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Did you think Elton John was singing a love song to Tony Danza (“Tiny Dancer”)? Or Jay-Z was spending cheese (“Big Pimpin’”)? Or Jimi Hendrix wants to kiss this guy (“Purple Haze”)? You’re not alone. Thousands of songs are misheard daily, usually to comic effect.

Whether through too-fast singing, odd methods of pronunciation, or other verbal tics, artists are often misunderstood. Plus, sometimes the real lyrics just don’t make sense–for example, just about any song by the Red Hot Chili Peppers (“Go ask the dust for any answers/Come back strong with 50 belly dancers” from “Can’t Stop”).Check out this link here.

It’s not just average listeners who misunderstand songs. Politicians have made some odd song choices over the years for campaigns: in 1984, President Reagan chose Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA” for his reelection effort, despite the fact the song is about a Vietnam vet who can’t find a job when he returns from war; eight years later, then-Governor Clinton opted for “Don’t Stop” by Fleetwood Mac, a peppy song written about a horrific breakup. More recently, Congresswoman Bachmann was drawn in by Tom Petty’s “American Girl”, a song either about suicide or a bad relationship, depending on how you look at it.