The Mandela Effect has gone mainstream. Now that the internet is buzzing with wild theories and new examples every day, it's time to go over where the ideas originated, and consider in detail what exactly might be causing it.
- Joe Hutt 0 Comments
"Son can you play me a _____?"
MMDE: Memory
Current: Melody
People have noticed something odd about the first verse of Billy Joe's "Piano Man".
They remember the line as "Son can you play me a memory", whereas now it's melody. Sure, the word "melody" does appear later in the chorus but this specific MMDE is that it was there in the first verse.
There's a thread on Reddit showing many examples of residue for this one, along with speculation regarding why in particular the word "memory" is subject to a false memory effect...
- Ian Scott 0 Comments
More than a slip?
MMDE: "She" took the midnight train, then "He" took the midnight train
Current: "He" took the midnight train both times
Here's another alternative memory which has previously been reported for a different reason. The first time was when the song "suddenly" appeared for many people and seemed to be getting played everywhere - this was discussed on Reddit. This time it's a lyric change, and a pretty obvious one too.
At the start of Journeys' "Don't stop believin'", the written lyrics are:
Just a small town girl
Livin' in a lonely world
She took the midnight train goin' anywhere
Just a city boy
Born and raised in South Detroit
He took the midnight train goin' anywhere
Yet today you can clearly hear "He" took the midnight train both times, which makes no sense.
- Ray Wu 0 Comments
I've been waiting for this moment for all my life
MMDE: Hold on
Current: Oh Lord
Was Phil Collins singing "Hold on" or "Oh Lord" in "In The Air Tonight"?
Many swear it was "Hold on", but has somehow now been changed to "Oh Lord".
There is an interesting back story to this - Phil recounted the time he saw a boy drown another one, and had it in mind when he wrote the lyrics. The problem there is it doesn't actually help clear up the mystery, since clearly either can be used whilst still making sense and fitting into that narrative.
- Ray Wu 0 Comments
Need an umbrella?
MMDE: Singing in the rain
Current: Singin' in the rain
Go on - ask most people what Gene Kelly's most famous song and dance routine is - you know, the one where he needs an umbrella. Make sure you ask them to spell it exactly. Chances are, unless they are already aware of this Mandela Effect, they'll reply with "Singing in the rain". If they do, they will be surprised to hear it's never been called that - in fact it's "Singin' in the rain".
Many of the Mandela Effects being reported today seem trivial. Sometimes it's a minor spelling change such as this one, sometime "The" is dropped from a title etc. The reason these are of interest is the idea that slight changes are far easier, and less disruptive to timelines, than larger ones. It's almost as if a test was being performed, or a minor glitch occurred which in the grand scale of things no-one would notice.
- Ray Wu 0 Comments
What's it about?
MMDE: No person, just a feel good song
Current: Neil Young
Most people know the catchy riff from the famous 1974 Lynyrd Skynyrd track "Sweet Home Alabama", but many are suprised to find out what it's actually about.
Those that don't really know usually respond with some answer about a feel-good homecoming kind of vibe. When they are told it's a dig at Neil Young, who's name is explicity mentioned in the lyrics, they are so suprised that it's being called a Mandela Effect.
There are other examples of this type of Mandela Effect, i.e. something in plain sight comes as news to many people - an example is the Razzle Dazzle ships.
For the record, the animosity was cleared up at the time and Neil Young actually paid tribute to them.
- Carter Tweed 0 Comments
Listen carefully
MMDE: I really need to know
Current: I really mean to learn
Many people familiar with the famous Bee Gees track from 1977 "How deep is your love" remember the lyric "I really need to know", but find it's been replaced with "I really mean to learn".
Some people say listening to it very carefully shows the line as always having been "I really mean to learn", but they'd thought it was the other one because they didn't pay that much attention to it. In other words, it's not one where there is a definite change, just a clarification.
Once you know what you're listing for it's pretty clear, but there's no doubt most will just remember is as "need to know". Or could it be because that was what it actually was originally?
- Tracy Cooper 0 Comments
Blame it on the Boogie
MMDE: Jackson 5 had 5 members
Current: Jackson 5 had 6 members
It sounds like a trick question, but nothing connected to the Mandela Effect is as it first appears: How many members did the Jackson 5 have? Those who say five might want to think again.
Randy Jackson appeared with the band many times from as early as 1965, bringing their member count to 6.
Everyone thinks Michael is the youngest male member, whilst Janet was the youngest person, but now it turns out he wasn't, it was Randy.
This isn't the only Mandela Effect where the number of members is remembered differently - the 6th Village People member is another.
