In Sunday School we used to sing a song about "The wise man built his house upon the rock/the foolish man built his house upon the sand."
The chorus said, "The rain came down and the floods came up/and the house on the rock stood firm/and the house on the sand fell flat."
And I used to sing loudly, "THE RAIN CAME DOWN AND THE FUSS CAME UP!!" and I'd picture a crowd of people fussing around outside the houses.

Jaye

In our Baptist church we sang a hymn with a lively chorus that went "Rolled away, rolled away, I am happy all my burdens rolled away" which my little cousin misunderstood as--and sang with great enthusiasm-- "I am happy all the burglars rolled away!"

cheri

Iin the Christmas song, Hark the herald angels sing, when they say in excelsis deo, I used to think that they were singing Inn at Chelsie's stable, seeing as there was no room in any other inn, so they had to stay at the Inn in Chelsie's stable!

Still sing it wrong

In the Christmas song "Joy To The World" I thought the words were: Let every heart prepare Him a room.
It made sense to me because I knew the story where there was no room at the Inn for Joseph and Mary.

Scissorhands

When I was young when ever I heard the Christmas song Away in a Manger, I thought the Noel Noel chorus, meant that that the baby Jesus had no well, and therefore had no water to drink. I felt very sad for him.

CJ

I used to teach the song "I'm camping in Canaan's Land, it's really grand!" One of my little pupils thought the last words were "It's Billy Graham!"

Linda, Los Angeles

I used to believe that "Orientar" was a place, as in "We three kings of Orientar".

Lise K

I used to think the song "Who Built the ark? Noah. Noah." was "Who built the Ark? No one, no one!"

Embarrassed Kent Girl

when I was at primary school, they put the hymns on a projector for us to sing. I was to young to read along and keep up with the singing, so I sang what I heard. I had a picture of Jesus dancing on a sofa in a party because of the hymn 'Lord Of Th Dance'- 'Dance then, whereever you may be, I am the Lord of the Dance Settee'

Jenny

I used to think that the song "When the Saints Go Marchin' In" was really "When the SINKS Go Marchin' In." For years I always pictured a line of dancing bathroom sinks whenever I heard or sang that song.

Olivia

When they sang "When the roll is called up yonder" I always envisioned a piece of bread. It never occurred to me to wonder why a piece of bread would be called to heaven. I just took it on faith.

Anon

I used to think the words to "Amazing Grace" were "that saved a wrench like me" instead of "that saved a wretch like me". I wasn't quite sure what it meant to be a wrench and I didn't figure out the real words until my mom told me - after I'd sung the wrong words solo in front of my grandparents!

gracy

He is exalted the king is exalted on high,

was sung
he is exhausted the king is exhausted oh my!

And in the hymn
"He only can unlock the gate"
I used to feel sorry for Him, thinking that bit wasn't a very good job to have and that it was sad that that was all he could do.

Naomi

As a kid, I had a Christmas song book, from which I learned the song "Rise Up Shepherd And Foller". At the time, I didn't recognize "foller" as a dialectical form of "follow". So I thought a "foller" was somebody who, like the shepherds, went to the manger to adore the Christ child. For years, I puzzled over who a "foller" was, and just how follers fit into the Christmas story.

Carla

My friend's little sister put her own surrealist spin on the carol "Ding Dong Merrily On High".
Last year she came out with the line "Gloria - Susanna is an extension" ...

Mina, UK

Handel's "Messiah" includes "For we, like sheep, have gone astray". But Handel, a German, was a bit rough on his english phrasing, so the main line comes out as "For we LIKE sheep", which puzzled our Sunday School choir - we had nothing against sheep mind you, but few Australians would choose them as special mates. A couple of us decided on our own slant, incurring strife for singing, "For we like sheep, but I prefer dogs -..... etc". "But Sir, we were in tune and everything!"

Swanny