Excuses
The Kingsmen Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴Excuses, excuses, you'll hear them every day.
And the Devil he'll supply them, if the church you stay away.
When people come to know the Lord, the Devil always loses
So to keep them folks away from church, he offers them excuses.
In the summer it's too hot. And, in the winter, it's too cold.
In the spring time when the weather's just right, you find some place else to go.
Well, it's up to the mountains or down to the beach or to visit some old friend.
Or, to just stay home and kinda relax and hope that some of the kin folks will start dropping in. Well, the church benches are too hard. And, that choir sings way too loud.
Boy, you know how nervous you get when you're sitting in a great big crowd.
The doctor told you, "Now, you better watch them crowds. They'll set you back."
But, you go to that old ball game because you say "it helps you to relax."
Well, a headache Sunday morning and a backache Sunday night.
But by worktime Monday morning, you're feeling quite alright.
While one of the children has a cold, "Pneumonia, do you suppose?"
Why the whole family had to stay home, just to blow that poor kid's nose.
Excuses, excuses, you'll hear them every day.
And the Devil he'll supply them if the church you stay away.
When people come to know the Lord, the Devil always loses
So to keep them folks away from church, he offers them excuses.
Well, the preacher he's too young. And, maybe he's too old.
The sermons they're not hard enough. And, maybe they're too bold.
His voice is much too quiet-like. Sometimes he gets too loud.
He needs to have more dignity. Or, else he's way too proud.
Well, the sermons they're too long. And, maybe they're too short.
He ought to preach the word with dignity instead of "stomp and snort."
Well, that preacher we've got must be "the world's most stuck up man."
Well, one of the lady's told me the other day, "Well, he didn't even shake my hand."
Excuses, excuses, you'll hear them every day.
And the Devil he'll supply them if the church you stay away.
When people come to know the Lord, the Devil always loses
So to keep them folks away from church, he offers them excuses.
So to keep them folks away from church, he offers them excuses.

Well, the sermons they're too long. And, maybe they're too short.
He ought to preach the word with dignity instead of "stomp and snort."
Well, that preacher we've got must be "the world's most stuck up man."
Well, one of the lady's told me the other day, "Well, he didn't even shake my hand."
Excuses, excuses, you'll hear them every day.
And the Devil he'll supply them if the church you stay away.
When people come to know the Lord, the Devil always loses

So to keep them folks away from church, he offers them excuses.
So to keep them folks away from church, he offers them excuses.

Overall Meaning

The Kingsmen's Excuses is a song with a message about individuals who attend church only when it is convenient for them, and the Devil's role in supplying them with excuses to stay away. The lyrics explain that whenever a person comes to know the Lord, the Devil always loses, and to keep these individuals from attending church, the Devil provides them with excuses to stay away. The lyrics spell out a series of common excuses - the church benches are too hard, the choir sings too loudly, the preacher is too young, too old, not hard enough, etc. The song reveals how people create excuses so effectively that it becomes easier for them not to attend the church, and essentially how the Devil helps them.

Moreover, the song points to a serious problem with Christians as they get caught up in everyday routines and do not prioritize their spiritual lives. These days, it is relatively common for religious people to make excuses and disengage from their faith. The lyrics of Excuses describe how individuals develop reasons not to attend church, especially when it requires an effort or if the individual fears it might not be fulfilling. The Devil is also portrayed as cunning, providing excuses for people to avoid going to church by encouraging them to follow worldly desires rather than Godly ones. Overall, the song calls people into action by urging them to keep aware of their faith and recognize the tricks that the Devil plays to discourage them from attending church.

Line by Line Meaning

Excuses, excuses, you'll hear them every day.
People will always have excuses not to go to church.

And the Devil he'll supply them, if the church you stay away.
The Devil will provide excuses to keep people from going to church.

When people come to know the Lord, the Devil always loses
The Devil loses when people choose to follow God.

So to keep them folks away from church, he offers them excuses.
The Devil offers excuses to keep people from attending church.

In the summer it's too hot. And, in the winter, it's too cold.
People will use extreme temperatures as an excuse not to go to church.

In the spring time when the weather's just right, you find some place else to go.
Even when the weather is perfect, people will still make excuses not to go to church.

Well, it's up to the mountains or down to the beach or to visit some old friend.
People will choose to do other activities instead of going to church.

Or, to just stay home and kinda relax and hope that some of the kin folks will start dropping in.
Sometimes people just want to stay home and relax rather than attend church.

Well, the church benches are too hard. And, that choir sings way too loud.
People will complain about physical discomfort or loud music as excuses not to attend church.

Boy, you know how nervous you get when you're sitting in a great big crowd.
Some people feel overwhelmed or anxious in large crowds, and use it as an excuse not to attend church.

The doctor told you, "Now, you better watch them crowds. They'll set you back."
Some people may use medical advice as an excuse not to attend church.

But, you go to that old ball game because you say "it helps you to relax."
People may prioritize leisure and relaxation by attending other events instead of church.

Well, a headache Sunday morning and a backache Sunday night.
Physical pain or discomfort may be used as an excuse not to attend church.

But by worktime Monday morning, you're feeling quite alright.
People may feel better after a good night's rest and use this as an excuse not to attend church.

While one of the children has a cold, "Pneumonia, do you suppose?"
Parents may prioritize their child's health and use it as an excuse not to attend church.

Why the whole family had to stay home, just to blow that poor kid's nose.
The entire family may stay home to take care of a sick child.

Well, the preacher he's too young. And, maybe he's too old.
Some may judge the preacher based on his age.

The sermons they're not hard enough. And, maybe they're too bold.
People may not find the messages challenging or may not like the preacher's bold style.

His voice is much too quiet-like. Sometimes he gets too loud.
People may critique the preacher's speaking style.

He needs to have more dignity. Or, else he's way too proud.
Some may judge the preacher's personality or image.

Well, the sermons they're too long. And, maybe they're too short.
People may complain about the length of the sermons.

He ought to preach the word with dignity instead of "stomp and snort."
People may disapprove of the preacher's delivery.

Well, that preacher we've got must be "the world's most stuck up man."
People may make harsh critiques about the preacher's character or personality.

Well, one of the lady's told me the other day, "Well, he didn't even shake my hand."
People may hold grudges or criticize the preacher's behavior.

So to keep them folks away from church, he offers them excuses.
The Devil creates excuses as a way to prevent people from attending church.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Jim Kimberley, William Topley

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it