T’is the season to be jolly – and that often involves a sing-song, in the car, on the radio, in the shops and well, everywhere! Often if I can’t understand lyrics, I sing the wrong lyrics in my own words anyway so that I can carry on singing – so it’s not always a surprise to be corrected.
It’s important to remember that deafness is a spectrum, and different deaf individuals will have different levels of hearing and different ways of experiencing music. However, deaf people can and do enjoy music in a variety of ways. It’s true that many deaf can’t hear lyrics, but they can learn them and still sing or sign them. If you are deaf or have hearing loss lyrics shouldn’t stop you enjoying music!
Misheard Lyrics – known as ‘Mondegreens’
Misheard lyrics are also known as “Mondegreens”. A mondegreen is a phrase or word that is created when a listener misunderstands a word or phrase in a song lyric. The term “mondegreen” was coined by writer Sylvia Wright in a 1954 essay, in which she described how she had misheard the line “laid him on the green” as “Lady Mondegreen” when singing a Scottish ballad as a child. Since then, the term has been used to describe any instance of misheard song lyrics. This can happen for a variety of reasons, including the inherent ambiguity of language, the background noise in the environment where the song is being played or simply the way the lyrics are interpreted by the listener.
I used to sing “Bra’s of Holly”, in Deck The Halls – as in: “Deck the halls with bra’s of holly…” (instead of ‘Deck the halls with boughs of holly’) To be fair, it sounds extremely similar and I didn’t know what a ‘bough’ was so I definitely wasn’t going to guess that one correctly, I just make up my own lyrics. The image of halls decked with bra’s of holly would make me smile anyway – so who cares! It turns out I wasn’t the only one who misheard song lyrics in that one.
When I was young, tape cassettes and CD’s used to come with inserts full of lyrics. I used to love buying a new album and having the chance to listen through each of the songs and try to read and memorise the lyrics along with sound, so if I recognised the sounds when I was out and about I would have some clue what the song was about. I wasn’t always able to do this though. There was music that I enjoyed just from the sounds I could hear, even though the lyrics were lost on me. The Cure was a good example. I’m still a fan to this day, but I do remember family asking me didn’t I find the music ‘a bit depressing’ and I used to respond with a ‘definitely not’ – totally unaware of some the lyrics! I think being deaf has definitely influenced the music that appeals to me – it’s extremely varied and there isn’t a single ‘style’ of music that appeals.
I regularly encounter friends telling me “Oh, I love this one” when a track comes on in a shop or the pub. They look at me for affirmation, only for me to disappoint them by responding “I can’t hear what it is”. Although thinking about it now, I’m reminded of my actual response, which is that I pause and visibly strain to listen (like it would make a difference) before I respond. Just to show some kind of willing to share their experience. I’m honestly not sure why I do this…
It’s amazing the power of emotion that music can evoke. Deaf people can still enjoy music in a variety of ways. Many deaf individuals are able to feel music through vibrations, such as through the floor or through headphones. Some deaf people also enjoy music by watching music videos or live performances and observing the visual elements, such as the movements of the performers and the expressions on their faces. I say enjoy music and lyrics misheard or not, in whatever ways give you joy!
