Son Of A Preacher Man
(vietnam war music 1959-1975) aretha franklin Lyrics

Billy Ray was a preacher's son
The subject of the song is introduced as Billy Ray, who is the son of a preacher.

And when his daddy would visit he'd come along
Whenever Billy's father visited, he would accompany him.

When they gathered around the parlour talkin'
When they all came together to have conversations in the living room,

That's when Billy would take me walkin'
This is when Billy would take the singer, who the song is about, on walks.

Through the backyard we'd go walkin'
They would stroll through the backyard together.

Then he'd look into my eyes, Lord knows, to my surprise
The singer is shocked by the way Billy looks at her as they connect on a deeper level.

The only one who could ever reach me
The singer is saying that Billy is the only person that she felt understood by.

Was the son of a preacher man
Billy being the son of a preacher is emphasized as significant in their relationship.

The only boy who could ever teach me
Not only was Billy the only one who could reach her, but he was also the only one who could teach her valuable lessons.

Bein' good isn't always easy
In the midst of their relationship, the singer is reflecting on the difficulty of being a good person in general.

No matter how hard I try
Despite her best efforts to be good, it isn't easy.

When he started sweet-talkin' to me
The singer is recalling moments when Billy would sweet-talk her, or use flirtatious language with her.

He'd kiss 'n tell me "Everything is all right" (sock it to me)
Billy would often reassure her that everything was okay with kisses and his comforting words.

Can I sneak away again tonight, now?
The singer is wondering if she can sneak out and spend more time with Billy tonight.

How well I remember
The singer is reminiscing on past memories.

The look that was in his eyes
She is recalling the way Billy looked at her during their intimate moments.

Stealin' kisses from me on the sly
The two of them would sneak kisses from each other secretly.

Takin' time to make time
They would make time for each other and try to enjoy each moment.

Tellin' me that he's all mine
Billy would remind the singer that he was hers and they were in this together.

Learnin' from each other's knowin'
They learned from each other's experiences and knowledge.

Lookin' to see how much we've grown and
They would regularly take stock of how much they've grown in their relationship.

Hallelujah, son of a preacher man
The chorus expresses praise to Billy for being the son of a preacher man.

Hallelujah, for the son
This is another line of praise for Billy, the son of a preacher man.

He's only boy, yes he is, who could ever reach me
The singer repeats that Billy is the only one who could ever truly reach her.

He's only boy who could ever teach me
Again, the singer emphasizes how much she has learned from Billy.

Son of a preacher man
This line is repeated again to show how important Billy being the son of a preacher man was to the singer.