Gonna be a Baptist Preacher, so I don't have to work
Jeffrey Lee Pierce (1958 - 1996) was one of my musical heroes in the 80ies and 90ies and I still very much appreciate his music, as recorded and performed with the legendary Gun Club in various line-ups. Although I tend to think of Mother Juno as his masterpiece (there has to be an entry on that somewhere on this here blog), there is no one single album (ha!) by The Gun Club I would not like. For example, their first album, called "The Fire of Love". I own a vinyl copy of it, on whose sleeve it is printed, that copyright is 1981. The line-up is Ward Dotson (who later started the Pontiac Brothers) on guitar and slide guitar, Jeffrey Lee on vocals and slide guitar, Bob Ritter on bass and Terry Graham on drums. There is many a fine song featured on that album ("Sex beat", "She's like heroin to me", "For the Love of Ivy [co-written by Kid Congo Powers]), and then there is "Preaching the Blues", credited to Robert Johnson (arr. by Pierce). Obviously, this song is heavily based upon the famous Robert Johnson song "Preachin' Blues"; nevertheless, in the lyrics, Jeffrey Lee brings in another blues classic of the same title, by Son House, and, he adds some of his own words.
Here is (1) The Gun Club (with lyrics), (2) Robert Johnson and (3) Son House.
[Robert Johnson]
I was up this morning, blues walking like a man
I was up this morning, blues walking like a man
Worried blues, give me your right hand
And the blues fell mama's child, tore me all upside down
Blues fell mama's child, tore me all upside down
Travel on ol' Jeffrey Lee, ya know, can't seem to turn him around
[Jeffrey Lee]
So, preach the blues
Preach the blues now
[Robert Johnson]
Blues, is low down shaking chill
Blues, is low down shaking chill
You ain't never had them, I don't believe you will
Blues is an achin' old heart disease
Blues is an achin' old heart disease
It's like consumption, baby, killing me by degrees
[Jeffrey Lee]
So, preach the blues
Preach the blues now
I had religion, Lord on this very day
I had religion, Lord on this very day
But the womens and the whiskey, they would not let me pray
[Son House]
Gonna get me religion, gonna join the Baptist church
Gonna get me religion, gonna join the Baptist church
Gonna be a Baptist preacher, so I don't have to work
