Bill Cosby's secret Australian connection

The Brown Hornet

As I sit and write this I'm only 30 minutes drive from the Mornington Peninsula, one of the state of Victoria's premier tourist destinations. In addition to its historic sites, spectacular coastline, amazing beaches, and gourmet produce, it has also contributed to the Australian music scene.

Australian Crawl came from Mount Eliza. It was founded when its members were at school together. Active between 1978 and 1986, they were one of the most popular Australian bands of the era. Lead singer James Reyne was famous for his unintelligible vocals. Take for example their 1980 single, Downhearted, which hit number 12 in the Australian charts in July of that year.

I left my heart back in the Orient
Down on Bali bays
It's not the way that I should feel
But it's the way I'm gonna stay

Downhearted
Broken dreams that never really started
Yeah
Downhearted
Broken dreams that never really start

It seems all wrong to be back home
There's no end in sight
Should I be made to drag you through
This lovers and spite

Downhearted
Broken dreams that never really started
Yeah
Downhearted
Broken dreams that never really start

Downhearted
Broken dreams that never really started
Yeah
Downhearted
Broken dreams that never really start

I sometimes think that we should stay
Happy on the farm
I sometimes think I'll give it all away
This love and all it's charms

Downhearted
Broken dreams that never really started
Yeah
Downhearted
Broken dreams that never really started

Yeah
Downhearted
Broken dreams that never really started
Yeah
Downhearted
Broken dreams that never really start

It's clearly a song about love and loss. This was lost on me as I heard this song on early 1980's AM radio. To my untrained young ears, it sounded like James Reyne was singing about the Brown Hornet, a superhero who appeared in the animated television series, Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, which Bill Cosby created, produced, and hosted.

There are probably hundreds of thousands of websites about misheard song lyrics, which are known as mondegreens. Some of them are quite amusing to look at. Reyne's unique vocal style was obvious fodder for these sites.

http://amiright.com/

http://www.australiancrawl.com

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/australiancrawl/downhearted.html

http://kissthisguy.com/

http://viewer.dacast.com/broadcaster/25999/f/88347