The ants are my friends; they’re blowin’ in the wind

How many times have you been singing along to a song and someone says, “Those aren’t the actual words” – and you realise you’ve been singing them wrong your whole life? In your head they make sense, but when you hear the real lyrics you realise you’ll never sing the song the same way again.

This phenomenon is called a mondegreen, which can be described is a misheard word or phrase that kinda makes sense in and of itself, but isn’t actually what’s being said.

According to an interesting article in the New Yorker, Excuse me while I kiss this guy, by Maria Konnikova:

“The term mondegreen is itself a mondegreen. In November, 1954, Sylvia Wright, an American writer, published a piece in Harpers where she admitted to a gross childhood mishearing. When she was young, her mother would read to her from the ‘Reliques of Ancient English Poetry,’ a 1765 book of popular poems and ballads. Her favorite verse began with the lines, ‘Ye Highlands and ye Lowlands / Oh, where hae ye been? / They hae slain the Earl Amurray, / And Lady Mondegreen.’ Except they hadn’t. They left the poor Earl and ‘laid him on the green.’ He was, alas, all by himself.”

(The verse is from the ballad “The Bonny Earl o Moray”.)

On Friday, 21 February 2020, you’ll get a chance to belt out the right or the wrong words with a group of totally unprofessional – and probably out-of-tune – revellers at CN&CO Events’ inaugural “Chorus” singalong. It promises to be totally fun and probably a wee bit chaotic.

Chorus takes place at Higher Ground on the St Stithians campus in Randburg, starting at 6pm. Tickets cost R150, of which R50 goes to the Theatre Benevolent Fund. Your cover charge gets you a free welcome drink, as well.

A cash bar and bar menu will also be available.

So bring along your mondegreens and join us for what promises to be a very fun evening.

Book now for “Chorus”, 21 February from 6pm