Stephen McGann got people talking about misheard hymn lyrics – our 21 favourites
Actor Stephen McGann, star of Call the Midwife, told his Twitter followers about a childhood misunderstanding of his wife, writer Heidi Thomas, creator of the popular medical drama.
I'm having a great chat with the OH about lyrics to hymns we misheard as children. A favourite is 'Gladly the Cross I Bear', which she thought for years was a story about Gladly, the cross-eyed bear. I now find myself wanting to feature in a cartoon franchise about Gladly.
— Stephen McGann (@StephenMcGann) December 11, 2019
She certainly wasn’t alone in mishearing that particular line, but it seemed many other hymns and prayers had baffled young ears, and people began sharing their similar mistakes. These were our favourites.
1.
When I was little I thought that the refrain ‘… to be a pilgrim’ in He Who Would Valiant Be was ‘… to be a penguin’.
— Red Sky At Night (@redskyatnight) 11 December 2019
2.
My great aunt was a Sunday School teacher and was once presented with a drawing of Jesus, Mary, Joseph… and an enormous insect. The source? Misunderstanding the angel who instructed Joseph to "take the child and flea into Egypt"…
— God Rest Ye Roguishly, Trader (@RogueTrader84) 11 December 2019
3.
“Hark, the hairy angels sing”
— Johnny Rich (@JohnnySRich) 12 December 2019
4.
I always thought Hosana was the name of a girl who is being instructed to sing for the king of kings.
— Emma “jingle bells” Burnell (@EmmaBurnell_) 11 December 2019
5.
Apparently my Mum's little brother always wanted to hear the hymn about "Mary and the baby she-bear". https://t.co/GbkcVHjKO1
— Marv (@maryepworth) December 12, 2019
6.
I misheard ‘teach o teach us how to die’ as ‘teachers teachers have to die’. Another cheery Catholic hymn, to St Joseph 😂
— JenGillan10 (@JGillan10) 11 December 2019
7.
"Oh come let us adore him" as "Oh come and shut the door then"…
— Magda McQueen (@Mirrordead8) 11 December 2019
8.
Blessed is the fruit of I woo Jesus
— Shelagh Fogarty (@ShelaghFogarty) 11 December 2019
9.
What a friend we have in cheeses.
— Wanderingstar 🕷 (@wandringstar1) 11 December 2019
10.
'I am the Lord of the Dance Settee'
— Kirsty (@Kirsty_M_N) 11 December 2019
11.
God today hath poor folk raised
And custard down the proud.— Noëlle Not The First (@noelle_nole1) 11 December 2019
