(words & music by Tony Joe White)
Some of you all never been down South too much...
I gonna tell you a little storyso you ll understand where I m talking about
Down there we have a plant that grows out in the woods and the fields
and it looks something like a turnip green.
Everybody calls it Polk salad. Now that s Polk salad.
Used to know a girl that lived down there and
she d go out in the evenings to pick 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
Lived a girl that I swear to the world
Made the alligators look tame

Polk salad Annie
Gators got your granny
Everybody said it was a shame
For the mama was working on the chain-gang
What a meanvicious woman

Everyday before suppertime
She d go down by the truck patch
And pick her a mess of Polk salad
And carry it home in a tote sack

Polk salad Annie
Gators got you granny
Everybody said it was a shame
Cause the mama was working on the chain-gang
Whoohow wretcheddispitefulstraight-razor totin woman
Lord have mercy.

Sock a little Polk salad to him
Yeahyou know whatyeahyeah

But daddy was a lazy and a no-count
Claimed he had a bad back
All her brothers were fit for
Was stealing watermelons out of my truck

For once Polk salad Annie
Gators got your granny
Everybody said it was a shame
For the mama was working on the chain-gang

Sock a little Polk salad to him
You know what meets a meal mention
You sock a little
Heyheyheyyeahyeah
Chic a bonchic a bonchic a bon bon bon bon
Chic a bonchic a bonchic a bon bon bon bon
Sock a little Polk salad to him
You know what meets a meal mention
Sock a little Polk salad to him
You know what meets a meal mention
Chincchincchincchinlingling ling

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