The above biography taken from: Wikipedia - Rufus Thomas
The Crown Prince of Dance; an early rock & roll DJ, Memphis soul icon and creator of the Funky Chicken.
Artist Biography (below) by Richie Unterberger
Few of rock & roll's founding figures are as likable as Rufus Thomas. From the 1940s onward, he has personified Memphis music; his small but witty cameo role in Jim Jarmusch's Mystery Train, a film which satirizes and enshrines the city's role in popular culture, was entirely appropriate. As a recording artist, he wasn't a major innovator, but he could always be depended upon for some good, silly, and/or outrageous fun with his soul dance tunes. He was one of the few rock or soul stars to reach his commercial and artistic peak in middle age, and was a crucial mentor to many important Memphis blues, rock, and soul musicians.
Thomas was already a professional entertainer in the mid-'30s, when he was a comedian with the Rabbit Foot Minstrels. He recorded music as early as 1941, but really made his mark on the Memphis music scene as a deejay on WDIA, one of the few black-owned stations of the era. He also ran talent shows on Memphis' famous Beale Street that helped showcase the emerging skills of such influential figures as B.B. King, Bobby Bland, Junior Parker, Ike Turner, and Roscoe Gordon.
Thomas had his first success as a recording artist in 1953 with "Bear Cat," a funny answer record to Big Mama Thornton's "Hound Dog." It made number three on the R&B charts, giving Sun Records its first national hit, though some of the sweetness went out of the triumph after Sun owner Sam Phillips lost a lawsuit for plagiarizing the original Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller tune. Thomas, strangely, would make only one other record for Sun, and recorded only sporadically throughout the rest of the 1950s.
Thomas and his daughter Carla would become the first stars for the Stax label, for whom they recorded a duet in 1959, "'Cause I Love You" (when the company was still known as Satellite). In the '60s, Carla would become one of Stax's biggest stars. On his own, Rufus wasn't as successful as his daughter, but issued a steady stream of decent dance/novelty singles.
These were not deep or emotional statements, or meant to be. Vaguely prefiguring elements of funk, the accent was on the stripped-down groove and Rufus' good-time vocals, which didn't take himself or anything seriously. The biggest by far was "Walking the Dog," which made the Top Ten in 1963, and was covered by the Rolling Stones on their first album.
Thomas hit his commercial peak in the early '70s, when "Do the Funky Chicken," "(Do The) Push and Pull," and "The Breakdown" all made the R&B Top Five. As the song titles themselves make clear, funk was now driving his sound rather than blues or soul. Thomas drew upon his vaudeville background to put them over on-stage with fancy footwork that displayed remarkable agility for a man well into his 50s. The collapse of the Stax label in the mid-'70s meant the end of his career, basically, as it did for many other artists with the company. In 2001, Rufus Thomas was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame. Later that year, on December 15, he died at St. Francis hospital in Memphis, TN.
The above biography taken from: All Music Biography - Rufus Thomas by Richie Unterberger
Preacher and the Bear
Rufus Thomas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It was on a Sunday morn'
Of course it was against his religion
He took his gun along
Shot some very fine quail
One little measly hare
On his way returning home
Bear walked around, stood on the ground
He walked straight to the preacher, you see
Preacher got so excited
And then he ran up a Sycamore tree
Bear walked around, stood on the ground
The preacher crawled out on a limb
Cast his eye to the Lord above
And these are words he said to Him
He said, "Oh Lord, oh, Lord, Lord
You delivered Daniel in the lion's den
Samson strong and the hundred men
Hebrew children in the furnace of fire"
"David went to kill the lion
The good book do declare
But Lord, if they don't help me
Don't You help this big black bear"
The preacher stayed up in that tree
I think it was all night
Said, "Oh Lord, if You don't help me
Treat us both alright"
Just about that time the limb let go
The preacher come tumblin' down
You should've seen him getting that razor out
Before he struck the ground
He struck the ground cuttin' left and right
He put up a very good fight
About that time the bear told the preacher
Just hold him a little too tight
Preacher lost the razor
Bear held on with the [Incomprehensible]
Cast his eye to the Lord above
Once more prayed to Him
He said, "Oh Lord, oh Lord
Oh Lord, oh, oh, oh Lord
You remember Daniel in the lion's den
Samson strong and the hundred men
Hebrew children in the furnace of fire"
"David went to kill old lion
The good book do declare
Oh, oh, oh Lord
If You, if You, if You don't help me
Put a muscle on this big black bear"
Boy, boy, the preacher
The preacher and the bear
Boy, boy, the preacher
The preacher and the bear
Boy, boy, the preacher
The preacher and the bear
Boy, boy, the preacher
The preacher and the bear
Boy, boy, the preacher
The preacher and the bear
Rufus Thomas's song "The Preacher And The Bear" is a humorous cautionary tale about the dangers of going against one's religious beliefs. In the song, a preacher goes hunting on a Sunday morning, which is against his religion, but he takes his gun along anyway. While on his hunting trip, he shoots some quail and a hare, but on his way home, he meets a big grizzly bear.
