Sitting Behind the Eight Ball

Say, What?

SOL Post #17 by Barb Edler

Photograph by Patrick Fore, 2018 @Clear glass mug filled with green liquid photo – Free Green beer Image on Unsplash.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Here’s to drinking green beer, eating Reubens, corn beef & cabbage and being lucky.

Today’s writing prompt at Ethical ELA Open Write is hosted by Katrina Morrison. Her prompt is about mishearing lyrics which has its own special word, mondegreen. Certainly, a new vocabulary word for me, and one I need to add to my strange and unusual bank of words.

Boy, I know I have misheard plenty of lyrics and conversations as I’m kind of hard of hearing even while wearing my hearing aids. A general conversation with me might include, “What?” “Huh?” “Okay.” Okay is when I just give in. If I have a blank look on my face, it means I have absolutely no idea about what you are saying. If I respond inappropriately, that means I really misunderstood and thought you said something else. Usually that is followed up with, “What did you say?” Because I realize the look on the speaker’s face is bewildered, etc. Ahhhh, my mistake.

Anyway, today, I’ll share my mondegreen poem. For some reason, I remember this moment well. I was driving alone, singing loudly (btw I am also known to sing way off-key, might have something to do with my poor hearing) when I realize the lyrics I am singing cannot be correct. I remember sharing this with my son Marcus and we reminisced about several times we both misunderstood lyrics.

Today’s poem is a stream-of-consciousness poem. Is there such a thing as a stream-of-consciousness poem? If not, let’s say I created this new form! LOL! I’m ready for a drink already and it’s only 8:37 in the morning. 

Man in love
Man in love
Love, love, love
I must have been dreaming,
cruising down the avenue
screaming off key,
Man in love
Man in love
Love
Love
Love
I suddenly thought,
that can’t be right!
What am I dreaming?
A man in love?
Yo, dumbass, it’s,
Panama
Panama
Ah!
Panama
Woo!

Barb Edler, 17 March 2024

Van Halen’s song “Panama” from 1984 is actually about a car David Lee Roth saw racing in Las Vegas. You can enjoy listening to it here.

Wishing you a lucky day full of fun!

Barb Edler Avatar

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Barb Edler
Hello, I am a retired English teacher. I live along the Mississippi River and enjoy watching birds, the river, and nature in general. Writing for me is a gateway to healing, and I love to wrestle words in hopes of capturing an emotion or image others may relate.
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6 responses to “Say, What?”

  1. tbro Avatar
    tbro

    Love this! … didn’t know there was a word for it either. My hubby and I discover this when we sing songs from childhood, often both using the wrong words. lol

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  2. Glenda Funk Avatar
    Glenda Funk

    Barb,

    This is hilarious. The prompt today is so nonsensical and fun. You and I could sing off key together driving down the road. I’ll try to remember to text when I see that blank face. LOL. Ken has hearing aides, too. Some day I’ll tell the naughty story about them.

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  3. kimhaynesjohnson Avatar
    kimhaynesjohnson

    Bwahahahaha! This is awesome, Barb! I can see the passion of the singing all the wrong words with such gusto. I love your explanation of Panama and what it really was about. Check out coxy.official on Facebook for more mondegreens. And more hilarious than his misheard lyrics are his reactions when he “realizes” that the lyrics don’t make sense and his face asks all the shocking questions. This is a great poem today, your stream of consciousness. 

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  4. Maureen Young Ingram Avatar
    Maureen Young Ingram

    This is so funny!! I love this, Barb! I am going to sing it as “Man in Love” next time I hear it. Have a Happy St. Patty’s Day!!

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    1. Barb Edler Avatar
      Barb Edler

      Same to you, Maureen! I’m currently listening to some live Irish music!

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  5. Fran Haley Avatar
    Fran Haley

    Barb, this prompt fit right in with your recent theme of musical Slices, didn’t it? I love when gifts like this come to us! And I love this hysterically funny, freehearted image of you singing wrong lyrics at the top of your lungs…what a ride! I’ll be Slicing my mondegreen in a day or two. So nice to have options/cushioning, lol.

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