But even then I knew Id find a much better place
Even with a whale like you

The story:

Oh, my word, how blushable that I'd misheard that line all these years. I have to tell you, I should have known better, and what's more, I've spent years trying to decipher what a whale had to do w/ anything. I just took it to mean that he was a 'big fish' or some such. I'd never even bothered to look the lyrics up (ha-ha). Of course, much of it has to do with the British accent the singer was using - so therein lies my faux pas...