Son Of A Preacher Man
Dina Carroll 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 round and started talking
That's when Billy would take me walking
Through the backyard we'd go walking
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, oh yes he was

Being good isn't always easy
No matter how hard I try
When he started sweet talking to me
He'd come and tell me everything is alright
He'd kiss and tell me everything is alright
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, oh yes he was

How well I remember
The look that was in his eyes
Stealing kisses from me on the sly
Taking time to make time
Telling me that he's all mine
Learning from each other's knowing
Looking to see how much we'd 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

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Dina Carroll's "Son Of A Preacher Man" tell the story of a young girl who falls in love with the son of a preacher man. Billy Ray, the preacher's son, takes the girl for walks and steals kisses from her on the sly while they learn from each other and watch each other grow. She confesses that despite her efforts to be good, she is easily swayed by his sweet talk and kisses, and she hopes to be able to "get away again tonight."


The song is a testament to the power of true love and the challenges that come with it, especially when faced with societal expectations and constraints. The girl is drawn to Billy Ray precisely because of who he is and what he represents, despite (or perhaps because of) the fact that he is the son of a preacher man. The song suggests that their love is forbidden, and yet that very forbidden nature makes it all the more powerful and intense.


Overall, the lyrics of "Son Of A Preacher Man" convey a sense of longing, desire, and longing for the freedom to love and be loved without judgment or fear.


Line by Line Meaning

Billy Ray was a preacher's son
Billy Ray, the person I met, was the son of a preacher.


And when his daddy would visit, he'd come along
When his father visited people and talked about religion, Billy Ray would come with him.


When they gathered round and started talking
When the community gathered and talked about religious topics.


That's when Billy would take me walking
That's when Billy would call me and ask to go for walks.


Through the backyard we'd go walking
We would walk through the backyard.


Then he'd look into my eyes
He would look at me and make eye contact.


Lord knows to my surprise
To my astonishment.


The only one who could ever reach me
Billy was the only one who could touch and connect with me in a meaningful way.


Was the son of a preacher man
He was the son of a preacher.


The only boy who could ever teach me
He was the only boy who could teach and guide me.


Being good isn't always easy
It is not straightforward to be virtuous or ethical all the time.


No matter how hard I try
Even though I put in a lot of effort.


When he started sweet talking to me
When he would flatter and charm me.


He'd come and tell me everything is alright
He would reassure me that everything is okay.


He'd kiss and tell me everything is alright
He would kiss me and tell me everything is okay.


Can I get away again tonight
Can I secretly meet him again tonight?


How well I remember
I remember vividly.


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


Stealing kisses from me on the sly
Kissing me without anyone noticing or seeing.


Taking time to make time
We made time to be together, even when we were busy.


Telling me that he's all mine
He declared that he belongs only to me.


Learning from each other's knowing
We learned from each other through our combined experiences.


Looking to see how much we'd grown and
We would look at each other to see how much we had developed in this relationship.


Yes he was, he was, oh yes he was
He was indeed the son of a preacher who had a profound impact on me.




Contributed by Jason W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

aeroliner750

Wow love this song, great flash back

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