OK, but if he left "me" barking up the tree, then "I" must be his dog. Ephus, the hunter, took the coon and left the dog (Moses) barking up the empty tree.

Reminds me of a dog I once had who treed a cat ONCE and never again in her life passed that tree without looking for the cat. No, that doesn't mean a darn thing; just rather comical.

The 'preacher don't steal' verse is generic, as I'm sure you know, and wanders from song to song. In less happy times it would have been, 'a n----- won't steal' and in the sixties sometimes became 'a hippie won't steal.'

As to not singing songs not understood, this is a laudable standard, but if it were universally adopted, no one would be able to sing "Horse with No Name." Ever.

What I'm wondring is if you have any clue who the "giver" is??

CC