Unfortunately not all of us are great at mastering the lyrics after one or two listens. Some songs even defy understanding, and a look at the lyrics is practically mandatory. Granted, Sherrie Austin isn’t like that, but it can’t hurt to give her lyrics a look every now and then.

If such is the case, then you’ll want to check out this site. It has all of her best songs - on one page, no less - and is easily scrollable. Just type in the title of the song you want to find on the Find option in your browser and you’ll zip right to it. Then you can sing to your heart’s content for the rest of the day - or at least until somebody else tells you to hush.

Not as a singer, anyway. There ARE a few Sherry Austin’s floating about the world, and some of them are even somewhat notable. For example, there’s an AMERICAN Sherry Austin who’s also a singer with more of a honky-tonk feel to her music. She hasn’t gotten that far yet, but give her time.

Or, if you prefer, there’s a Sherry Austin who writes. From the looks of it she enjoys writing things in a slightly supernatural vein. But as far as we can tell, she’s no singer.

But Sherry Austin from Australia? No. There’s only one singer from Sydney with the last name Austin, and her first name is SHERRIE. IE, not Y. So keep that in mind next time.

And, while you’re at it, head over to the links on the side. Because despite your poor typing skills, you’ve still come to the right place for info on the superb singer.

It’s true. And it’s something relatively big, as well, and something she was known for even in the United States: Sherrie Austin (at the time Sherrie Krenn) was on the television show The Facts of Life. She starred in the last two seasons of the show as Australian exchange student Pippa McKenna.

Unfortunately for Austin (but perhaps fortunately for fans of her music; who knows, if the show had kept up its pace maybe she would never have gotten into singing) The Facts of Life was on its last legs by the time she showed up. Having been on since 1979, its 1987 season (in which McKenna was introduced) lacked steady ratings and was plagued with attempts to keep the show fresh and vital. That didn’t happen, though, and by 1988 it faced the inevitable cancellation.

Tragic. But all good things must come to an end; it’s just a shame that McKenna wasn’t introduced during the show’s heyday.

Love in the Real World has proven to be one of Austin’s biggest hits abroad, as it managed to crawl to the 14th position on the US Country charts (though her 2003 album, Streets of Heaven, managed to best Love in the Real World by six places on the Top 200).

Love in the Real World contains the following songs, taken from the 2001 Australian re-release (it contains a few bonus songs over the original press):

1 Never Been Kissed
2 Good Love Comin’ On Snow
3 Little Bird Austin, Rambeaux
4 That’s No Way to Break a Heart Austin
5 Sarah
6 All the Love a Heart Can Hold
7 Dreaming out Loud
8 Heart to Heart
9 Love in the Real World
10 Heart Hold On
11 Tell Me Everything
12 Favorite Waste of Time
13 All That Matters
14 Wish

Covered time and again by any number of artists, Son of a Preacher Man was first released in 1969 by Dusty Springfield on her album Dusty in Memphis. An instant hit, the song was covered by Aretha Franklin a year later. Since then it has been covered by a vast range of artists, including but not limited to Jann Arden, Melissa Etheridge, Jan Howard, Joan Osbourne, Liza Minnelli, Bette Midler, Dolly Parton, Jessica Simpson, Nancy Sinatra, Tina Turner and Joss Stone.

And the latest addition to that list? Sherrie Austin, in 2004. Though the album was unreleased, her version was nevertheless a chart hit, and she did the original proud with her spot-on vocals and crystal voice. Bravo once again, Sherrie Austin, bravo once again.

Here’s the original by Dusty Springfield:

Lyrics to Son of a Preacher Man:

Billy Ray was a preacher’s son,
An’ when his daddy’d visit, he’d come along.
When they gathered around and started talkin’,
Oh, that’s when Billy’d take me walkin’;
Out through the back yard, we’d go walkin’.
An’ then he’d look into my eyes, Lord knows, to my surprise.

The only one who could ever reach me,
Was the son of a preacherman.
The only boy who could ever teach me,
Was the son of a preacherman.
Yes, he was, he was; oh, yes he was.
Ooh.

Oh, bein’ good isn’t always easy,
No matter how hard I try.
When he started sweet-talkin’ to me,
He’d come ‘n tell me: "Everything is all right."
He’d kiss and tell me: "Everything is all right."
Can I get away again tonight?

The only one who could ever reach me,
Was the son of a preacherman.
The only boy who could ever teach me,
Was the son of a preacherman.
Yes, he was, oh, yes he was.

How well I remember, the look that was in his eyes.
Stealin’ kisses from me on the sly.
Takin’ time to make time;
Tellin’ me that he’s all mine.
Learnin’ from each other’s knowin’,
Lookin’ to see how much we’ve grown,

And the only one who could ever reach me,
Was the son of a preacherman.
The only boy who could ever teach me,
Was the son of a preacherman.
Yes, he was, he was; oh, yes he was.
He was, he was.

(The only one who could ever reach me.)
That sweet-talkin’ son of a preacherman.
(The only boy who could ever teach me.)
He was the son of a preacherman.

Oh, (The only one who could ever move me.)
Yes, he was.
(The only boy who could ever groove me.)
That sweet-talkin’ son of a preacherman.

(The only one who could ever reach me.)
Oh, yeah.
(The only boy who could ever teach me.)
Mmm, mmm.
Yes, he was, he was; oh, he was,
The son of a preacherman.

