IF I WAS THE PRIEST

Version 2

Well there's a light on yonder mountain
And it's calling me to shine
There's a girl by the water fountain
And she's asking to be mine
And Jesus is standing in the doorway
In a buckskin jacket, boots and spurs, really fine
He says "We need you, we need you up in Dodge City
'Cause there's oh so many outlaws
Tryin' to work the same line"

Well if Jesus was the sheriff and I was a priest
If my lady was an heiress and my Mama was a thief
And Papa rode shotgun for the Fargo line
There's still too many bad boys
Tryin' to work the same line

Sweet Virgin Mary
She runs the Holy Grail saloon
Where for a nickel they'll give you whiskey
And a personally blessed balloon
Whoa the Holy Ghost, he's the host with the most
He runs the burlesque show
Where they let you in for free
But they hit you when you go
And Mary serves Mass on Sunday
And then she sells her body on Monday
To the bootlegger who paid the highest price
But he don't know he got stuck with a loser
Mary's a stone junkie, what's more she's a boozer
She's only been made once or twice
By some kind of magic

Well if Jesus was the sheriff, and I was the priest
If my lady was an heiress and my Mama was a thief
Oh and Papa rode shotgun for the Fargo line
There's still too many bad boys
Tryin' to work the same line

Well things ain't been the same in Heaven
Ever since big bad Bobby came to town
He's been known to down eleven
And then ask for another round
And me I've got scabs on my knees
I've been kneeling way too long
It's about time I played a man that took a stand where I belong
And forget about the old friends and the old times
Because there's just too many new boys
Tryin' to work the same line

Now there's a light on yonder mountain
And it's calling me to shine
There's a girl by the water fountain
And she's asking to be mine
Jesus, he stands in the doorway
With his six-guns drawn, and ready to fan
He says "You know we need you in Dodge City"
But I'm already overdue in Cheyenne

This version dates from Jan-Mar 1971. Version 1, version 3, and version 4 are very similar, it is even hard to spot the differences, but I included them because I am a "gotta have it all" Bruce Springsteen fan.

Covered by Allan Clarke, this demo combines all the strongest themes of Springsteen's early work. As well as being dominated by Catholic imagery, he also manages to once again include the magic of the Wild West and his family in this track. In a change from other early demos, Bruce plays the piano rather than an acoustic guitar as backing, although his playing is not as strong as his efforts on JANEY NEEDS A SHOOTER, or later, THE PROMISE.

Available on:

1. Tribute 1997: One Step Up / Two Steps Back: The Songs Of Bruce Springsteen (disc 2- track 13), performed by Allan Clarke

Liner notes from the One Step Up / Two Steps Back: The Songs Of Bruce Springsteen tribute booklet:

It was a great privilege to be one of the first artists to record a Bruce Springsteen song. From the first hearing of "Born To Run," I was blown away by the power of then unknown talent. I knew then hat Bruce Springsteen was going to be the next generation's hero. So glad I was there at the beginning.

-Allan Clarke