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Description
ITEM INFO:
Title:
• It takes a long tall brown-skin gal to make a preacher lay his Bible down; Companion song to Pray for the lights to go out
Alternative Title:
• Deacon series; no. 2
Date:
• 1917
Creator:
• Skidmore, Will E., 1880-1959, composer
Contributor:
• Samuels, Rae, performer
• E.H. Pfeiffer, illustrator
• Walker, Marshall, lyricist
Description:
• First line: Old Deacon Johnson was a preachin' man
• Refrain: It takes a long, tall, brown-skin gal
Subject:
• Women
• Songs with piano
• Songs
• Legacies of Racism and Discrimination--African Americans
• Singers
• Luggage
• Couples
• African Americans
• Religion
• Churches
• Legacies of Racism and Discrimination--Stereotypes--African Americans
• Performers--Women--Samuels, Rae
• Samuels, Rae
• Bibles
• Preachers
Format:
• sheet music
Publisher:
• Jos. W. Stern, New York/ Tingle & Titus Printing Company Kansas City,Mo.
Instrumentation:
• voice
• piano
Lyrics: Old Deacon Johnson was a preachin' man
The black sky pilot of old Dixie Land
Had never missed a Sunday, rain or shine
Was always in his pulpit right on time
One day a dark-skin damsel blowed in town
Somebody started scandalation round
Next Sunday morn they found the church door locked
This was the only word the Deacon left his lonely flock
It takes a long, tall, brown-skin gal
To make a preacher lay his Bible down
For twenty years I'se passed joy by
But now I'm goin' to get mine till I die
I always thought that preachin' was my line
But since I met this gal I changed my min'
It takes a long, tall brown-skin'd gal
To make a preacher lay his Bible down
When Deacon Johnson took his 'Brown' away
The congregation tried to make him stay
They promised him if he would not leave town
They wouldn't come between him and his 'Brown'
The deacon studied and declared at last
It ain't no use, my preachin' days is past
I never realized where Heaven lies,
Until today when I looked down into my baby's eyes
It takes a long, tall, brown-skin gal
To make a preacher lay his Bible down
For twenty years I'se passed joy by
But now I'm goin' to get mine till I die
I always thought that preachin' was my line
But since I met this gal I changed my min'
It takes a long, tall brown-skin gal
To make a preacher lay his Bible down
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