An enterprising animator has taken the refrain from a 1970s ballad and made a short video that deliberately misinterprets the lyrics. UK animator Michael Schlingmann , who goes under the YouTube username felixsputnik uploaded a video of Eric Carmen's "All By Myself" with the alternate lyrics "Obama's Elf."BoingBoing: Obama's Elf (18 second video pun fun) (February 17, 2009) The video shows an elf, complete with green cap and candy-striped shirt, sitting on President Barack Obama's shoulder, and singing how he no longer wishes to be "Obama's Elf."
Misheard Lyrics Versus Original Lyrics
Original: '"All by Myself Don't wanna be All by myself anymore"
Misheard: "Obama's Elf Don't wanna be Obama's Elf anymore"
Mondegreens
Obama's Elf is a misheard lyric. Misheard lyrics are also known as "mondegreens." The term comes from a mishearing of the phrase "laid him on the green." Many lyrics can be misheard, especially if visual cues are given that reinforce the wrong lyrics. Misheard lyrics are usually accidental. However, Britney Spears' song If U Seek Amy was renamed due to the fact that the lyrics could easily (and many believed intentionally) be heard to spell out a curse word.
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Fast Facts
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Created by Michael Schlingmann
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Video is an example of audio paredolia
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Clip received over 500,000 hits within a week of uploading
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Song "All By Myself" written in 1976, reached Billboard Top 100 chartBillboard: Eric Carmen
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Song topped at #2 on US chartsBillboard: Eric Carmen
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All By Myself based on Concerto No. 2 by Sergei Rachmaninoff
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All By Myself covered by Celine Dion in 1996
