Ray Stevens Rollicking Performance of 'The Preacher and the Bear'

Ray Stevens delivers a rollicking performance of ‘The Preacher and the Bear,’ and while his genres include country, comedy, novelty, pop, and gospel—and not rap—the tune sounds a little like a kinder, cleaner type of rap. Check out Ray’s talkie-type song about a preacher who got a lesson about working on Sundays!

Here, Mr. Stevens appears before a live audience during an episode of Larry’s Country Diner, Season 19, while recording live at his CabaRay Theater in Nashville, Tennessee. The cast of Larry’s Country Diner is present throughout the video. Sheriff Jimmy Capps sits to Ray's right, tapping his leg to the beat. Castmates Waitress Renae, Nadine, and Keith are spotted in the audience at 2:30. 

Ray begins by saying that the song he’s about to sing is on one of his albums, but he doesn’t know which one. Understandable! The man has recorded 50 in the studio and three live; he has 67 compilation albums, three boxed sets, and one extended play album. 

With a head nod and a great smile, he starts telling the epic story. Though the song has been revised over the years, the original was written by George Fairman in 1904. It’s a wacky tale that warns against the dangers of working on the Sabbath, references three widely known Bible stories, and perhaps offers a deeper, less obvious lesson... if one is needed. Some suggest that it may be a song about the “resilience and determination of the human spirit” or the importance of “facing challenges with faith and courage.”   

In any case, ‘The Preacher and the Bear’ is not a song that repeats the same words over and over. In the 3-minute performance, every line is new with the exception of the chorus, which is repeated just once. Guests at the diner are attentive and careful to catch every crazy move between the pastor and the grizzly! At 1:55, two gentlemen laugh; it sounds like the preacher might make it out of the woods alive!

Here are four hysterical lines from ‘The Preacher and the Bear:’

‘Well, the preacher and the bear went round and round

First they were up and then they were down

The bear, he roared, and the preacher, he groaned

And it looked like the preacher was holdin' his own’

Born in Georgia, Harold Ray Ragsdale, known professionally as Ray Stevens, is now 85 years old. You may recall other Ray Stevens songs like: ‘Everything is Beautiful’ and ‘Mississippi Squirrel Revival.’ And who can forget ‘The Streak?’ 

And who doesn’t need a great lesson delivered with a lot of laughs!?

“Then Nebuchadnezzar said, ‘Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.” Daniel 3:28

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