The Preacher

Notes from Joel:

As a young student just transplanted from the Northwoods of Minnesota, it came as a shock to me to try my hand at street preaching with my new friend Dennis Agajanian. And of all places where would my initiation be? On the streets of downtown Los Angeles where many of the street people hang out in the evenings and most of their lives. As we walked around sharing the gospel with them, we came across an older black gentleman with a bible in his hand and a smile on his face. He was sharing the Gospel loudly with the "Joy o' the Lord!" That experience inspired the story of the businessman in The Preacher and I've performed it thousands of times for people who need to hear it's message - people like you and me.

First Recorded on a 4-track demo I called Wandering Heart in the fall of 1984. This recording was made in Little Peach Studio in Spokane, WA in 1988 and released on Terror And Love (1988).

Credits: Joel Weldon - Lead vocal, guitar, background vocal; Steve Mills - Drums and programming; Craig Bidondo - Keyboards

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The Preacher

There's an old man standing on the corner
With a worn out leather Bible in his hand
Every morning I'd walk by him and he'd be smiling
With a joy I'd never seen on any man

The lines written in his face told a story
Of the sorrow and the pain that he'd been through
But his voice just kept on ringing
With a new life he was singing
Something about a savior that he knew
His words kept whispering inside
But I shook it off and quickened up my stride

chorus
He sang "amazing grace how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me..."
And the joy from his heart was tearing me apart
'Cause I knew inside I'd never felt that way

I'd been busy climbing up the corporate ladder
Happiness one more dollar away
But every step I'd climb made it clearer in my mind
That kind of joy quickly fades away

One evening after work I drove home to find it empty
She'd left a note; here's all she had to say
"The kids and I have gone, we've been neglected far too long
I'm sorry that it had to end this way"
A tear splashed softly on the floor
Will I ever find the joy I'm looking for
Then the words the preacher said
Kept on ringing through my head

chorus

God, I've been unfaithful and I've been untrue
Jesus if you hear me, I need to know you
'Cause I've tried to make it living on my own
God, please save this foolish man for I am so alone
My legs were kind of shaky rising from my knees
But the reason for the old man's joy had found a place in me

I sang amazing grace how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost but now I'm found
I was blind but now I see

By Joel Weldon

©1984 Joel Weldon Music (BMI).   All rights reserved. Unauthorized distribution, copying or commercial usage strictly prohibited. Please respect the rights of creative artists by not abusing copyright law.

 

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