Camel Thighs & Other Misheard Lyrics: Living With Auditory Dyslexia

Auditory dyslexia is another way dyslexia can affect an individual, and it is not about reading and writing. I would say that I present with auditory dyslexia as part of my dyslexia identity. This form of dyslexia can cause individuals to mishear words and is also linked to pronunciation difficulties.

When I reflect on my childhood, I have distinct memories of frequently missing what others were saying to me. However, to me, these were the funny memories. My favourite example of this is with song lyrics, and I think that every singer should really have a dyslexic listen to their soundtracks to make sure that they are articulating their messages correctly for all processing styles.

My favourite song to use as an example is Ed Sheeran's' South of the Border'. Within this, he is singing about a beautiful woman with caramel-coloured thighs.  However, my brain, every single time, even though I know what he is saying, because I had to look up the lyrics, I hear camel thighs. Within my brain, I picture that she must have large thighs that he finds attractive, and this makes me laugh every time I hear the song. This is how auditory dyslexia presents.

While I think it may be funny in most aspects of my life, if I am having a discussion or in a lecture to learn content, it becomes an issue. It's no longer funny. 

We can look for the joy within our processing styles, and I would really encourage you to try, because it helps us avoid beating ourselves up for something we have no control over. Your brain was formed this way, and it is to our benefit to try to find (6:02) the positives from it. When we can move past our setbacks or traumas, we experience post-traumatic growth and build that resilience. 

Look for the joys in it. Listen to the songs you know you know the lyrics to wrong. Enjoy the dyslexic brain for what it is and honour the times and ways you cannot change.