When my grandma was little, she thought the words to "Jesus loves me" were "Jesus slaws me." She couldn't figure out what that meant, or why Jesus would want to "slaw" anyone!

Anon

I used to believe that the old church hymn about bringing in the sheaves was actually talking about some farmer bringing in the sheep. I guess I thought that sheaves was the plural form of sheep.

Anon

When we were little kids in Alabama, my sisters and I loved to sing our two favorite hymns in church. Eventually we (like so many others) learned that what we called "The Gladly Song" actually wasn't about an unfortunate bear who needed an operation to get his eyes fixed (which was exactly what we could look forward to ourselves, because if we kept crossing our eyes like that, they'd get stuck).

One Sunday morning much later, my mother was totally mystified when we asked whether we'd get to sing our other favorite hymn - the Plastic Thunder song. We had to sing it for her before she understood which song we meant: "I've got a piece of Plastic Thunder standing, down in my heart, down in my heart to stay." She laughed so hard, she cried... the real lyrics? "I've got a peace that passeth understanding down in my heart"...

She'd heard us sing about Plastic Thunder countless times, but never listened closely enough to realize. Of course, to this day we still prefer our version!

Leigh

There's a park in Buffalo, NY, called Humboldt Park, so it didn't seem
odd to my little friend that there was a hymn that began, "Jesus Is
Sneaking Through Humboldt Park." He was surprised to learn it's
"Jesus the Seeker of Humble Hearts."

bertee

In a home video of me when I was three, I sang the "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" lyrics as "Good tidings we bring, to you and your kid." Until my mom corrected me, I never even knew the word "kin" existed.

Sarah

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

Until I was about 3 or 4, I thought the line was, "Jesus loves me, *the sino*, for the bible..."

I kept wondering what a "sino" was.

XiuZan

I have a cousin named Reece and I used to have a step sister before my dad and her mom got divorced. My step sister went to Bible School and learned a new song that she started to sing around the house. It was called Resist the Devil (and he will flee from you). Her song caught my attention as she was singing "Reece is the devil and he will flee from you'!

Lee

I used to believe that the song "Amazing Grace" was about an old, blind bag lady who begged for money on the streets. One day, she had enough money for eye surgery.

Thus - she was once blind, but now could see.

Someone told me that was the meaning of the song.

Anon

My father was a minister so I went to church regularly and even as a small child knew the words to almost all the hymns. When we visited my grandmother where my youngest aunt was still living at home she and I used to sit in the porch swing and take turns choosing hymns to sing. One of her favorites was "At the Cross" but one day when she chose it I informed her that my Mom didn't allow me to sing about worms. Remember the original version; "...for such a worm as I?" Now we sing "...for sinners such as I."

Sarah

Whenever we sang the song "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow us", I thought we where singing about Shirley Goodness, and I thought she would be a lot like Shirley Temple.

E

When I was six, I used to think the song "Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly" went "Deck the Halls with Boston Charlie." I still sorta sing it that way to myself, 30 years later!

Kelly

I used to think the song"jesus, oh what a wonderful child so holy, meek and mild" was "so holy, Mickey Mouse"

Stephani

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