The song is probably more reminiscent of a father or mother losing their daughter to life in general; in the song, however, the ‘little bird’ is Sherrie Austin, who tries desperately to escape from a bird cage she’s caught in. Watched by a cat that clearly wants to eat her (the whole video is akin to Sylvester and Tweety, really), Austin eventually picks her cage’s lock with a feather and flies off into the sunset, watched by the ravenous cat.

Were it not for the rather unique video this would be a fairly run of the mill song; however Austin once again manages to draw attention with her strange visuals and churns out a winner.

Lyrics to Sherrie Austin’s Little Bird:

A bird in a cage can’t use its wings
One day she might refuse to sing
You’ll find some feathers on the floor and an open door

Ooh Ooh whatcha gonna do
When your little bird flies away
Hey Hey, Ooh Ooh whatcha gonna say
Whatcha gonna do
When your little bird flies away

A bird in a cage is on display
People they poke and stare all day
If she can get those bars to bend
She won´t be back again

Ooh Ooh whatcha gonna do
When your little bird flies away
Hey Hey, Ooh Ooh whatcha gonna say
Whatcha gonna do
When your little bird flies away

Free to touch the sky
She never dreamed she´d ever fly so high

Ooh Ooh whatcha gonna do
When your little bird flies away
Hey Hey, Ooh Ooh whatcha gonna say
Whatcha gonna do
When your little bird flies away

Though, given the video for her song Never Been Kissed, it’d be believable if nobody would want to come near her – that is, if the evil queen in it accompanies her everywhere.

The video for Never Been Kissed casts Austin as Snow White in the classic fairy tale of the same name (albeit with Seven Dwarves tacked on). It tells the story in traditional form with the addition of that routine country twang and a bunch of little men dancing around at Austin’s feet. Fortunately for her, however – after she’s been poisoned that is (and even after she’s poisoned she’s somehow able to keep singing) – a handsome prince shows up to give her that kiss she’s never had.

Lyrics for Sherrie Austin’s Never Been Kissed:

If I show up ten minutes early baby
You can bet that you’ll be running behind
But it when it comes to loving me now baby
I have to say you’re right on time and

I’ve never been kissed, never been kissed
Never been kissed like this, no, no, no
I’ve never been touched, never been touched baby
‘Til I felt your touch
Oh your love’s going to my head so fast
Just like the bubbles in a champagne glass
Now I know what I’ve been missing
I’ve never been kissed, like this
Ooh like this

Well you’re a fool for wild-eyed-poetry baby
I only like the kind that rhymes
And your a little rough around the edges now baby
But your kind of edges suit me just fine and

I’ve never been kissed, never been kissed
Never been kissed like this, no, no, no
I’ve never been touched, never been touched baby
‘Til I felt your touch
Oh your love’s going to my head so fast
Just like the bubbles in a champagne glass
Now I know what I’ve been missing
I’ve never been kissed
Ooh like this

This is more than temporary madness baby
This is more than hearts just doing time
If love weren’t so serious we could laugh about it baby
Yeah we could laugh until we cried and

I’ve never been kissed, never been kissed
Never been kissed like this, no, no, no
I’ve never been touched, never been touched baby
‘Til I felt your touch
Oh your love’s going to my head so fast
Just like the bubbles in a champagne glass
Now I know what I’ve been missing
I’ve never been kissed, like this
Ooh like this

Ooh like this
I’ve never been kissed
No I’ve never been kissed

Whether you like or hate country music, however, you must admit that one of its bigger performers – Sherrie Austin – knows what she’s doing. And her voice is perfect for soothingly belting out one of her hit songs, Sherrie Austin Streets of Heaven.

Streets of Heaven debuted in 2003 and has since been Austin’s greatest success on the country music beat. Named after the very album it’s featured in, Streets of Heaven is a song dedicated to a little girl who’s fighting death off in the middle of the night, and the prayers of her mother. Her mother is praying fervently that God not take her little girl, as the streets of heaven must already be so crowded.

Sherrie Austin’s Streets of Heaven Lyrics:

Hello God, it’s me again. 2:00 a.m., Room 304.
Visiting hours are over, time for our bedside tug of war.
This sleeping child between us may not make it through the night.
I’m fighting back the tears as she fights for her life.
Well, it must be kind of crowded,
On the streets of Heaven.
So tell me: what do you need her for?
Don’t you know one day she’ll be your little girl forever.
But right now I need her so much more.
She’s much too young to be on her own:
Barely just turned seven.
So who will hold her hand when she crosses the streets of Heaven?

Tell me God, do you remember the wishes that she made,
As she blew out the candles on her last birthday cake?
She wants to ride a pony when she’d big enough.
She wants to marry her Daddy when she’s all grown up.

Well, it must be kind of crowded,
On the streets of Heaven.
So tell me: what do you need her for?
Don’t you know one day she’ll be your little girl forever.
But right now I need her so much more.
She’s much too young to be on her own:
Barely just turned seven.
So who will hold her hand when she crosses the streets of Heaven?

Lord, don’t you know she’s my angel
You got plenty of your own
And I know you hold a place for her
But she’s already got a home
Well I don’t know if you’re listenin’
But praying is all that’s left to do
So I ask you Lord have mercy, you lost a son once too

And it must be kind of crowded,
On the streets of Heaven.
So tell me: what do you need her for?
Don’t you know one day she’ll be your little girl forever.
But right now I need her so much more.
Lord, I know once you’ve made up your mind,
There’s no use in beggin’.
So if you take her with you today, will you make sure she looks both ways,
And would you hold her hand when she crosses the streets of Heaven.

The streets of Heaven.