Songtext The little lady preacher Tom T. Hall

The little lady preacher

Oh, the little lady preacher from the limestone church
Ill never forget her, I guess
She preached each sunday mornin on the local radio
With a big black Bible and a snow-white dress

She was 19 years of age and was developed to a fault
But I will admit she knew the Bible well
A little white lace hanky marked the text that she would use
Shed breathe into that microphone and send us all to hell

She had a guitar picker by the name of luther short
A hairy-legged soul lost out in sin
She would turn and smile at luther when the program would commence
With a voice as sweet as angels she would break out in a hymn

I was pickin for her too with what we call the doghouse bass
I clung to every word that passed her lips
She was down on booze and cigarettes and high on days to come
And shed punctuate the prophecy with movements of her hips

The lord knows how I loved her, he was there each time she preached
But ol luther took her home each sunday morn
Lookin back I still recall the way it hurt my tender pride
I longed to be a hero but theyre made not born

Sometimes ol luther showed up at the studio half-tight
And smokin was a thing he liked to do
She never said a word to him but said a prayer for me
I told her in a way that Id been prayin for her too

One sunday her old man showed up and said that she was gone
Said she and brother luther had a call
I can see me standin in that studio that day
I had to face the heartbreak, unemployment and all

I dont know where they are cause I aint seen them people since
Lord if I judge em let me give em lots o room
I know ol luther short and hes a hard ol boy to change
And Ive often sat and wondered who it was converted whom