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THE PREACHER AND THE BEAR A Preacher went out huntin, t'was on one Sunday morn He knew its against his religion, but he took his gun along He shot himself three mighty fine quail and one little measly hare And on his way returning home, he saw a great big Grizzly Bear Now the bear marched out in the middle of the road and waltzed to the Preacher you see The Preacher got so excited, he climbed up a 'simmon tree The bear sat down upon the ground, the Preacher climbed out on a limb Well he cast his eyes to the Lord in the skies, and these words he said to Him Oh Lordy, didn't you deliver Daniel from the lion's den Also, deliver Jonah, from the belly of a whale and then Three Hebrew children from the fiery furnace so the Good Book do declare Now Oh Lord, if you can't help me, well then please don't-cha help that bear Now the Preacher was up in that tree, I think it was all night He said Mr Bear if you bother me, I'll give you an awful fight Just about that time the limb let go and the Preacher came tumblin' down You could see him getting his razor out before he hit the ground He hit the ground cuttin' right and left, he put up a very game fight Just then the bear grabbed the Preacher, and he squeezed him a little too tight The Preacher dropped his razor, the bear held on with a vim Well he cast his eyes to the Lord in the skies and these words he said to Him They fought all the way to the river, it was a terrible fight That bear just kept a-hanging on, but the Preacher was a-doing all right He dragged that beast right down in the water it was three times in and out Then the bear got up and he limped away and the Preacher began to shout Oh, Lordy, didn't you deliver Daniel from the lion's den Also, deliver Jonah, from the belly of a whale, Amen, And oh Lord, it may not seem like much from way up there, But the hardest thing I ever done was baptize that (bleep bleep) bear. Background: Composed or copyrighted in 1903 by George W. Fairman. 1905 Victor recording by Arthur Collins was very popular, as was a Sousa's Band version in 1906. Riley Puckett's 1925 Columbia recording was followed by versions by John McGhee (1927), Honeyboy and Sassafrass (1930), the Prairie Ramblers (1936) and Puckett again in 1939. The famous Golden Gate Quartet made an acapella version for RCA at their first session in 1937. Jerry Reed had a charted hit with "The Preacher And The Bear" in 1970 as a single (RCA 9904) that stayed on the charts for 11 weeks, reaching No. 16. The recording by John McGhee has been reissued on an LP, Old Homestead OHCS-141 "West Virginia Hills" (Old Homestead Records, Box 100, Brighton, MI 48116). The second version is by Hylo Brown, found on Rural Rhythm 176, "Folk Songs Of Rural America" (Uncle Jim's, Box A, Arcadia, CA 91066). Max Wiseman had a version and Yvonne Reuge who sang it at the 1970 Tenio Old Time Music Festival. DP Phil Harris did it, too. RG @animal @fight filename[ PRCHRBR DP oct97  8note Sheet |
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