The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #941   Message #3163990
Posted By: GUEST,Mike
01-Jun-11 - 09:36 PM
Thread Name: Origins: The Preacher and the Bear
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Preacher and the Bear
There are many versions of this song. I first heard this song a few years ago when my Grandfather gave me a tape of Mike Hammond and Mike Carr aka: The Moron Brothers. Here is the version I do:

  C
Well, the preacher went out walkin
       F                C
it was early one sunday morn

of course its against his religion
         D          G
but he took his gun along
    C
he shot himself some mighty fine quail
      F             C
and one ole measley hare

but on his way returnin home
          G                C
he met a great big grizzly bear


well the bear sat down in the middle of the road
       F               C
he was mean as he could be

the preacher commenced to climbin
D                     G
right up the simmons tree
    C
the bear looked up and rolled his eyes
F             C
shook his ugly head

the precher looked up towards the sky
    G                      C
and these are the words he said
                                     F    C
Lord, you delivered Daniel from the lions den

and you delivered Jonah
          D                     G
from the belly of the wale and then
C
freed the Hebrew children from the fiery furnace
               F       C
like the good book do declare

Lordy Lordy if you cant help me
G                     C
please dont help that bear

Well, the bear commenced to climbin that tree
         F                C
and it made the preacher sore

the preacher kept climbin higher
          D                G
till he could not climb no more
C
bout that time the limbs gave way
          F                C
and they both came tumblin down

when that ole preacher began to pray
          G                C
you could hear from miles around

(chorus)

C
They fought all the way to the river
F                      C
Lord it was a terrible fight

that bear was really layin it on
          D                G
but the preacher was doin alright
    C
he dragged that beast down into the water
F                C
three times in and out

when the bear got up and limped away
          G                   C
you could hear that preacher shout
                                              F      C
he said Lord, you delivered Daniel from the lions den
                               D                G
and you delivered Jonah from belly of the wale, Amen
   C                                             F       C
It may not seem like much to you from where you sit up there
                                       G          C
but the hardest thin I ever did was Baptizin that bear
                                        G             C
yeah, the hardest thing I ever did was baptizin that bear.

Hope this helps someone, have fun playing.


Mike