Fearing for his life, the preacher climbs up a Sycamore tree, where he spends the night. He prays to God to save him from the bear, citing the examples of Daniel in the lion's den, Samson and the hundred men, and the Hebrew children in the furnace of fire. He also reminds God of David's triumph over a lion. However, when the limb of the tree breaks, the preacher falls to the ground and engages in a physical fight with the bear.
While the song may seem like a simple and humorous story, it also contains deeper meanings. It warns against the hypocrisy of going against one's beliefs, and it also highlights the importance of faith and trust in God during difficult times.
Line by Line Meaning
A preacher, he went huntin'
The story begins with a preacher going on a hunting trip
It was on a Sunday morn'
The hunting trip took place on a Sunday morning
Of course it was against his religion
The preacher knows that hunting on a Sunday goes against his religious beliefs
He took his gun along
Despite knowing that hunting on a Sunday is against his religion, the preacher still brought his gun along
Shot some very fine quail
While on the hunting trip, the preacher shot some good quail
One little measly hare
The preacher also shot a small, insignificant hare
On his way returning home
After the hunting trip, the preacher was on his way back home
He met a great big grizzly bear
During his journey home, the preacher encountered a huge grizzly bear
Bear walked around, stood on the ground
The bear circled around the preacher before standing on its hind legs
He walked straight to the preacher, you see
The bear approached the preacher in a direct manner
Preacher got so excited
The preacher became very nervous and anxious
And then he ran up a Sycamore tree
In an effort to escape from the bear, the preacher climbed up a Sycamore tree
The preacher crawled out on a limb
The preacher moved out on a branch of the tree
Cast his eye to the Lord above
While up in the tree, the preacher looked up towards the sky and prayed to God
And these are words he said to Him
The preacher began to speak with God
He said, 'Oh Lord, oh, Lord, Lord
The preacher began his prayer to God
You delivered Daniel in the lion's den
The preacher reminds God of Daniel's deliverance from the lion's den
Samson strong and the hundred men
The preacher also mentions Samson's great strength in defeating a hundred men
Hebrew children in the furnace of fire'
The preacher recalls how God saved the Hebrew children from the fiery furnace
'David went to kill the lion
The preacher then remembers how David killed a lion
The good book do declare
The preacher cites this story as it is recounted in the Bible
But Lord, if they don't help me
Despite all these examples of miraculous interventions, the preacher still doubts that God will save him
Don't You help this big black bear'
The preacher asks God not to save the bear either
The preacher stayed up in that tree
The preacher remained up in the tree all night
I think it was all night
The preacher is uncertain about the exact length of time he spent in the tree
Treat us both alright'
At this point, the preacher's prayer includes a plea for both him and the bear to be okay
Just about that time the limb let go
The branch that the preacher was on broke off suddenly
The preacher come tumblin' down
The preacher fell from the tree
You should've seen him getting that razor out
As he was falling, the preacher took out his razor
Before he struck the ground
The preacher was still in the process of using his razor when he hit the ground
He struck the ground cuttin' left and right
The preacher started to attack the bear with his razor when he landed on the ground
He put up a very good fight
The preacher fought bravely against the bear
About that time the bear told the preacher
The bear then spoke to the preacher
Just hold him a little too tight'
The bear suggested the preacher hold him a little too tight
Preacher lost the razor
The preacher dropped his razor
Bear held on with the [Incomprehensible]
Despite losing his weapon, the preacher grabbed onto the bear in some way
Once more prayed to Him
The preacher prayed to God again as he struggled with the bear
Boy, boy, the preacher
The song repeats the phrase 'boy, boy, the preacher'
The preacher and the bear
The song tells the story of the encounter between the preacher and the bear
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RUFUS THOMAS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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