Lyrics
If some of ya'll never been down south too much
If you haven't been down south much, I'll explain...
I'm gonna tell you a little bit about this
Introducing the topic for discussion.
So that you'll understand what I'm talkin' about
Explaining to ensure understanding.
Down there we have a plant that grows out in the woods
Reference to a plant in the southern woods/fields.
And in the fields looks somethin' like a turnip green
The plant looks like a turnip green.
And everybody calls it polk salad, polk salad
It's called polk salad, often repeated.
Used to know a girl lived down there
Reference to a girl who used to live there.
And she'd go out in the evenings and pick her a mess of it
She would gather polk salad in the evenings.
Carry it home and cook it for supper
She'd bring it home and cook it for dinner.
'Cause thats about all they had to eat, but they did all right
People survived on polk salad as their main food.
Down in Louisiana, where the alligators grow so mean
Shift to Louisiana with menacing alligators.
There lived a girl, that I swear to the world
Introduction of a girl who stood out.
Made the alligators look tame
She made the aggressive alligators seem calm.
Polk salad Annie, polk salad Annie
Repetition of Polk salad Annie.
Everybody said it was a shame
People thought it was a shame.
Cause her momma was a workin' on the chain gang
Her momma was in the chain gang (prison labor).
(A mean vicious woman)
Describing her momma as mean and vicious.
Everyday ?for supper time, she'd go down by the truck patch
Every day before supper, she'd gather polk salad.
And pick her a mess of polk salad, and carry it home in a tow sack
She'd carry it home in a tow sack (bag).
Polk salad Annie, the gators got your granny
Repetition of Polk salad Annie.
Everybody says it was a shame
People thought it was a shame.
Cause her momma was a workin' on the chain gang
Her momma was in the chain gang, described negatively.
(A wretched, spiteful, straight-razor totin' woman
Further negative description of her momma.
Lord have Mercy, pick a mess of it)
A plea for divine intervention while picking polk salad.
Her daddy was lazy and no count, claimed he had a bad back
Her dad was lazy with a claimed bad back.
All her brothers were fit for was stealin' watermelons
Her brothers were only good at stealing watermelons.
Out of my truck patch
Polk salad Annie, the gators got your granny
Repetition of Polk salad Annie.
Everybody said it was a shame
People thought it was a shame.
Cause her momma was a workin' on the chain gang
Her momma was in the chain gang.
(Sock a little polk salad to me, you know I need me a mess of it)
A playful request for some polk salad.
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