AMY MCPHERSON
(learned from Chris Selsor in about 1961)
Now you'll hear the story of Amy McPherson
Amy McPherson was a wonderful person,
Weighed one hundred and eighty and her hair was red,
Preached a wicked sermon, so the papers all said.
Amy built herself a radio station,
To preach her sermon to the whole damn nation,
Found herself a man who knew enough
To run the station while Amy did her stuff.
She held a camp meeting down at Ocean Park,
Amy preached from morning till after dark.
Said the benediction and folded up the tent,
And nobody knew where Amy went.
Amy McPherson got back from her journey,
She told her story to the district attorney.
She said she'd been kidnapped on a lonely trail,
And in spite of a lot of questioning she stuck to her tale.
The grand jury started an investigation,
Uncovered a lot of spicy information.
They found a little lovenest down by Carmel-by-the-sea
Where the liquor is expensive and the lovin' is free.
Found a little cottage with a breakfast nook,
And a foldin' bed with a worn-out look,
The slats was busted and the springs were loose,
But the dents in the mattress fitted Amy's caboose.
Well, they took poor Amy and threw her in jail,
The last I heard she was out on bail.
They sent her up for a year or less
'Cause she got herself into an awful mess.
Radio Ray was a goin' hound,
He's a goin' yet and he ain't been found.
They got his description but they got it too late,
'Cause since they got it he's lost a lot of weight.
Well, I'll end my story in the usual way
'Bout a lady preacher's holiday.
If you don't get the moral then you're the girl for me
'Cause there's a lot of little lovenests down by Carmel-by-the-sea.
(from miriam berg's folksong collection)