ATF: Bayou Babes

This weekly series will include as many of my all-time favorite (ATF) tunes as I can get my grubby little hands on (so to speak).  Now, each one included in each edition will have some connection with the other—albeit only as a figment of my imagination, but they will not be numbered.  For I just cannot bring myself to rate some higher than others.  So, this will not be a countdown, but if you are enjoying them as much as I do, it won’t matter.  Besides, with no countdown, this could go on forever and ever!  Oh, and despite the fact that there is absolutely no way your musical tastes could be as exquisite as mine, I welcome any suggestions you might dare to make.  For I am, after all, quite magnanimous by nature.

Link: [Tony Joe White]

Polk Salad Annie

Tony Joe White

If some of ya'll 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 in the fields

Looks somethin' like a turnip green

And everybody calls it

Polk salad

Polk

Salad

Used to know a girl 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 momma was a-workin'

On the chain gang

A mean vicious woman

Every day for supper time

She'd go down by the truck patch

And pick her a mess of polk salad

And carry it home in a tow sack

Polk salad Annie

The gators got your granny

Chomp

Chomp Chomp

Everybody says it was a shame

‘Cause her momma was a-workin'

On the chain gang

A wretched

Spiteful

Straight razor-totin' woman

Lord have mercy

Pick me 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

Everybody said it was a shame

‘Cause her momma was a workin'

On the chain gang

Sock a little polk salad to me

You know I need me a mess of it

Got to have me

A ladle of it

Link: [Bobby Bare]

Marie LaVeau

Bobby Bare

Down in Louisiana

Where the black trees grow

Lives a voodoo lady

Named Marie LeVeau

She got a black cat tooth

And a mojo bone

And anyone wouldn't

Leave her alone

She’d go

Greeeeeee

Another man done gone

She lives in a swamp

In a hollow log

With a one-eyed snake

And a three-legged dog

She got a bent bony body

And stringy hair

And if she ever seen you-all

Messin' ‘round there

She’d go

Greeeeeee

Another man done gone

And then one night

When the moon was black

Into the swamp

Come Handsome Jack

A no good man

Like you-all know

When he was lookin' around

For Marie LeVeau

He said

Marie LeVeau

You lovely witch

Gimme a little charm

That'll make me rich

Gimme a million dollars

And I tell you what I'll do

This very night

I'm gonna marry you

And it'll be

Ummmmmmm

Another man done gone

So Marie done some magic

And she shook a little sand

Made a million dollars

And she put it in his hands

Then she giggled

And she wiggled

And she said

Hey hey

I'm gettin' ready

For my weddin' day

But ol' Handsome Jack

He said goodbye Marie

You're too damn ugly

For a rich man like me

Then Marie started numblin'

Her fangs started gnashin'

Her body started tremblin'

And her eyes started flashin'

And she went

Greeeeeee

Another man done gone

So if you ever get down

Where the black trees grow

And meet a voodoo lady

Named Marie LeVeau

If she ever asks you

To make her your wife

Man you better stay with her

For the rest of your life

Or it'll be

Ooooo weee

Another man done gone

Lyrics From: [eLyrics.net]

Please Also Visit:

[Arlynda Lea]

[FishHawk Droppings]

[The Tribulation Times Herald-Exhorter]