Song of the Week: Lyle Lovett's "Church"

The player for the featured "Song of the Week" can be found on the upper right corner of the weblog for one week.

Lyle Lovett graduated from my high school, Klein, in northwest Houston. He's not your ordinary country singer, with lyrics wry and quirky. Enjoy "Church," from Joshua Judges Ruth (1992). Maybe the choir at Hillcrest needs to learn the chorus--

I went to church last Sunday
So I could sing and pray
But something quite unusual
Happened on that day

Now church it started right on time
Just like it does without a doubt
And everything was all just fine
Except when it came time to let us out

You know the preacher he kept preaching
He told us "I have one more thing to say
Children before you think of leaving
You better think about the Judgment Day"

Now everyone got nervous
Because everyone was hungry too
And everyone was wondering
What was the next thing he would do

And the preacher he kept preaching
He said "Now I'll remind you if I may
You all better pay attention
Or I might decide to preach all day"

And now everyone was getting so hungry
That the old ones started feeling ill
And the weak ones started passing out
And the young ones they could not sit still

And the preacher's voice rose higher
So I snuck up on the balcony
And I crept into the choir
And I begged them "Brothers, sisters, help me please"

I said "When I give you a signal"
I said "When I raise up my hand
Won't you please join with me together
And praise the Lord I have a plan"

And the preacher he kept preaching
"Long is the struggle, hard the fight"
And I prayed, "Father please forgive me"
And then I stood up and with all my might
I sang

"To the Lord let praises be
It's time for dinner now let's go eat
We've got some beans and some good cornbread
And I listened to what the preacher said
Now it's to the Lord let praised be
It's time for dinner now let's go eat"

Yes and I did give a signal
Yes and I raised up my hands
And then joined with me the choir
Yes every woman, child, and man
They sang

Chorus

And the preacher he stopped preaching
And a hush the church did fill
And then a great white dove from up above
Landed on the window sill

And the dove flew down beside him
And a fork appeared right in his hand
And with everybody watching
The preacher ate that bird right there and then

And now everyone got really nervous
And the preacher he did start to glow
And as we watched in disbelief
These were the words he spoke

He said "Now Mama's in the kitchen
And she's been there all day
And I know she's cooking something good
So let's bow our heads and pray"
And he sang

Chorus

And the moral of this story
Children it is plain but true
God knows if a preacher preaches long enough
Even he'll get hungry too
And he'll sing

Chorus