[Warning: racial stereotypes. This song is being presented in its original form as a part of music history.]
The best “coon shout” ever written, 1918.
Words by Marshall Walker.
Music by Will E. Skidmore
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:
Lyrics
1. Way down south there lives a cullud preachin’ man
(Preachin’ man, Preachin’ man, Preachin’ man)
Spreadin’ joy to everybody in the land
(In the land, in the land, in the land)
Last Sunday night he looked his congregation in the face
(In the face, in the face, in the face)
And says to them, “You gotta get somebody in my place”
(In my place, in my place, in my place)
The elders asked him why
And this was his reply
Chorus
Now brothers and sisters I been preaching’ to you
But somebody’s done me wrong
I stood for you stealin’ from the contribution box
As it passes along
For years I preached the Gospel truth
To each and every one
But when you Deacons try to steal
My “Brown Skin Gal” I’m done
Now brothers and sisters I been preaching’ to you
But somebody’s done me wrong
2. T’other night I got home just ‘about ten o’clock
(Ten o’clock, ten o’clock, ten o’clock)
Lights was low, I turned ’em up, Oh! what a shock
(What a shock, what a shock, what a shock)
Now what you think was goin’ on right there before my eyes
(‘Fore my eyes, ‘fore my eyes, ‘fore my eyes)
My bosom friend, old deacon Jones
Had my wife hypnotized
(Hypnotized, hypnotized, hypnotized)
He started this here row
His wife’s a widow now
Chorus
Now brothers and sisters I been preaching’ to you
But somebody’s done me wrong
I stood for you stealin’ from the contribution box
As it passes along
The good book says, “Thou Shalt Not Covet”
That’s the Gospel law
I’ll bet I’ll break them Ten Commandments
On some Deacon’s jaw
Now brothers and sisters I been preaching’ to you
But somebody’s done me wrong
Chorus
Now brothers and sisters I been preaching’ to you
But somebody’s done me wrong
I stood for you stealin’ from the contribution box
As it passes along
I always tried to let the other
Deacons’ wives alone
And you ain’t got no right
To come a “messin’ ’round my home
Now brothers and sisters I been preaching’ to you
But somebody’s done me wrong
Sung here by Fred Feild: