Son Of A Preacher Man
Linda Eder Lyrics

Jimmy Ray was a preacher's son
The person being talked about, Jimmy Ray, was born to a father who was a preacher.

When his daddy would visit he'd come along
Whenever Jimmy Ray's father made a visit, Jimmy Ray would be there too.

When they gathered 'round the parlor talkin'
When people congregated in the parlor to have conversations there, Jimmy Ray and his father were a part of it.

Cousin Jimmy would take me walkin'
The artist's cousin, Jimmy Ray, would often take them for walks together.

Out through the backyard we'd go walkin'
The place where Cousin Jimmy and the artist would walk was through the backyard.

And then he'd look into my eyes
While they walked, Jimmy Ray would look at the singer in the eyes.

Lord knows to my surprise
The singer was surprised by this behavior.

The only one who could ever reach me
Nobody else could bring out the same emotions in the artist.

Was the son of a preacher man
Jimmy Ray, Cousin of the artist, was the only one who could make the artist feel certain kinds of ways.

Being good isn't always easy
Trying to be a good person is not always simple.

No matter how hard I try
Even when the singer is putting in effort, it is still difficult.

When he started sweet talkin' to me
When Jimmy Ray would start talking sweetly to the artist.

He'd come and tell me everything is alright
Jimmy Ray would come to the singer, reassuring them that everything will be fine.

Kiss and tell me everything is alright
Kissing the singer and in addition, telling them that everything is alright.

Can I sneak away again tonight?
The singer wonders if they can sneak away with Jimmy Ray again later.

How well I remember
The artist is recalling a memory.

The look that was in his eyes
Specifically, the artist remembers a distinct expression that Jimmy Ray had on his face.

Stealin' kisses from me on the side
Jimmy Ray would secretly kiss the singer.

Takin' time to make time
Jimmy Ray would make sure they had enough time to spend with each other.

Tellin' me he's all mine
Jimmy Ray would tell the artist that they belong to one another.

Learnin' from each other's knowin'
Both the artist and Jimmy Ray were learning from each other's experiences and knowledge.

Lookin' to see how much we've grown
Jimmy Ray and the artist were monitoring their growth in their relationship together.

The only one who could ever reach me
No other person could emotionally resonate with the singer in the same way.

Was the son of a preacher man
Jimmy Ray was the only person who could bring out these feelings in the artist, despite being a preacher's son.

The only one who could ever teach me
The singer could only learn certain things from Jimmy Ray and nobody else.

Yes he was
This describes Jimmy Ray as being capable of these emotional connections with the singer.

Ooh
An expression of excitement or pleasure.

The only one who could ever reach me
Jimmy Ray was the only one to stimulate this emotional response within the artist.

Was a sweet talkin' son of a preacher man
Jimmy Ray was a charismatic individual despite being a preacher's son.

And the only boy who could ever teach me
The singer can only learn from Jimmy Ray and nobody else.

Was the son of a preacher man
Even though Jimmy Ray's father was a preacher, he was still able to connect with the singer in a way that nobody else could.

The only one who could ever reach me
Reiteration of the idea that nobody else can elicit this emotional response from the artist.

Yes he was
Jimmy Ray was the only one who could emotionally stimulate the artist.

Ooh
An expression of excitement or pleasure.

The only boy who could ever teach me
Jimmy Ray was the only person capable of teaching the singer.

Was the son of a preacher man
Even though Jimmy Ray's father was a preacher, he was still able to connect with the artist in a way that nobody else could.

Yes he was
Jimmy Ray was the person with the capability to emotionally stimulate and teach the singer.

Ooh
An expression of excitement or pleasure.

The only one who could ever reach me
Instead of emphasizing how Jimmy Ray is the only person, this line emphasizes that nobody else could ever resonate with the singer the same way.

Was the son of a preacher man
Despite his religious upbringing, Jimmy Ray could still emotionally connect with the artist in a way that nobody else could.

The only one who could ever reach me
Once again, nobody else could connect with the artist in the same emotional capacity that Jimmy Ray could.

Was the son of a preacher man
Jimmy Ray was able to transcend his religious background to form a unique emotional connection with the singer.