Everyone else seems to think Taylor Swift sings “got a long list of ex-lovers” in her single “Blank Space,” and yet you are pretty sure she is actually saying something about lonely Starbucks lovers. This, as it turns out, is a great example of something linguists call a mondegreen, a term for misheard song lyrics. There are several potential explanations for why our brains get this stuff so very wrong sometimes. To find out what they are, check out the latest Science of Us animation.
While you’re at it, you can watch previous episodes, which will help you calm down after taking in too much stressful news or figure out how to easily spot the narcissists in your life. And we’ll be back next week with another zippy little science cartoon, which we made just for you.
