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

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

In the song Silent night theres the part that says

"round yon virgin mother and child
Holy infant so tender and mild"

up until 2 years ago I thought it was " Holy imbecile tender and wild"

if thats not bad enough i also went to a catholic school

Anon

we used to sing about cheese. 'my cheeses, nice flavour...' recognise it?!?

pixie

When my sister was about 6 at Christmas time, she came home from school and sang us a carol she had just learned.
She started alright with 'Ding Dong merrily on high'
but unfortunately finished with 'Hosannah in his trousers'

Jim Clarke

I come from Yorkshire and when we would sing Jingle Bells at Christmas I thought 'a one hose open sleigh' was 'a one horse serpent sleigh' because of the strong accents. I spent most of my childhood thinking that Father Christmas road a dragon.

Megan

I always used to think in the Christmas carol "God Bless you and Give you a Happy New Year" they were saying, "And may joy come to you, and to your mimosa, too." I figured this was because grown-ups drank mimosa on Christmas morning, and the song was hoping their mimosa was yummy.

Anon

My mom always used to think that the lyrics to "Silent Night" were: "Sleep in heavenly peas", so she thought that baby Jesus's bed was filled with peas.

Anon

again, as a child i used to sing a gospel hymn called "joshua fought the battle of Jerichoe and the walls came tumbling down"
until i was about 6 i would belt out in church "Joshua bit the bottle of cherry-coke and the walls came tumbling down"

kaitlyn

My Father had an interesting take on the carol 'we three kings'
'we three kings of trafalgar square
selling knickers at tuppence a pair
they're fantastic, no elastic
falling down everywhere...'

Anon

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

Roxy