Bruce Springsteen Lyrics

Album: Before The Fame

IF I WAS THE PRIEST Lyrics

Part of the Hammond demos.

(recorded by Allan Clarke on solo album in 1975) written by Bruce

Well there's a light on yonder mountain

And it's calling me to shine

There's a girl over by the water fountain

And she's asking to be mine

And ain't that Jesus, he's standing in the doorway

With a buckskin jacket, boots and spurs, so really fine

He says "We need you up in Dodge City, son

'Cause there's oh so many bad boys (just too many outlaw)

Tryin' to work the same line"

Well now if Jesus was the sheriff and I were the priest

If my lady was an heiress and my mama was a thief

Oh and Papa rode shotgun for the Fargo line

There's still too many outlaws

Tryin' to work the same line

Now old sweet Virgin Mary

She runs the Holy Grail saloon

Where for a nickel they'll give you whisky

And the personally blessed balloon

And the Holy Ghost, he's the host with the most

He runs the burlesque show

Where they let you in for free

But oh hit you for your soul when you go

And Mary serves Mass on Sunday

And then she sells her body on Monday

To the bootlegger who will pay the highest price

But he don't know he got stuck with a loser

Mary's a stone junkie, what's more she's a boozer

And she's only been made once or twice

By some kind of magic

Well things ain't been the same in Heaven

Ever since big bad Bobby came to town

He's been known to down eleven

And then ask for another round

And me I got scabs on my knees

From kneeling way too long

I gotta take a stand, be the man, up where you belong

And forget about the old friends and the old times

Because there's just too many new boys

Tryin' to work the same line

Well now if Jesus was the sheriff and I were the priest

If my lady was an heiress and my mama was a thief

Oh and Papa rode shotgun for the Fargo line

There's still too many bad boys

Tryin' to work the same line

Now there's a light on yonder mountain

And it's calling me to shine

There's a girl by the water fountain

And she's asking to be mine

And Jesus, he's standing in the doorway

With his six-guns drawn, and ready to fan

He says "We need you son, up in Dodge City"

But I'm already overdue in Cheyenne