I remember daddy held the bible like a gun Back when I was a pentacostal gospel preacher's son And I still can see the fire and brimstone in his eyes When he preached to people in a tent Repent before you die Me, I'd sneak out back with some saintly, southern girl And there I'd teach her the ways of this world Well, yeah, Lord, I guess I was way too wild To be the child of a preacher man One foot on a solid rock And with one on the that sinkin' sand Just like the prodigal son I guess I got way too lost Livin' somewhere in between the devil and the cross I was daddy's worst nightmare By the time I turned eighteen Baptized in a whiskey river On the streets of New Orleans Where the demons, drugs, and rock and roll They seemed to clog my mind And women were a weakness For weeks at a time I learned the hard way What you reap is what you sew So in silent desperation One night I headed home Well, yeah, Lord, I guess I was way too wild To be the child of a preacher man One foot on a solid rock And with one on the that sinkin' sand Just like the prodigal son I guess I got way too lost Livin' somewhere in between the devil and the cross Daddy did more than talk the talk He walked the walk in life He loved me and forgave me When I came home that night He said, son, don't ever be ashamed For God forgives the lost We all live somewhere in between the devil and the cross Well, yeah, Lord, I guess I was way too wild To be the child of a preacher man One foot on a solid rock And with one on the that sinkin' sand Just like the prodigal son I guess I got way too lost Livin' somewhere in between the devil and the cross