When Jim and I were newly married and living far from home, my dad brought my youngest sister up for a visit. On their last night with us we enjoyed dinner together at the local KFC, surrounded by the smell of crispy chicken and music coming from the speakers.
Miriam, sitting across from me, pointed to the speaker above us and asked, “What are they saying in this song? I’ve heard it before but I don’t know the words to this part.” I listened intently for a minute, then, recognizing the song, said with breezy confidence, “Oh, they’re saying, ‘Devil with a bluegrass thumb.’”
My dad and my husband stopped their conversation mid-sentence, their heads swiveling to look at me.
“What?” Jim asked incredulously.
“Devil with a bluegrass thumb, that’s what they’re saying in this song.”
Duh. Hadn’t he heard this one before? I kindly explained the phrase.
“You know, like someone good at gardening has a green thumb? This devil is good at playing bluegrass music.”
Dad and Jim exchanged a look, Dad’s eyes wide and Jim chuckling in disbelief.
“What?” I asked. I felt my cheeks grow warm, and I suddenly realized I might be wrong.
“It’s ‘Devil with a blue dress on,’” Jim managed to get out between gasps of laughter.
Oh my gosh. I had never thought of that. I had carefully reasoned out the phrase the first time I’d heard it, fitting in what rhymed and what made sense (to me). And I had not listened for any context clues from the rest of the song. Apparently, a highly skilled bluegrass-playing “devil” was not the main character.
There I was, a naive 22, talking like an expert about a song that had been released before I was even born.
There was nothing to do but laugh, and the four of us did, uncontrollably. Laughing is a generous grace—there was no defending myself. I could only acknowledge that I had been way off—and that was okay! No one knows the lyrics perfectly to every song; I mean, really, what IS Elton John saying when he sings, "Rocket maaaannn... burnin' on a hee ho ever gone"?
Unfortunately, I like to think I am right most of the time. Okay, all of the time. I don’t like to be wrong. It’s right up there with being caught unprepared or making a mistake. Or receiving criticism, no matter how constructive. It’s hard being a perfectionist, and often lonely.
But, if you are a fellow fusspot, learn from me and my self-righteous, disastrous lyric interpretations. We need to stop taking ourselves so seriously.
Laughter, like God's grace, is freeing.
Bonus: my family now has an inside joke that no one else understands whenever this song comes on. That’s something I’ll happily take credit for, even at the expense of my pride.
What songs have you been singing the wrong lyrics to for years? I’d love to hear them and laugh along with you!
