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You Are What You Hear

Washington Post reporter Paul Farhi takes us through some of the most famously botched song lyrics in rock history. We’ll explore why the words we make up are usually more interesting than the real version. Then, listeners confess their favorite and most embarrassing reinvented lyrics.

Leave a comment: Give us your favorite set of misheard lyrics! Were you disappointed when you learned the actual words?

Paul Farhi's Article on Mangled Lyrics

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CD Picks of the Week

Every week, the Soundcheck staff digs through our inboxes for the best new releases.

Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis, "Two Men with the Blues" (Blue Note)

The iconoclast and outlaw Willie Nelson has a passion for jazz standards. For two nights last January, he shared the stage with bebop master Wynton Marsalis at the cozy Allen Room at Jazz at Lincoln Center. The tape was rolling and now an album of that performance is out. It's not only a great musical encounter between two icons, but it's also proof of the universal language of music that makes for a simply fun show. --Gisele Regatao

Sloan, "Parallel Play" (Yep Roc)

Our next CD pick comes from the Canadian rock band Sloan. Devoted fans of the band can often be heard moaning that this ultra-talented quartet of songwriters doesn’t enjoy an equal level of success in the States. It IS a bit puzzling. Sloan seems to have an endless supply of solid -- if somewhat retro -- pop albums to release. The latest is "Parallel Play," and if you listen closely, you can hear Sloan fans moaning that this … should … have … been … THE … record! No matter … it’s great. --Joel Meyer

Thomas Feiner & Anywhen, “The Opiates, Revised” (Samadhi Sound)

Anywhen was a Swedish rock band in the 90s, and The Opiates was their third, their most ambitious, and their last record. Originally released in 2001, the band fell apart during the two years it took to make this album, with its lush orchestrations, moody lyrics, and Thomas Feiner’s worldweary voice. Now, Feiner has revisited "The Opiates," revised and remastered it, added some new songs, and the result is something of a lost classic, rediscovered.--John Schaefer

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The Real Tuesday Weld

Meet British artist Stephen Coates, better known as The Real Tuesday Weld. The guy who loves making something modern with old instruments and styles is back... with a big band. He plays a few songs off of his newest album, "The London Book of the Dead."

The Real Tuesday Weld website
The Real Tuesday Weld on MySpace

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