Like many people, I have a great love of misheard lyrics—especially my own. My favorite is in the Janis Ian song “At Seventeen.” One line toward the end of the song is, “In debentures of quality and dubious integrity.” I can probably be forgiven, because I had no idea what a “debenture” was. For those of you similarly in the dark, it is, “An unsecured loan certificate issued by a company, backed by general credit rather than by specified assets.” But I heard what I think is a better line out of context, “But death insures equality and dubious integrity.” It is only at the end of the verse that Ian pays off the metaphor with, “Their small-town eyes will gape at you / In dull surprise when payment due / Exceeds accounts received…” That’s one of the reasons that Janis Ian is a great songwriter and I’m just a guy with a knack for appreciating great songwriting.
But by far, the best lyric mishearing is from Manfred Mann’s Earth Band’s version of “Blinded by the Light.” The original version by Bruce Springsteen doesn’t really have the problem for a couple of reasons. One is that he doesn’t pronounce “deuce” as “douche” the way that Chris Thompson does in the Earth Band. But also, the original line makes the meaning clear, “Cut loose like a deuce.” What meaning? No meaning, just a pleasant rhyme. In the Earth Band version, it is supposedly “Revved up like a deuce.” But of course, everyone hears, “Wrapped up like a douche.”
What’s brilliant is that we humans are so great at finding meaning in meaningless things that doubtless millions of people have given those lyrics some meaning. And admit it, you’d believe me if I gave you some lame meaning for the line. How about this one, “The deuce, of course, was short for the Chevy 270, straight-6 engine popular among drag racers in the 70s. So the song is about hesitating at the start of race when the light changes color. But more broadly it’s a metaphor getting on with your life and getting out your hometown.” In addition to everything else, you’d believe me because that is what most people think the meaning of every Bruce Springsteen song is.
“Blinded by the Light” also has that “Hooray for Hollywood” problem. The opening lyrics are so engaging that most people forget what happens afterward. The melody is what matters anyway. But while “Hooray” is a very funny song with much to say that is even more true today than in 1937, “Blinded” really has nothing to say. So why not douches or Chevy 270 engines?
All of this is grist for comedy. And indeed, toward the end of my years in graduate school, I came upon this skit from a very short lived sketch comedy show The Vacant Lot. The skit involves four friends playing poker. One of them starts singing “Blinded by the Light” with ridiculous lyrics. The others make fun of him. But then it turns out that their lyrics are at least as ridiculous. It ends with one of them cracking and setting everyone straight. Except that his lyrics aren’t quite right either. I’m not sure if that is supposed to be part of the joke, or if the writers themselves are suffering from the same problem. Watch:
Springsteen said during a VH1 Storytellers that the song was just him playing around with a rhyming dictionary. So what does anyone expect? Certainly, Springsteen doesn’t seem to care. I’ve heard him joke that “douche” was a better line given how much better the Earth Band version did than his own. (I think it is more a function of production.) Regardless, I’m sure that Springsteen was happy to cash all those royalty checks from the megahit.
Hi , First I’d like to tell you that cut loose like a Deuce Has meaning, Deuce;the # 2 in a deck of cards, so “cut loose like a Deuce” is like she was just cut out of the deck and throwing or being thrown out there like a card on a table. So the song actually Has meaning (and not just that part);Also please if you would refrain from categorizing ignorant people as Humans cause I do not find meaning in meaningless things and I don’t find it Brilliant to do so (last time I checked I was human so…) Anyways Deuce is totally not a nickname for a Chevy 270 nor does that make sense and I’ve already said that the song actually Is saying something and it’s not about racing a car. (Why would you even write a song about a girl almost messing her life up by trying to be a racecar driver is beyond logical thinking . Last but Not least I’m sure Bruce was making that whole dictionary rhyming thing up because it’s easier than trying to explain lyrics to people who Just Don’t Get It (which is about 80% of you Humans lol). That does not mean though that he doesn’t care but if it seems that way to you than maybe he don’t . ?
I didn’t quite follow all of that, but it did seem amusing. But I did not say the song was about the 270. I said that if I proposed that BS, most of my readers would accept it. But it’s really all about how most people who really like Springsteen do so for songs that I consider weak. I like him when he is most thoughtful.
Ok I’ve listened to this song for over 40 years. And 50 times today alone. MFM is clearly saying doush instead of deuce.
springsteen could write some songs. unfortunately he is a dui libtard who wants my childrten to be sent to the gulag. so f him
Thanks for this! It’s good to have evidence that conservative belief is entirely dependent upon fantastical notions of what “libtards” believe.
yeah go ahead and review my replies. since I’m conservative they will get trashed. Eventually due to your retarded censorship you will be in the gulag.i cant wait for you to be in the gulag where you belong
moderation? sounds like communism to me. have you ever read 1984?
Every comment gets moderated until the commenter has been approved. Then you can post whatever you like. That has nothing to do with politics. That’s how blogs have been structured forever. But sure: the conservative thing today is to take every opportunity to be a whiny little bitch. You’re doing great!
Springsteen has noted that Manfred Mann pronounces it that way and given he had a big hit, maybe he (Springsteen) should have done so too.
BTW: I am going to un-approve you because you seem like an idiot. You can still comment, but I’m going to wait until I allow you free rein
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PS: I’ve read Nineteen Eighty-Four (the actual title of the book) at least 3 times. My experience is that conservatives have not read the book given they think ridiculous things like moderation policies on blogs to be totalitarian. You do understand that I own this website, don’t you? You know: private property? Something conservatives are supposed to believe in? I’m going to assume that you are drunk because my only other option is to think that you are stupid. But I’m not disregarding the chance that you are both.
I actually ran into this “it’s the new Orwell” stuff not too long ago on the baseball blog. And I pointed out that most people comparing modern American liberalism to Orwell really don’t know their Orwell. (I’ve practically got the “Collected Essays, Letters, and Journalism” memorized.) The guy, to my surprise, backed off politely. Although we haven’t seen him since.
Modern conservatives look at freedom movements and only see the aesthetics. That’s why they do this. It’s very similar to the cargo cults. They make sounds that are similar but devoid of meaning.