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 somethin' 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 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 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
Polk salad Annie

The gators got you granny

Everybody said it was a shame
'Cause her mama was aworkin' 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 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 mama was a working' on the chain gang

Sock a little polk salad to me
You know I need a mess of it