“Louie Louie” and Five Other Misheard Lyrics
The Kingsmen classic “Louie Louie” was released on this day in 1963 and is best known for its unintelligible lyrics that caused such a stir the FBI launched an investigation on the suspicion that the track contained dirty lyrics. (It didn’t.)
Of course, “Louie Louie” is far from the only song in classic rock with misheard lyrics. In honor of the release of “Louie Louie,” here’s five of our favorite misheard lyrics.
The Kingsmen – “Louie Louie”
It’s about a guy on a ship trying to get back home to his girlfriend.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4V1p1dM3snQ
Jimi Hendrix – “Purple Haze”
It’s “Excuse me while I kiss the sky,” not “Excuse me while I kiss this guy.” (Not that there’s anything wrong with that.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJunCsrhJjg/
Erica Banas is a news blogger who's been covering the rock/classic rock world since 2014. The coolest event she's ever covered in person was the 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. (Sir Paul McCartney inducting Foo Fighters? C'mon now!) She's also well-versed in etiquette and extraordinarily nice. #TransRightsAreHumanRights
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