blues songs that make fun of preachers (etc)

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

i'm trying to compile a list of prewar blues records that

(1) burlesque sacred songs (i.e. sacriligeous renditions of "when the saints go marching in," etc.)
(2) accuse preachers/deacons/etc. of hypocrisy, sexual predation, etc. (or just joke about preachers chasing or stealing women, etc.)
(3) treat the church and the position of preachers in a generally irreverant way (e.g. son house's "preachin' blues")
(4) these could also be "gospel" songs which accuse preachers of hypocrisy, not living up to their responsibilities, etc. (like wash phillips' "church needs good deacons")

just in general pre-war black music that's critical/satiric toward the church and its officers

usually song titles don't help much--it's usually a matter of a line or a verse snuck in here and there.

any ideas?????

not sure how many prewar blues afficionados there are here. i guess i'm one of them. but i'm having a hard time coming up with a list of more than 5 or 6, although i know there are many more (and i've heard a lot of them).

thanks dudes.

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Monday, 10 April 2006 02:33 (twenty years ago)

...

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Monday, 10 April 2006 05:24 (twenty years ago)

Son House to thread.

― A pair of brown eyes, Monday, 10 April 2006 05:43 (twenty years ago)

"he calls that religion" ("but I know he's going to hell when he dies") by Mississippi Shieks jumps to mind.

― reacher, Monday, 10 April 2006 16:19 (twenty years ago)

ah yes--i think that was one i had in mind but couldn't remember the title

thanks!

any more?

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Monday, 10 April 2006 16:52 (twenty years ago)

To elaborate on browneye's suggestion. This is from Son House's "My Black Mama"

Say, t'ain't no heaven, say, there ain't no burnin' hell
Say, where I'm going when I die, can't nobody tell
Oh, there ain't no heaven, now, there ain't no burnin' hell
Oh, where I'm going when I die, can't nobody tell

― Chuck B, Monday, 10 April 2006 16:56 (twenty years ago)

"Preachin' Blues" - Son House

Yes, I'm gonna get me religion, I'm gonna join the Baptist Church
You know I wanna be a Baptist preacher, just so I won't have to work

I suspect House has a ton of these.

― Will (will), Monday, 10 April 2006 18:11 (twenty years ago)

Billy Ward & the Dominoes - "The Deacon Is Moving In"

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Monday, 10 April 2006 18:14 (twenty years ago)

Jimmy Bell's In Town -
-with greenbacks - enough to make a man a suit.
Jimmy Bell tells the sexton- hey buddy, tone the bell
Some of these disciples sure are bound for hell.
Jimmy Bell's in the pulpit
A bottle in his hand
Look at the sisters in the corner crying - Jimmy Bell's my man.
Jimmy Bell tells the sisters - there's no need to shout
Pay your dues, or the deacon will throw you out.

-Cat Iron

Not sure of the year/ post-warness...

http://www.smithsonianglobalsound.org/trackdetail.aspx?itemid=3183

― Dave AKA Dave (dave225.3), Monday, 10 April 2006 18:20 (twenty years ago)

lightnin' hopkins?

― Susan Douglas (Susan Douglas), Monday, 10 April 2006 19:05 (twenty years ago)

...

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Tuesday, 11 April 2006 04:14 (twenty years ago)

sorry!

― Susan Douglas (Susan Douglas), Tuesday, 11 April 2006 04:24 (twenty years ago)

great question, sir!

i don't really know any examples of what you're saying off the top of my head even though i'm kind of obsessed with bluesy gospel, early preaching recordings and sanctified blues...

i do know that one of the very first million selling 78s was a weird, racist parody of a black preacher. sorry can't recall the title/ artist.

― Mike McG, Tuesday, 11 April 2006 07:36 (twenty years ago)

Okay Bessie Smith's "Moan you moaners" is totally essential. Difficult to recall specific lyrics right now but its generally very satirical about the church and about gospel music (as should be obvious from the title).

― Jacob (Jacob), Tuesday, 11 April 2006 07:47 (twenty years ago)

It's almost less the lyrics and more the delivery.

Though she does say "religion turns you inside out"...

http://www.redhotjazz.com/songs/bessie/moanyoumoaners.ram

― Jacob (Jacob), Tuesday, 11 April 2006 09:07 (twenty years ago)

...

― amateurist0, Tuesday, 11 April 2006 21:53 (twenty years ago)

,,,,,,

― nervous.gif (eman), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 21:33 (twenty years ago)

one month passes...

...

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Saturday, 27 May 2006 18:20 (nineteen years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.