Vandaag is het zondag en dus tijd om naar de kerk te gaan. Kijk en luister naar het verrassende verhaal van de dominee die maar niet op wilde houden met preken, terwijl iedereen bijna flauw viel van de honger, briljant vertolkt door Lyle Lovett en zijn gospelzangers.
Lyle Lovett (1957) is bekend van zijn huwelijk (1993-1995) met de actrice Julia Roberts. Ze hadden elkaar leren kennen in 1992, bij de opnames van de film The Player van Robert Altman, waarin ze beiden een rol speelden. Veel mensen stonden er versteld van dat zo’n “lelijke” man er vandoor ging met de Pretty Woman. Maar Lyle Lovett is vooral een heel bijzondere en originele singer-songwriter, die een combinatie ten gehore brengt van country, folk, swing, blues, jazz en gospel. Hij werd opgevoed op een paardenfarm in Texas en studeerde Duits en journalistiek. Sinds de jaren 80 is hij muzikaal actief en hij onderscheidt zich met name door zijn teksten, die vaak zeer humoristisch zijn, zoals wel blijkt uit dit lied. Zo schreef hij ook een slaaplied voor een pinguïn (Penguins uit 1994).
Lovett treedt regelmatig op met de Large Band, die bestaat uit het puikje van de zalm aan ritme-sectie, blazers en achtergrond vocalisten. In dit nummer zijn de muzikanten: Ray Herndon (gitaar), Viktor Krauss (bas – hij is de broer van zangeres Alison Krauss), Matt Rollings (toetsen) en Dan Tomlinson (drums). En de briljante vocalisten zijn: Sweet Pea Atkinson, Sir Harry Bowens, Willie Green jr. en Francine Reed.
Church staat op het album Joshua Judges Ruth (1992) en de live versie is te vinden op Live in Texas (1999). De concertopnames komen uit het befaamde Duitse muziekprogramma Ohne Filter (1992).
Church
I went to church last Sunday,
so I could sing and pray.
But something quite unusual
happened on that day.
The church it started right on time,
just like it does without a doubt.
And everything was all just fine,
except it came the time to let us out.
You know the preacher he kept preaching.
He told us, “I have one more thing to say.
Children, before you think of leaving,
you better think about the Judgment Day.”
Now everyone got nervous,
because everyone was hungry too.
And everyone was wondering,
what was the next thing he would do.
And the preacher he kept preaching.
He said, “Now I’ll remind you, if I may,
you all better pay attention,
or I might decide to preach all day.”
And everyone was getting so hungry,
that the old ones started feeling ill.
And the weak ones started passing out,
and the young ones they could not sit still.
And the preacher’s voice rose higher,
so I snuck up to the balcony,
and I crept into the choir,
and I begged them brothers, sisters, “Help me please!”
I said, “When I give you a signal.”
I said, “When I raise up my hand,
won’t you please join with me together,
and praise the Lord I have a plan.”
And the preacher, he kept preaching.
Long is the struggle, hard the fight.
And I prayed, “Father please forgive me.”
And then I stood up, and with all my might
I sang,
“To the Lord let praises be,
it’s time for dinner now let’s go eat.
We’ve got some beans and some good cornbread,
and I listened to what the preacher said.
Now it’s to the Lord let praises be,
it’s time for dinner now let’s go eat.”
Yes, and I did give a signal.
Yes, and I raised up my hands.
And then joined with me the choir,
every woman, child, and man.
They sang,
“To the Lord let praises be,
it’s time for dinner now let’s go eat.
We’ve got some beans and some good cornbread,
and I’ve listened to what the preacher said.
Now it’s to the Lord let praises be,
it’s time for dinner now let’s go eat.”
And preacher, he stopped preaching.
And a hush the church did fill.
And then a great white dove, from up above,
landed on the window sill.
And the dove flew down beside him,
and a fork appeared right in his hand.
And with everybody watching,
the preacher ate that bird, right there and then.
And now everyone got really nervous,
and the preacher he did start to glow.
And as we watched on in disbelief,
these were the words he spoke.
He said, “Mama’s in the kitchen,
and she’s been there all day.
And I know she’s cooking something good,
so let’s bow our heads and pray.”
And he sang,
“To the Lord let praises be,
it’s time for dinner now let’s go eat.
We’ve got some beans and some good cornbread,
now listen to what the preacher said.”
He said, “To the Lord let praises be,
it’s time for dinner now let’s go eat.”
And the moral of this story,
children, it is plain but true.
God knows, if a preacher preaches long enough,
even he’ll get hungry too!
To the Lord let praises be,
it’s time for dinner now let’s go eat.
We’ve got some beans and some good cornbread,
now listen to what the preacher said.
