Skeeter Davis, Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Rosanne Cash, k.d. lang and Loretta Lynn are among those who have influenced Austin.
Son of a Preacher Man
Sherrié Austin Lyrics
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An' when his daddy'd visit, he'd come along.
When they gathered around and started talkin',
Oh, that's when Billy'd take me walkin';
Out through the back yard, we'd go walkin'.
An' then he'd look into my eyes, Lord knows, to my surprise.
The only one who could ever reach me,
The only boy who could ever teach me,
Was the son of a preacherman.
Yes, he was, he was; oh, yes he was.
Ooh.
Oh, bein' good isn't always easy,
No matter how hard I try.
When he started sweet-talkin' to me,
He'd come 'n 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 preacherman.
The only boy who could ever teach me,
Was the son of a preacherman.
Yes, 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 knowin',
Lookin' to see how much we've grown,
And the only one who could ever reach me,
Was the son of a preacherman.
The only boy who could ever teach me,
Was the son of a preacherman.
Yes, he was, he was; oh, yes he was.
He was, he was.
(The only one who could ever reach me.)
That sweet-talkin' son of a preacherman.
(The only boy who could ever teach me.)
He was the son of a preacherman.
Oh, (The only one who could ever move me.)
Yes, he was.
(The only boy who could ever groove me.)
That sweet-talkin' son of a preacherman.
(The only one who could ever reach me.)
Oh, yeah.
(The only boy who could ever teach me.)
Mmm, mmm.
Yes, he was, he was; oh, he was,
The son of a preacherman.
The song "Son of a Preacher Man" by Sherrié Austin is a reimagined version of the original recording by Dusty Springfield. The lyrics tell a story of a young woman who falls in love with the son of a preacher. Billy Ray, the preacher's son, takes her for a walk through the backyard and confesses his love to her. Despite her efforts to be good, the sweet-talkin' Billy Ray sweeps her off her feet and becomes the only one who can ever reach or teach her. As they sneak kisses and spend time together, they learn from each others' knowledge and grow together.
The song's meaning is relatable and universal; it tells the story of falling in love with someone unexpected and defying societal expectations. The lyrics emphasize the struggle between being good and following your heart, a theme that resonates with many listeners. The use of the preacher's son as the love interest adds an extra layer of complexity to the story, as it suggests a forbidden love that must be kept a secret.
Line by Line Meaning
Billy Ray was a preacher's son,
Billy Ray was the son of a preacher, who would often come along when his dad visited
An' when his daddy'd visit, he'd come along.
He would accompany his father when he visited
When they gathered around and started talkin',
When the group congregated and started chatting
Oh, that's when Billy'd take me walkin';
That's when Billy took me on a walk
Out through the back yard, we'd go walkin'.
We walked through the backyard
An' then he'd look into my eyes, Lord knows, to my surprise.
He would gaze into my eyes, which surprised me a lot
The only one who could ever reach me,
He was the only person who could communicate with me well
Was the son of a preacherman.
That person is the son of a preacher
The only boy who could ever teach me,
He was the only one who could teach me anything at all
Yes, he was, he was; oh, yes he was.
Yes, he surely was, oh yes
Oh, bein' good isn't always easy,
Being good isn't always so simple
No matter how hard I try.
Despite my best efforts
When he started sweet-talkin' to me,
When he started to talk sweetly to me
He'd come 'n tell me: "Everything is all right."
He would tell me everything is all right
He'd kiss and tell me: "Everything is all right."
He would kiss me and say: everything is all right
Can I get away again tonight?
Can we go out again tonight?
How well I remember, the look that was in his eyes.
I still remember how his eyes looked
Stealin' kisses from me on the sly.
He would steal kisses from me secretly
Takin' time to make time;
Taking the time to spend time together
Tellin' me that he's all mine.
Telling me he's all mine
Learnin' from each other's knowin',
Learning from each other's experiences
Lookin' to see how much we've grown,
Looking to see how much we've both matured
And the only one who could ever reach me,
And he was the only one who could ever truly communicate with me
Was the son of a preacherman.
Because he's the son of a preacher.
Oh, (The only one who could ever move me.)
(He's) the only one who could ever sway me
Yes, he was.
Yes, he certainly was
(The only boy who could ever groove me.)
(He's) the only boy who could ever make me groove
(The only one who could ever reach me.)
(He's) the only one who could ever get through to me
Oh, yeah.
Oh yes
(The only boy who could ever teach me.)
(He's) the only boy who could ever teach me anything at all
Mmm, mmm.
Mmm, yes
Yes, he was, he was; oh, he was, The son of a preacherman.
Yes, he surely was the son of a preacher.
Contributed by Carson D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@raymondjohnson2616
She really brings the naughty to this song that it needs
@KoniPas
This version I really enjoyed.
@fromjarrod
Fantastic👍🏾
@marlinmr7
Let's help Terri start a revolution by making it well known that we want to hear her and other female country artists more on broadcast music!
http://www.savingcountrymusic.com/move-over-bro-country-the-bra-country-revolution-has-begun