Preacher and the Bear

Preacher and the Bear is an American folk song. Ragtime artist Arthur Francis Collins recorded the song in 1905 and it became a huge hit selling over a million records. He continued performing and recording the song for various records over several decades. Composer Joe Arizona wrote sheet music for the song in 1905 that was published by Jos. Morris.[1] The song was also recorded by various artists including Phil Harris in 1947, The Jubalaires, and Jerry Reed on his album Georgia Sunshine. The song was also recorded by the Golden Gate Quartet.[2]

A "coon song", the lyrics recount the story of a man who appeals to God after being treed by a bear while out hunting on the Sabbath. He falls out out of the tree.[3] The University Of Arkansas' Ozark Folksong Collection has a 1962 recording from Jasper, Arkansas of an acapella version with bigoted slurs included in the lyrics.[4]

References

  1. ↑ "The preacher and the bear". Duke Digital Collections.
  2. ↑ "The Golden Gate Quartet - Jonah In The Whale / Preacher And The Bear". Discogs.
  3. ↑ William Howland Kenney (8 July 1999). Recorded Music in American Life: The Phonograph and Popular Memory, 1890-1945. Oxford University Press. pp. 56–. ISBN 978-0-19-988014-0.
  4. ↑ "Preacher and the bear :: Ozark Folksong Collection". digitalcollections.uark.edu.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.