Polk Salad Annie

Now some of y'all never been down South too much

I'm gonna tell you a little bit about this

So that you'll understand

What I'm talkin' about

Down there we have a plant that grows out

In the woods and the fields

Looks somethin' like a turnip green

Everybody calls it polk salad1, polk salad, huh

Used to know a girl that lived down there and

She'd go out in the evenings and pick her a mess of it

Carry it home and cook it for supper

'Cause that's about all they had to eat

But they did all right

Down in Louisiana

Where the alligators grow so mean

There lived a girl that I swear to the world

Made the alligators look tame

Polk salad Annie, polk salad Annie

Everybody said it was a shame

'Cause her mama was working on a chain-gang

A mean business woman

Now, everyday 'fore supper time

She'd go down by the truck patch

And pick her a mess o' Polk salad

And carry it home in a tote sack

Polk salad Annie

The 'gators got you granny

(Chomp, chomp, chomp)

Everybody said it was a shame

Cause her mama was a-workin' on a chain gang

A wretched, spiteful, straight-razor totin' woman

Lord have mercy, pick a mess of it

Her daddy was lazy and no count

Claimed he had a bad back

All her brothers were fit for

Was stealin' watermelons out of my truck patch

Polk salad Annie

The gators got your granny

(Woo hoo)

Everybody said it was a shame

'Cause her mama was a-working on a chain gang

Sock a little polk salad to me

You know I need a mess of it

Ooh, good God

Got to have me

1. These are greens also known as poke salad, made from pokeweed. It's mainly a Southern dish.

• Artist:Tony Joe White
• Album:Black and White (1969)