Polk Salad Annie – A Unique Cultural Song – Elvis Presley

“Polk Salad Annie” is a 1968 song written and performed by Tony Joe White. It is a swamp rock song about a poor, rural Southern girl and her family. The song’s lyrics describe how Annie’s mother works on a chain gang, while her lazy father does nothing but claim to have a bad back. Her brothers are only good for stealing watermelons out of the singer’s truck.

Despite her difficult circumstances, Annie is a strong and independent young woman. She goes out every evening to pick a mess of polk salad, which she cooks for supper. Polk salad is a wild green that is native to the Southern United States. It is a nutritious food, but it can be poisonous if it is not prepared correctly.

The song’s lyrics are full of vivid imagery and colorful characters. White paints a picture of a hard-scrabble life in the rural South, but he also celebrates the resilience and strength of the people who live there.

Elvis Presley recorded his cover of “Polk Salad Annie” in 1969. His version was released as a single in 1970 and reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It became one of Presley’s most popular live songs, and he often performed it in concert throughout the 1970s.

Presley’s version of “Polk Salad Annie” is more upbeat and energetic than White’s original recording. He adds his own signature touches to the song, such as his signature growl and his playful banter with the audience. His version of the song is a classic example of Presley’s ability to connect with his fans on a personal level.

“Polk Salad Annie” is a song that has something to offer everyone. It is a catchy and energetic tune with relatable lyrics. It is also a song that celebrates the resilience and strength of the human spirit.

Here is a more in-depth look at the history of the song and its significance:

• The song was inspired by White’s childhood in Oak Grove, Louisiana. He grew up in a poor family, and his mother often cooked polk salad for supper. White said that he wanted to write a song about “a real woman from the South.”
• The song was originally released on White’s 1968 album of the same name. It was not a commercial success at the time, but it gained a cult following among fans of swamp rock music.
• Presley’s cover of the song helped to make it a mainstream hit. His version of the song was featured on his 1970 live album, “On Stage.” The album was a huge success, and it helped to revive Presley’s career.
• “Polk Salad Annie” has been covered by many other artists over the years, including Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. It has also been used in several films and television shows, including “Forrest Gump” and “The Dukes of Hazzard.”

Watch The Video

Lyrics

Some of you all never been down South too much…
I’ gonna tell you a little story, so 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 mean, vicious 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
Whoo, how wretched, dispiteful, straight-razor totin’ woman,
Lord have mercy.

Sock a little Polk salad to him
Yeah, you know what, yeah, yeah

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
Hey, hey, hey, yeah, yeah
Chic a bon, chic a bon, chic a bon bon bon bon
Chic a bon, chic a bon, chic 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
Chinc, chinc, chinc, chin, ling, ling ling