Now my Pappy was a deacon, down in a little small church 'Way down South, where I was born Sisters used to come for ten and twelve miles around, every night While that good meetin' was gwine on One night Pa got in a big way of preachin' And forgot and left the sermon out There sit Sister Fullbosom over there in the amen corner, mad anyhow She let all them secrets leak out She hollered, "Sisters and brothers, thoroughly understand The Elder, he's my man Now, I don't mind y'all gwine outside, talkin' to the Elder occasionally But nix on standin' out there holdin' his hand I wash his heart, both day and night Catch you on with that Elder, you gon' have a mis'able fight, you hear me? Sisters and brothers, won't you thoroughly understand The Elder, he's my man" Now, Pa had been preachin' down there in that hardshell church Just about two years or more Pa got up one night and told 'em to quit drinkin' gin Sister Caroline got awfully sore So the Parson said, "I don't mind y'all drinkin' a little gin every now and then But somebody has been drinkin' too much, yes sir!" Sister Caroline jumped up and said, "Look here, Parson, don't start arguin' 'bout that gin I'm gonna drink gin if it breaks up this whole damn church" She hollered, "Sisters and brothers, thoroughly understand The Elder, he's my man Now, I don't mind y'll gwine outside, talkin' to the Elder occasionally Goin' outside, talkin' to Elder, shake hands Ashes to ashes, dust to dust The police don't get you, now the undertaker must, you hear me? Sisters and brothers, won't you thoroughly understand That Elder, he's my man"