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Son of a Preacher Man
Dusty Springfield Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Billy Ray was a preacher's son
And when his daddy would visit he'd come along
When they gathered around and started talkin'
That's when Billy would take me walkin'
Out through the back yard we'd go walkin'
Then he'd look into my eyes
Lord knows, to my surprise

The only one who could ever reach me
Was the son of a preacher man
The only boy who could ever teach me
Was the son of a preacher man
Yes, he was, he was, ooh, yes, he was

Bein' good isn't always easy
No matter how hard I try
When he started sweet-talkin' to me
He'd come and tell me "Everything is all right"
He'd kiss and tell me "Everything is all right"
Can I get away again tonight?

The only one who could ever reach me
Was the son of a preacher man
The only boy who could ever teach me
Was the son of a preacher man
Yes, he was, he was, ooh, Lord knows, he was (yes, he was)

How well I remember
The look that was in his eyes
Stealin' kisses from me on the sly
Takin' time to make time
Tellin' me that he's all mine
Learnin' from each other's knowin'
Lookin' to see how much we've grown and

The only one who could ever reach me
Was the son of a preacher man
The only boy who could ever teach me
Was the son of a preacher man
Yes, he was, he was, oh, yes, he was

(The only one who could ever reach me)
He was the sweet-talkin' son of a preacher man
(The only boy who could ever teach me)
Was the son of a preacher man
(The only one who could ever reach me)
Was the sweet-talkin' son of a preacher man
(The only one who could ever reach me)
(Was the son of a preacher man)
(The only one who could ever reach me)
(Was the son of a preacher man)

Overall Meaning

Dusty Springfield's song "Son of a Preacher Man" tells the story of a young girl who falls in love with the son of a preacher. The song is filled with imagery of young love and hidden passion, as the singer describes stealing kisses, learning from each other, and looking into each other's eyes. The son of the preacher, Billy Ray, is portrayed as the only person who can truly reach and teach the singer, despite the difficulties that come with being with a preacher's son. Understanding the context of Springfield's own life adds a layer of meaning to the song, as she herself grew up in a strict, religious family and later struggled with her own sexuality and relationships.


Line by Line Meaning

Billy Ray was a preacher's son
The boy Billy Ray is the son of a reverend


And when his daddy would visit he'd come along
Whenever the father of Billy visits, he accompanies him


When they gathered around and started talkin'
When the group starts to talk together


That's when Billy would take me walkin'
Billy would take me on a walk during this time


Out through the back yard we'd go walkin'
We walk through the backyard


Then he'd look into my eyes
Billy looks into my eyes


Lord knows, to my surprise
To my surprise


The only one who could ever reach me
He was the only person who could truly talk to me


Was the son of a preacher man
Billy Ray, the preacher's son, was the only person who could reach me


The only boy who could ever teach me
He was the only boy who gave me guidance


Yes, he was, he was, ooh, yes, he was
He was, undoubtedly, the one for me


Bein' good isn't always easy
Being a good person is not always simple to do


No matter how hard I try
Regardless of how much effort I put into it


When he started sweet-talkin' to me
When Billy began to flirt with me


He'd come and tell me "Everything is all right"
He would come and reassure me that everything was okay


He'd kiss and tell me "Everything is all right"
He would kiss me and say that everything was okay


Can I get away again tonight?
Can I leave tonight again?


How well I remember
I remember it vividly


The look that was in his eyes
The expression he had on his face


Stealin' kisses from me on the sly
Kissing me in secret


Takin' time to make time
Taking the time to spend together


Tellin' me that he's all mine
Saying that he belongs to me


Learnin' from each other's knowin'
Learning from each other's experience


Lookin' to see how much we've grown and
Looking to see how much we've developed


(The only one who could ever reach me)
The only person who could ever connect with me


He was the sweet-talkin' son of a preacher man
Billy Ray, the son of a preacher, was a charming man


(The only boy who could ever teach me)
The only boy who could give me guidance


(Was the son of a preacher man)
Again, Billy Ray, the son of a preacher


(The only one who could ever reach me)
Once more, he was the only person who could truly connect with me


(Was the sweet-talkin' son of a preacher man)
Billy Ray was a charming man, and the only person who could guide and connect with me


(The only one who could ever reach me)
For the last time, he was the only person who could truly connect with me


(Was the son of a preacher man)
And finally, Billy Ray is the son of a preacher once again




Lyrics ยฉ Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Hurley, Ronnie Wilkins

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@theaterdreamer

Two and a half minutes of pure bliss.

What a woman. What a voice.

@jimwerther

She was a mess

@meggy-jane515

Yes he was

@Ducksoup67

Amen.

@itsnotacello2296

What a bass line.

@fosbury68

Credit where credit is due - Tommy Cogbill on Bass@@itsnotacello2296

@joes6527

I swear this is one of the smoothest songs I've ever heard. The slow build up, and the backup vocals are perfect.

@melnicencoeugene6074

Bloody yeah

@edbn24

her voice is so smooth and soft also

@pranishsawant9932

Hey joe, can you suggest a few songs similar to this, like slow build up, mood setters, soft. I came to knew about this song when i saw pulp fiction and loved how this was used to set a mood

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