Be honest now, but anyone gonna admit to getting the lyrics wrong? It can be really funny - and isn't it weird when, even when you find out the real words, you stick with your own?
I do smile when I get lyrics wrong, but I try to sing the right ones, even though my 'wrong' ones always pop into my head. There is a feature about this in the Music Archive on this site, and have a look at www.amiright.com a site dedicated to the misheard lyric.
Ok, I'll go first, (I must have sung millions in my time...), but the first one that comes to mind is "Mavis begged me not to go...!!! Which should read, (I think!) "Baby's begged me, not to go..." In the song "What Made Milwaukee Famous" by Rod Stewart.
"we're countrywide we've gone too far" (we can't rewind, we've gone too far) - Video killed the radio star by Buggles. to be honest i didn't suss the lyric until about 20 years after it was first released. Also "The Earls rebuke has a devil put inside of you" (Beelzebub has a devil put a-side for you - Queen and Bo Rap)
We built this city on sausage rolls (on rock and roll) Jefferson Starship. Its been 14 days since I broke my nose (wrote my note) Message in a bottle.
Kentucky (can't touch this) MC Hammer
One of the great problems of singing live in front of a crowd is that there's always someone out there who knows the words perfectly....so i've been picked up on these howlers...."I can tell by your lies that you've probably been crying forever", "She would never say where she belonged", and the worst of the bunch "Hey where did we go, days when the weans came round"...God thankfully I learned the last one before i ever sung it over a mic. BTW these now have an offical name..there called mondegreens and you can find loads more at www.kissthisguy.com
Great answers! I had a look at the site you suggested, andy hughes, and I had to laugh when I saw the lyric 'Tonight, I celebrate my love for you' had been misheard as 'Tonight, I cellotape my glove to you' :)
...and of course the classic "but he just smiled and gave me a bitter mike sandwich" (he just smiled and gave me a vegemite sandwich - men at work) - nobody in the UK knew what Vegemite was until "Neighbours" showed up