Son of a Preacher Man
Lacy Mandigo Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Billy-Ray was a preacher's son
When his daddy would visit he'd come along
When they gathered 'round and started talkin'
That's when Billy would take me walkin'
Through the backyard 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
Oh, yes, he was

Being 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
Oh, 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 knowing
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 boy 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

In Lacy Mandigo's "Son of a Preacher Man," the singer is describing her experiences with a boy named Billy-Ray who is the son of a preacher man. Although it is not explicitly stated, it is implied that the singer has a romantic interest in Billy-Ray. The first verse describes how Billy-Ray would take the singer for walks in the backyard when his dad would visit. It is suggested that the two of them would slip away from whatever conversation was happening inside in order to spend time alone together.


In the chorus, the singer reveals that Billy-Ray is the "only one who could ever reach me" and "the only boy who could ever teach me." The repetition of this phrase emphasizes the importance that Billy-Ray has had in the singer's life. It suggests that he has taught her things about herself or the world that she would not have learned from anyone else. The fact that he is the son of a preacher man is likely significant - perhaps he has a unique perspective on the world because of his upbringing.


The second verse continues to describe the singer's relationship with Billy-Ray. She acknowledges that being good is not always easy, which could suggest that their relationship is not entirely approved of by either of their families. However, Billy-Ray tells the singer that "everything is all right" and the two continue to see each other secretly. The final lines of the song suggest that the relationship has helped both the singer and Billy-Ray to grow and learn from each other.


Line by Line Meaning

Billy-Ray was a preacher's son
The person she is talking about, named Billy-Ray, was the son of a preacher.


When his daddy would visit he'd come along
When Billy-Ray's father would come to visit, Billy-Ray would also come.


When they gathered 'round and started talkin', that's when Billy would take me walkin'
While the adults talked, Billy-Ray would take the singer for a walk.


Through the backyard we'd go walkin', then he'd look into my eyes, Lord knows to my surprise
They would walk through the backyard, and Billy-Ray would surprise the artist by looking into her eyes.


The only one who could ever reach me, was the son of a preacher man
The only person who could truly connect with the artist was Billy-Ray, who happened to be a preacher's son.


The only boy who could ever teach me, was the son of a preacher man, yes he was, he was, oh, yes, he was
Billy-Ray was the one person who could teach the singer anything, and he just happened to be the son of a preacher.


Being good isn't always easy, no matter how hard I try
The singer finds it difficult to always do the right thing, no matter how hard she tries.


When he started sweet-talkin' to me, he'd come and tell me everything is all right
When Billy-Ray would say flattering things to the artist, he would also tell her that everything was okay.


He'd kiss and tell me everything is all right, can I get away again tonight?
Billy-Ray would kiss the artist and ask if he could see her again the next night.


How well I remember the look that was in his eyes, stealin' kisses from me on the sly
The artist vividly remembers the way Billy-Ray looked at her while they kissed secretly.


Takin' time to make time, tellin' me that he's all mine, learnin' from each other's knowing, lookin' to see how much we've grown
They take their time together, with Billy-Ray telling the singer that she belongs to him, and they both learn from each other and grow over time.


And the only one who could ever reach me, was the son of a preacher man
Once again, the artist emphasizes that the only person who truly understands and connects with her is Billy-Ray, who happens to be the son of a preacher.


The only boy who could ever teach me, was the son of a preacher man, yes he was, he was, oh, yes, he was
To reiterate, Billy-Ray was not only the only person who could reach the singer, but also the only person who could teach her anything, and he just happened to be the son of a preacher.




Contributed by Dominic M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions