The Preacher And The Flood

The Preacher & the Flood
© 1992 Joel Mabus
[first appeared on the Short Stories album]

Well, It's the story of an old hard-shell preacher, sanctified in the blood,
And about the time he had the year of the dreadful flood.
It rained for forty days and nights, 'til at last the dam gave way
The preacher fell down on his knees and everybody heard him pray:

He said, Lord, deliver, deliver me from this flood -
Oh don’t you know I'm sanctified, sanctified in the blood.
I been to the river and I been baptized,
I raise my hands to the heavenly skies
And say Lord, deliver, deliver me from this flood.

Now the preacher's sittin' on his big front porch, rockin' in his rockin' chair -
The water's rising step by step, licking at the very top stair.
A neighbor come by in a row boat, he said "Preacher, you better come with me!"
The preacher says, "You can save yourself, boy, the Lord will deliver me!"

‘Cause the Lord will deliver, he’ll deliver me from this flood -
Oh don’t you see I'm sanctified, sanctified in the blood.
I been to the river – I been baptized,
I raise my hands to the heavenly skies
And say Lord, deliver, deliver me from this flood.

Well, bye and bye that old river water come rolling in the preacher's door,
So the preacher, he ran upstairs to his room on the second floor.
Coast guard cutter come a-sailing by, they said "Everybody get on board!"
The preacher stuck his head out the window, he says "I'm trusting in the Lord!"

‘Cause the Lord will deliver, deliver me from this flood -
Oh don’t you see I'm sanctified.
I been to the river – I been baptized,
I raise my hands to the heavenly skies
And say Lord, deliver, deliver me from this flood.

Now the preacher's sitting on his rooftop, hugging his old smoke stack.
The water's rising higher and higher, things are looking mighty black.
Police helicopter come flying by, and they lowered down a line.
The preacher, he just waved 'em away, he said "Boys, I'm doing fine!"

‘Cause the Lord will deliver, he’ll deliver me from this flood -
Oh don’t you see I'm sanctified in the blood.
I been to the river – I been baptized,
I’m gonna raise my hands to the heavenly skies
And say Lord, Lord, Lord, deliver me, deliver me from this flood.
… Glug glug glug glug

Now the Preacher's standing at the pearly gates, his robe is a dripping wet.
The preacher says to the heavenly king, he says, "There's something I don't get!
He said, “Lord, why didn't you save me - I put all my faith in you!"
God said, "I sent you two boats and a helicopter - what more could I do?"

‘Cause the lord will deliver you, he’ll deliver you from that flood,
But it'll be too late if you sit and wait for heavenly angels from above.
‘Cause I'm here to tell you, sister and brother,
The lord helps them that help one another,
And the lord will deliver you, he’ll deliver you from that flood again,
Deliver you from that flood, Amen,
Deliver you from that flood.