black winter night lyrics

I can still recall the day my uncle Chester caught religion
The reverend took him swimmin' and the devil must have drown
Uncle Chester he was big, he was mean and even vicious
But he didn't stand a chance against the lawman Reverend Brown

The lawman Reverend Brown was the sheriff of Pitman County
His hair was long and black like the dusty suit he wore
In the pockets of his coat were the tools of his profession
A tattered old black bible and a loaded 44

And all across the mountain you could hear the children singin'
'Bout the peace down in the valley like there never was before
The Reverend had a special way of healin' wicked sinners
He only had to shoot a few to save a whole lot more

I don't know where he came from but I do know where he gone
He's gone to meet his maker and to guard the masters thrown
And to keep a home fire burnin' for the ones lost in the night
The kind of fire he lit in me to help me see the light

And all across the mountain you could hear the children singin'
'Bout the peace down in the valley like there never was before
The Reverend had a special way for healin' wicked sinners
He only had to shoot a few to save a whole lot more

The lawman helped the Reverend when he taught the old time gospel
It was heaven, it was prison or the loaded 44

And all across the mountain you could hear the children singin'
'Bout the peace down in the valley like there never was before
The Reverend had a special way of healin' wicked sinners
He only had to shoot a few to save a whole lot more