hymns

For the longest time I believed that the song HARK THE HERALD ANGEL SINGS was really about my Grandpa Harold. Why? Because when I asked him he said it was

Britt

My sister used to think the words to the Christmas song "Little Donkey" were "Got a teapot, plodding onwards" instead of "got to keep on, plodding onwards"!

DJ

I used to believe that part of the words to Handel's Messiah were "Bounce the ball." It wasn't until years later, after I came to know Jesus personally, and started reading the Bible that I realized they were quoting from Isaiah 9:6

6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called WONDERFUL, COUNSELLOR, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
KJV

Jenn

When I was about 6, I never really understood the song 'who built the ark'. It wasn't till I got older that I realised the words weren't "who built the ark, no one, no one, who built the ark, mother hubard built the ark" Don't ask me where she came from?!! Oh and I thought the words to 'My Girl' was actually 'Maggots'?!!!

vicarous

I used to believe that in the carol we three kings, that they were from places called Orry and tar.

"we three kings from orry and tar"

vandal

I was telling my boyfriend about the hymn "Victory in Jesus" and when I got to the part that went "He sought me/and bought me" my boyfriend thought I said "He socked me/and bopped me."

Camille Noire

There's a song called "Take It All" by a group called Hillsongs United. A friend and I were singing this song in the car the other day. One of the lines is "Jesus, we're living for your name; we'll never be ashamed of you.... Our praise, and all we are today.... Take, take, take it all! Take, take, take it all!!"
Well, my mom was driving, and she turned around in her seat to stare at us and gave us this "WTF???" look.

Turns out that she'd misheard "take it all" as "Take, take, take it OFF!!!" My friend and I laughed so hard that we cried. Poor Mom...

Taylor

Around Easter, I would always become suspicious of gravy boats and what was in th bottom of them. We would sing "Low in the grave he lay. Jesus our savior".

I thought it was "Low in the gravy lay.....".

linda

I used to think that Christ the royal master leaned against the throne. rather than leads against the foe.

Anon

Well this isn't my misheard lyrics, but my sister's. When she was around 4, she was singing "Away In A Manger" at a Christmas party.
"Away in m-m-mary, no crib for a bear"
It's become a family favourite!

Jess + Danni

When my sister was little she thought the song 'Who Built the Ark? Noah...Noah' actually went 'Who built the Ark? Noone noone'. She may have a point...

Kate

In Australia there is a snack food called Cheezels (I don't know if they exist elsewhere in the world). As a three-year-old, I used to sing the Christmas carol 'Away in a manger' thus:
'Away in a-a manger, no crib for a bed, the little lord Cheezels lay down his sweet head.' Later in the song: 'I love thee, Lord Cheezels, look down from the sky, and stay by my bedside til morning is nigh.' I really did love that lord Cheezels!

sal

My Mom could never figure out who Round John was. As in Round John, Virgin Mother and Child. Or rather as it should be Round yond Virgin, Mother and Child from Silent Night

Anon

In our religion, our music is played from a CD, but when I was little I never knew this. I thought there was an old lady in the roof with a piano.

Anon

I used to think that church songs were pop music. Well, we did sing them in church every week...

Roxy

My grandparents have always attended a very traditional church, where they sing a lot of old hymns. One of the hymns they sing every week is "Gloria Patri" (or something like that), and when I was little, I read that in the bulletin, and was convinced that a woman named Gloria was going to speak in church that week. (I was always puzzled as to why her name was in the bulletin, but I never heard her preach)

Anon

There is a hymn with the line "I love those dear hearts and gentle people". My mother was horrified when my sister, who was 3 or 4, sang for the Prayer Meeting group "I love those dear hearts and DAMNED OLD PEOPLE"....

marjorie

When my 93 year old Granddad was a boy his favourite carol was "Hark the Harold (yes, Harold) angels sing"... He was sure they were singing about him as his name was Harold!

go Granddad!

As a child i never really understood many of the messages in hymns, and frankly I didn't care. Anyway I remember thinking the lyrics for a certain hymn were "two-headed eagle in the law", as if by some divine right of christianity a mutant bird was patrolling our streets protecting all of christendom from heaven knows what. As I never took much notice of the Anglican teachings of such obscure lyrics I never questioned whether this was in fact what i was supposed to be singing. And I still don't know but im guessing "eagle" was probably "evil" and it would figure "law" was "lord". Other than that I've not a clue.

first kid on the block

When I attended church we always sang the song...
"I've got the bible enthusiam all over me".
BUt when I sang it as a child,
I sang it this way ,
"I've got the bible school and susie has them all over her.
My folks laughed so hard when they heard me at home singing this song.

P. Glenna