Tom T. Hall - The Little Lady Preacher lyrics

Oh, the little lady preacher from the limestone church I'll never forget her, i guess She preached each sunday mornin' on the local radio With a big black bible and a snow-white dress She was 19 years of age and was developed to a fault But i will admit she knew the bible well A little white lace hanky marked the text that she would use She'd breathe into that microphone and send us all to hell She had a guitar picker by the name of luther short A hairy-legged soul lost out in sin She would turn and smile at luther when the program would commence With a voice as sweet as angels she would break out in a hymn I was pickin' for her too with what we call the doghouse ba** I clung to every word that pa**ed her lips She was down on booze and cigarettes and high on days to come And she'd punctuate the prophecy with movements of her hips The lord knows how i loved her, he was there each time she preached But ol' luther took her home each sunday morn' Lookin' back i still recall the way it hurt my tender pride I longed to be a hero but they're made not born Sometimes ol' luther showed up at the studio half-tight And smokin' was a thing he liked to do She never said a word to him but said a prayer for me I told her in a way that i'd been prayin' for her too One sunday her old man showed up and said that she was gone Said she and brother luther had a call I can see me standin' in that studio that day I had to face the heartbreak, unemployment and all I don't know where they are 'cause i ain't seen them people since Lord if i judge 'em let me give 'em lots o' room I know ol' luther short and he's a hard ol' boy to change And i've often sat and wondered who it was converted whom