Preacher and the Bear, The

AKA I’m going to live the high life until I die
First Published 1903
Lyrics Joe Arzonia Music Joe Arzonia Roud 4967

Music Hall Performers Albert Whelan
Folk performances Source Singers
The VWML has over 30 different instances in the USA, 2 in Canada and in the UK:
David Gardner, 2002, Gloucestershire England
Modern performances
More than you could shake a stick at including the New Christy Minstrels, Rufus Thomas and The Jubalaires.		 

Original version (warning racist language)
A preacher went out a hunting, 'twas on one Sunday morn
Of course it was against his religion but he took his gun along
He shot himself some very fine quail, and one small measly hare
And on his way returning home he met a great big grizzly bear
The bear marched out in the middle of the road
And he waltzed to the coon, you see
The coon got so excited that he climbed a persimmon tree
The bear sat down upon the ground, and the coon climbed out on a limb
He turned his eyes to above the skies,
And these words they came from him.

Oh Lord didn't you deliver Daniel from the lion's den
Also deliver Jonah from the tummy of a whale, and then
Three Hebrew children from the fiery furnace
So the good books do declare
Now Lord, if you can't help me
For goodness sake don't you help that bear!

This coon stayed up in that tree, I think it was all night
He said, ' Oh Lord! If you don't help that bear
Then you'll see one awful fight'
But just about then the limb let go, and the coon came tumbling down
You should have seen him get his razor out before he struck the ground
He hit the ground cutting left and right
'Tis true he put up a very game fight
Just then the bear hugged this coon and squeezed him a little too tight
The coon he lost his razor then and his chance seemed now mighty poor
He turned his eyes up above to the skies
And these words he cried once more.

As its more often sung  today:
A  Preacher went out huntin, t'was on one Sunday morn
He knew its against his religion, but he took his gun along
He shot himself three mighty fine quail
and one little measly hare
And on his way returning home,
he saw a great big Grizzly Bear

Now the bear marched out in the middle of the road
and waltzed to the Preacher you see
The Preacher got so excited, he climbed up a 'simmon tree
The bear sat down upon the ground,
the Preacher climbed out on a limb
Well he cast his eyes to the Lord in the skies,
and these words he said to Him

Oh Lord, didn't you deliver Daniel from the lion's den
Also, deliver Jonah, from the belly of a whale and then
Three Hebrew children from the fiery furnace
so the Good Book do declare
Now Oh Lord, if you can't help me,
well then please don't-cha help that bear

Now the Preacher was up in that tree,
I think it was all night
He said Mr Bear if you bother me,
I'll give you an awful fight
Just about that time the limb let go
and the Preacher came tumblin' down
You could see him getting his razor out
before he hit the ground

He hit the ground cuttin' right and left,
he put up a very game fight
Just then the bear grabbed the Preacher,
and he squeezed him a little too tight
The Preacher dropped his razor, the bear held on with a vim
Well he cast his eyes to the Lord in the skies
and these words he said to Him

They fought all the way to the river,
it was a terrible fight
That bear just kept a-hanging on,
but the Preacher was a-doing all right
He dragged that beast right down in the water
it was three times in and out
Then the bear got up and he limped away
and the Preacher began to shout

Oh, Lordy, didn't you deliver Daniel from the lion's den
Also, deliver Jonah, from the belly of a whale, Amen,
And oh Lord, it may not seem like much from way up there,
But the hardest thing I ever done was baptize that (bleep bleep) bear.

This one may be testing even my fuzzy boundaries … It’s clearly an American popular song from early 20th-century vaudeville that has entered American traditional singing. However, it also (just about) fits into my category of a British Music Hall song that has entered the English language tradition, partly because it was collected from one source singer in England, though it’s very possible that they learnt it from an American recording…. It was a big hit in the British Music Hall, so it’s just about possible it came from there…

The song was written in America in the early 20th century for a white comedian who often performed in blackface, Arthur Collins (1864-1933). In America at that time these so-called “coon songs”, which used unpleasant racist stereotypes, were relatively popular. There is some dispute about its authorship, but it was published as being written by Joe Arzonia.

Broadly speaking in the 19th century it was relatively commonplace for a hit song in the UK and/or Ireland to travel over to the states and become a hit there. From the early 20th century on it became increasingly more likely that hit songs would travel in the other direction. This song was imported by the performer Albert Whelan (1875 – 1951) who sang it in the Halls.

Albert Whelan was a failed prospector from the goldfields of Australia who became a star of the British music halls. He was known as a snappy dresser, who always whistled the tune Die lustige Bride as he wandered on or off the stage at the beginning or end of his set – it’s been argued that he invented the concept of the “signature tune”. Apparently for his 1st major engagement on the London stage he was given only 8 minutes, rather than the 18 he felt was his due. He wandered on whistling his signature tune, slowly removed his top hat coat scarf and gloves, slowly put them back on again, and wandered off whistling the tune. Somehow he got away with it and became a huge hit. He was best known for this song, but also sang The butterfly and the Bee, and The old top hat.

The song is a staple of the American traditional repertoire, usually sung in an updated form, without the racism and often with the additional “baptismal” ending provided by Randy Sparks of the New Christy Minstrels. For those interested I have provided a version by Albert Whelan, mostly for the whistling at the end. If you plan to sing it I suggest listening to the New Christy’s version …

Sources:

The New Christy Minstrels:

Albert Whelan sings the racist version but demonstrates his whistling: