As Brits, we love a good sing-along, whether we’re belting out a tune in the shower before the day begins, singing in the car on a long journey, or grabbing the mic at a karaoke session.
While we’re certainly not short on enthusiasm, it turns out many of us have been confidently singing the wrong lyrics to some of the biggest hits of the ‘90s and noughties.
Take Britney Spears’ hit ‘...Baby One More Time’,arguably one of the most iconic pop songs of the ‘90s. It was a huge commercial success in the UK when it was released in 1998, but new research from online bingo site Zingo Bingo suggests many of us may not be singing the correct words.
A staggering 53% of people failed to correctly identify the lyric, “I must confess, that my loneliness is killing me now”, with many convinced Britney sings that her loneliness is killing her “softly” instead (35%). Almost 20% even thought the word was “quickly”.
In Nirvana’s 1991 anthem ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’, Kurt Cobain sings “I feel stupid and contagious, here we are now, entertain us”. Yet, 31% of listeners thought “contagious” was actually “wild”, while 24% heard “young”.
Oasis’ 1995 classic ‘Wonderwall’ is practically a British national treasure, and most people know the lyrics word for word. Even so, 10% thought the line “I'm sure you've heard it all before” was actually “I'm sure you've heard this all before”.
Beyoncé’s 2003 smash ‘Crazy in Love’ also wasn’t spared from misheard lyrics. The superstar sings that “tennis shoes don’t even need a new dress”, but 31% of people were convinced she said “outfit”.
Eminem’s 2002 hit ‘Lose Yourself’, featured in the film 8 Mile, includes the iconic line “you only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow”. Still, 38% heard it as “do not miss your chance to win”.
But the most misheard lyrics of the ‘90s and noughties come from Outkast’s 2003 hit ‘Hey Ya’, where Andre 3000 sings “are we so in denial when we know we're not happy here”. A whopping 51% of listeners were convinced he was saying are “we so in love”.
Spokesperson for online bingo site Zingo Bingo Jack Watson shared: “Even though these are iconic 90s and noughties anthems, and remain popular today, it’s surprising how often people misremember the lyrics.
“Whether at karaoke, singing along in the shower, or just humming to yourself, tracks like Britney’s …Baby One More Time and Beyoncé’s Crazy In Love have been played countless times over the years, yet people still get the words wrong.
“Despite the occasional misheard lyric, these songs continue to stand the test of time. They’re instantly recognisable and bring back memories of the era they come from, showing that their impact goes far beyond just the words themselves.”
Zingo Bingo’s top misheard lyrics of the 90s & noughties
