[Ptrallan01]

is replete with songs that were once "popular" music that had new words put over the melodies and became more well known as our "respectable" hymns.

Some brief examples:

He Looked Beyond My Faults and Saw My Needs is sung over the melody Londonderry Aire, more commonly known as the melody to Danny Boy.

What Child is This is sung over the tune to the folksong Greensleeves.

A melody called Old Hundreth is the melody for one version of the Doxology used in many churches at the offering or after prayer.

This has been a common practice in the church for several hundred years. It may NOW be a copyright infringement and illegal but I wouldn't call it "lazy songwriting".

Back before recorded music, people had less exposure to various songs, instruments and styles. Church musicians had to use what was available to them for choral arrangements and used the common(secular) songs of the day with Christian lyrics in place of the secular.

Gary don't at all feel bad about doing this but do be careful not to run afoul of the law!