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 talking about
Down there we have a plant that grows out
in the woods and the fields, looks something'like
a turnip green.
Everybody calls it Polk salad. Polk salad.
Used to know a girl that lived down there and
she'd go out in the evenings and pick a mess of it
Carry it home and cook it for supper, 'cause that's
about all they hat to eat, but they did all right.
Down in Louisiana,
where the alligators grow so mean
There lived a girl that I sear to the world
Made the alligators look tame
ref:
Polk salad Annie. Polk salad Annie
Everybody said it was a shame
Cause her mama was working on the chain-gang
(a mean, vicious woman)
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
ref:
Polk salad Annie 'Gators got you granny
Everybody said it was a shame
'Cause her mama was working' on the 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 black
All her brothers were fit for was stealin'
watermelons out of my truck patch
ref:
Polk salad Annie 'Gators got you granny
Everybody said it was a shame
'Cause her mama was working' on the chain-gang