by Lore Sjöberg

It's happened to everyone: you're singing along with one of your favorite songs on the radio and your friends suddenly look at you like you're speaking Pushtu. When you ask what's up, they explain with exaggerated patience that you've got the lyrics wrong, and you realize that for years you've been singing the wrong words.

Here, then, are some of our favorite mistaken, mixed-up, and misheard lyrics.

Song: "Purple Haze" by Jimi Hendrix
Original Lyric: "'Scuse me while I kiss the sky"
We Heard It As: "'Scuse me while I kiss Jasmine Guy"

Song: "Bad Moon Rising" by Creedence Clearwater Revival
Original Lyric: "There's a bad moon on the rise"
We Heard It As: "Proud Mary keep on burning"

Song: "La Isla Bonita" by Madonna
Original Lyric: "Last night I dreamt of San Pedro"
We Heard It As: "I peaked with 'Material Girl' but I'm going to drag this career out for decades"

Song: "True Colors" by Cyndi Lauper
Original Lyric: "Your true colors are beautiful like a rainbow"
We Heard It As: Actually, we've never been able to make out any Cyndi Lauper lyrics.

Song: "Good Times Roll" by The Cars
Original Lyric: "Let them brush your rock and roll hair"
We Heard It As: "Let them brush your rock and roll hair" (Okay, we got this one right, but we were hoping we hadn't. I mean, please. "Rock and roll hair"?)