Mandela Effect & The Mama''s & Papa's

Earlier today i heard the song " California Dreamin' " by The Mama's & Papa's on 'he radio. First time i had heard it played in a long time.

I am old enough to have been listening to this song since it was released in 1965, and have sang along to it on many occasions.
I always have known that one particular line of the song goes like this; " Well i got down on my knees and i began to pray "

When i heard the song earlier the line is now being song as " Well i got down on my knees and i pretend to pray "

I have checked the lyrics on line on several sites and they all have the word " pretend " in the line.
I am convinced the word was always " began ".

Am i going mad ?

a reply to: alldaylong

It's one of the many misheard lyrics.

Linkypops

a reply to: alldaylong

Yes you are going mad. It's always been pretend, it makes no sense otherwise, it's a comment on the shallow falseness of things in California. Thus pretending to pray rather than actually praying.

a reply to: alldaylong

Like the Prince song used to say CELEBRATE this thing called life. Is not GET THROUGH this thing called life.

As convinced as you are someone will be along to tell you that you just remembered it wrong this entire time.

That you must have just assumed began sounded better and your brain just went with it.

I don't remember that song well enough to be sure but I definitely think the ME is more than faulty memory.

originally posted by: TerryDon79
a reply to: alldaylong

It's one of the many misheard lyrics.

Linkypops

Just checked that site and it states this:-

There were two versions of the song. One from the radio and one from the soundtrack of the movie American Fan, so this is not misheard

I never knew there where TWO versions.

originally posted by: alldaylong

originally posted by: TerryDon79
a reply to: alldaylong

It's one of the many misheard lyrics.

Linkypops

Just checked that site and it states this:-

There were two versions of the song. One from the radio and one from the soundtrack of the movie American Fan, so this is not misheard

I never knew there where TWO versions.

There's also covers done by different artists. I'm not sure if there are any variations within the different covers though.

a reply to: alldaylong

Interesting and weird, learn something new everyday.

originally posted by: Puppylove
a reply to: alldaylong

Yes you are going mad. It's always been pretend, it makes no sense otherwise, it's a comment on the shallow falseness of things in California. Thus pretending to pray rather than actually praying.

The lyrics of the song express the narrator's longing for the warmth of Los Angeles during a cold winter in New York City.
en.wikipedia.org...

Lyrics
All the leaves are brown (all the leaves are brown)
And the sky is grey (and the sky is grey)
I've been for a walk (I've been for a walk)
On a winter's day (on a winter's day)
I'd be safe and warm (I'd be safe and warm)
If I was in L.A. (if I was in L.A.)

California dreamin' (California dreamin')
On such a winter's day

Stopped into a church
I passed along the way
Well, I got down on my knees (got down on my knees)
And I pretend to pray (I pretend to pray)
You know the preacher like the cold (preacher like the cold)
He knows I'm gonna stay (knows I'm gonna stay)

California dreamin' (California dreamin')
On such a winter's day

All the leaves are brown (all the leaves are brown)
And the sky is grey (and the sky is grey)
I've been for a walk (I've been for a walk)
On a winter's day (on a winter's day)
If I didn't tell her (if I didn't tell her)
I could leave today (I could leave today)

California dreamin' (California dreamin')
On such a winter's day (California dreamin')
On such a winter's day (California dreamin')
On such a winter's day

play.google.com... cs

originally posted by: alldaylong
Earlier today i heard the song " California Dreamin' " by The Mama's & Papa's on 'he radio. First time i had heard it played in a long time.

I am old enough to have been listening to this song since it was released in 1965, and have sang along to it on many occasions.
I always have known that one particular line of the song goes like this; " Well i got down on my knees and i began to pray "

When i heard the song earlier the line is now being song as " Well i got down on my knees and i pretend to pray "

I have checked the lyrics on line on several sites and they all have the word " pretend " in the line.
I am convinced the word was always " began ".

Am i going mad ?

Strange one! ...... i have just reviewed my HDD for this song. First one was from the Forrest Gump Soundtrack, saved 05/2002, the word is definitely "Pretend" although i had to skip back and listen 2 or 3 times to actually get the word

The second instance was from the Carpenters Gold album, saved 02/2014, here Karen sings "Began"

Mandella?, i think not, just a mix up in understanding the Lyric, like i said, the Mama's and Papa's version i had to skip back and repeat it to understand the word

Cheers

CbG

a reply to: corblimeyguvnor

Tends to happen more on older songs due to the lesser quality of the recording.

You should check out "misheard lyrics" on YouTube. Some are absolutely hilarious.

originally posted by: alldaylong

originally posted by: TerryDon79
a reply to: alldaylong

It's one of the many misheard lyrics.

Linkypops

Just checked that site and it states this:-

There were two versions of the song. One from the radio and one from the soundtrack of the movie American Fan, so this is not misheard

I never knew there where TWO versions.

There original song is here and it has changed. There was only one version by the M$P's although they did background in another.Their version is the one we learned and sang to the radio and it was NOT PRETEND.
www.songfacts.com...

It would appear that the query of the word has risen previously.

I have just found this site and it's been discussed in the comments section.

www.songfacts.com...

a reply to: TerryDon79

Will do thanks

If it makes you feel any better OP, I have always sung it in my head as "Began." This has me scratching my head too because a group of us used to sing this song as a group for Karoke.

Lol I just posted in my FB for them to fill in the blank of the lyric. I'll let you know what happens with their replies!

originally posted by: Puppylove
a reply to: alldaylong

Yes you are going mad. It's always been pretend, it makes no sense otherwise, it's a comment on the shallow falseness of things in California. Thus pretending to pray rather than actually praying.

No, it is literally just about wanting to in L.A. (or somewhere else warm) on a cold winter's day in New York.


The whole church and pretend-to-pray-thing is simply a result of Michelle's fondness for visiting churches and John's dislike for being in one:

Michelle Phillips enjoyed visiting churches, and she and John Phillips visited St. Patrick's Cathedral, which inspired the second verse of "California Dreamin’" ("Stopped into a church..."). John hated the verse, as he was turned off to churches by unpleasant memories of parochial school, but he couldn't think of anything better so he left it in

Source

a reply to: alldaylong

Here is a fun fact considering the context:

The album containing this song is titled "If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears".

I kid you not! It is as if they knew .. that this thing that would come to be known as "the internet" would harbor all kind of crazy conspiracy sh .. stuff.

originally posted by: DupontDeux
a reply to: alldaylong

Here is a fun fact:

The album containing this song is titled If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears

I kid you not!

No surprise there then.

Um, isn't it "the Mama's and the Papa's"?

a reply to: alldaylong

Great song, when you hear the guys vocals it sounds like began, but when you hear the girls it's clearly pretend, however there's lots of misheard lyrics, my favourite is fall out boys "I'm a little man and I'm also into cats"



It's actually interesting what people actually hear in lyrics compared to what's really said