher, especially when the heavy guitars fully kick in.

Some people hear the words, “I’m a lion, I’m a vinyl, I’m a skittle, I’m a beetle”, rather than the actual lyrics, “A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido”. Admittedly, both sets of lyrics are equally nonsensical.

Taylor Swift – Blank Space

Taylor Swift is a talented lyricist, but she did have a lot of people scratching their heads wondering what a “Starbucks lover” was and why she had a lot of them.

It turns out, she actually sings, “I’ve got a long list of ex-lovers” in her 2014 chart-topping hit, Blank Space.

Jimi Hendrix – Purple Haze

There’s so much going on with Jimi Hendrix’s guitar in Purple Haze, that the clarity of his vocals often gets lost among the distortion.

To confirm, Hendrix is not singing, “Excuse me while I kiss this guy”, but instead, “Excuse me while I kiss the sky”.

The Beatles – I Want To Hold Your Hand

I Want To Hold Your Hand came out in 1964, when The Beatles were still in their sweet, mop-topped, innocent phase.

Unfortunately, the lyric “I can’t hide” is often confused as “I get high”, a topic which The Fab Four wouldn’t delve into until at least 1966.

Johnny Nash – I Can See Clearly Now

There is a large section of people who believe that Johnny Nash’s I Can See Clearly Now is about his relief at the departure of his sworn enemy Lorraine.

Of course, the lyric isn’t, “I can see Keeley now Lorraine has gone”, but instead, “I can see clearly now the rain has gone.”