Heres my own arrangement to the unreleased Springsteen classic. I arranged it for guitar and changed the timing a little (of course its impossible to transcribe Bruces timing on this number). Excuse me if the chords are a little off from the original version, but it stands alone just fine with the guitar.
If I Was The Priest Bruce Springsteen
INTRO (dont play the bottom E string on Intro)
VERSE
Well there's a light -on yonder -mountain and it's callin' me to shine
There's a girl over by the water fountain and she's asking to be mine
And aint that Jesus's hes standing in the doorway
with a buckskin jacket, boots and spurs so really fine
He says we need you up in Dodge City son because there's Em D C (hold) oh so many bad boys tryin' to work the same line
CHORUS
Well now if Jesus was the sheriff and I was the priest if my
lady was an heiress and my mama was a thief oh and
papa rode shotgun for the Fargo line Em D C (hold) still too many bad boys tryin' to work the same line
VERSE
Now old sweet Virgin Mary she runs the Holy Grail Saloon
Where for a nickel theyll give you whiskey and a personally blessed balloon
And the holy ghost hes the host with the most he runs the berlesque show
Where they let in for free but ooh hit you for your soul when you go
And Mary serves mass on Sunday and then she sells her body on Monday
To the bootlegger who will pay the highest price
Well he dont know he got stuck with the losin Mary stone Em D C (hold) Junkie whats more shes a boozer Shes only been made once or twice by some kind of magic
Well things aint been sane in heaven ever since big bad Bobby came to town
Hes been known to down eleven and then ask for another round
And me I got scabs on my knees from kneelin way to long
You got to take a stand, be a man up where you belong
And forget about the old friends in the old times Em D C (hold) But theres just too many new boys trying to work the same line.
CHORUS
Well now if Jesus was the sheriff and I was the priest if my
lady was an heiress and my mama was a thief oh and
papa rode shotgun for the Fargo line Em D C (hold) still too many bad boys tryin' to work the same line
VERSE
Well there's a light -on yonder -mountain and it's callin' me to shine
There's a girl over by the water fountain and she's asking to be mine
And Jesus's hes standing in the doorway
with 6 guns drawn ready to fan
He says we need you up in Dodge City son Em D C (hold) Im already overdue in Cheyane
