For all who's never been down to Tony Joe White country Never been down South I'm gonna tell you something about it So that you can understand what I'm talkin' about Down there we got a plant That grows out in the woods and in the fields Grows under the rocks and the trees And everybody calls it polk salad, polk salad I used to know a girl who lived down there And she'd go out in the evenings And pick herself a little bit of it Then she carry it home and cook it up for supper Cause that's 'bout all they had to eat But they did allright
I said, down in Louisiana Where all 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 Because her mama was a-workin' on the chain gang A mean vicious woman
Everyday 'fore suppertime she'd go down by the truck patch And pick herself a mess o' polk salad And carry it home in a tote-sack Polk salad Annie, the gators got your granny Everybody said it was a shame Because her mama was a-workin' on the chain gang A wretched spiteful straight-razor tottin' woman
Her Daddy was lazy and no count Claimed he had a bad back And all that her brothers was fit for Was stealin' watermelons out of my truck patch
Polk salad Annie, the gators got your granny Everybody said it was a shame Cause her mama was a workin' on the chain gang Sock a little polk salad to me You know I need me a mess of it Gimme salad! Aouooo