Son of a Preacher Man Lyrics
Billy-Ray was a preacher's son
And when his daddy would visit, he'd come along
When they gathered 'round and started talkin'
That's when Billy would take me walkin'
Out through the back yard, we'd go walkin'
Then he'd look into my eyes
Lord knows, to my surprise
[Chorus]
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
Ooh, yes, he was
[Verse 2]
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 alright
He'd kiss and tell me everything is alright
Can I get away again tonight?
[Chorus]
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 (Was), he was (Was)
(Ooh) Lord knows he was
(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
[Chorus]
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 (Was), he was (Was)
Oh, yes, he was
[Outro]
(The only one who could ever reach me)
He was the sweet-talkin' son of a preacher man
(The only boy who could ever teach me)
I kissed the son of a preacher man
(The only one who could ever move me)
The sweet-lovin' son of a preacher man
(The only one who could ever groove me)
Was the son of a preacher man
(The only one who could ever reach me)
Was the son of a preacher man
About
Dusty Springfield’s 1968 hit “Son of a Preacher Man” is about a boy who sneaks off with a girl every time his preacher father visits her house.
The song was written by Ronnie Wilkins and John Hurley, who originally wanted Aretha Franklin to sing it. Franklin turned down the song at first because she thought it was disrespectful to preachers—she changed her mind in 1970 when she recorded a cover.
“Son of a Preacher Man” was Dusty’s biggest hit, charting at #9 in the US and #10 in the UK.
The song got a late boost back onto the charts in 1994, when Quentin Tarantino included it in his film Pulp Fiction. Tarantino was so attached to the song that he would have cut its scene if he couldn’t get the rights to the song.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
Dusty Springfield told Mojo in 1996 that she “hated” the song at first:
I hated it because I couldn’t be Aretha Franklin. I was someone who had come from thundering drums and Phil Spector, and I didn’t understand sparseness. I wanted to fill every space. When I got free of that I finally liked it, but it took me a long time. I wouldn’t play it for a year. To this day I listen to Aretha Franklin’s phrasing and go, ‘Goddamit!’ That’s the way I should have done it. Now, if I do it onstage I’ll cop her phrasing! It was a matter of ego, too: if I can’t be as good as Aretha then I’m not gonna do it at all.
Ronnie Wilkins told American Songwriter:
Aretha’s father was a preacher and both of my grandfathers were preachers. I said, ‘She’s the daughter of a preacher man and you might say I’m the son of a preacher man,’ and that’s how we came up with the title. It took us half an hour, maybe 45 minutes, to write the song.
- 2.So Much Love
- 3.Son of a Preacher Man
- 10.No Easy Way Down