| Little Altar Boy | |
| Cover: | CarpentersChristmas.jpg |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Carpenters |
| Album: | An Old-Fashioned Christmas |
| B-Side: | Do You Hear What I Hear? |
| Released: | 1984 |
| Recorded: | 1978 |
| Genre: | Pop, seasonal |
| Label: | A&M 1940 |
| Producer: | Richard Carpenter |
| Prev Title: | Now |
| Prev Year: | 1984 |
| Next Title: | Honolulu City Lights |
| Next Year: | 1986 |
"Little Altar Boy" is a song written by Howlett Peter Smith,[1] in 1961 and first recorded that year by vocalist Vic Dana for his album This Is Vic Dana. In an introspective moment, Dana performs this quiet song in the 1962 musical-comedy film Don't Knock the Twist.
The song is about a man who has done wrong and goes to church for the purpose of asking the altar boy, to pray for him for his past sins and to ask for forgiveness by wanting to become holy as him. Smith later revised the title and lyrics to, "Little Holy Child", due to the situation in the Catholic Church as it pertains to priests and altar boys.
"Little Altar Boy" was released as a single, it reached number 45 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[2]