Rhode Island Finds Itself on Jimmy Fallon’s ‘Misheard Lyrics’

Picture this: you’re belting out your favorite song on the radio, reciting every word, only to have your friend in the passenger seat say to you, “Those aren’t the words.”

Sound familiar?

Sometimes our ears play tricks on us when it comes to deciphering the words to songs. Words blend together, and before you know it, “She’s a maneater” turns into “She’s an anteater.”

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Sadly, for me, the Backstreet Boys were not from Rhode Island, and that was just a classic case of misunderstood lyrics. I still consider this mishap a victory, however, because someone who isn’t from Rhode Island actually acknowledged us as a place, instead of assuming we are a part of New York.

I won’t lie. I used to think that in the song “Benny and the Jets," Elton John was saying, “She’s got electric boots, Armani suits,” but in reality, he is saying, “She’s got electric boots, a mohair suit.” Not terribly off, but when you sing it confidently enough in front of the wrong person like I did, you get ridiculed every time the song comes on.

I decided to bring Jimmy Fallon’s Misheard Lyrics game to the SouthCoast, and it looks like we have been singing the wrong words for decades. Here are 10 of the most misheard lyrics from SouthCoast listeners.