The Greatest Oldies Music

Oldies Musics

Elvis Presley – “Polk Salad Annie”

Introduction

Get ready to sway to the rhythm of the South! Elvis Presley’s “Polk Salad Annie” is a gem that showcases the King’s versatility and his ability to infuse soulful melodies with a touch of Southern charm. Released in 1970, this track is a testament to Presley’s prowess in capturing the essence of diverse musical genres.

Did You Know?

“Polk Salad Annie” tells the tale of a girl named Annie who hails from the Southern United States. The song, written by Tony Joe White, seamlessly blends rock, soul, and blues, creating a distinctive sound that resonates with listeners. Elvis Presley’s rendition of this track became a chart success, cementing its place as a beloved classic. Fun fact: The unique title refers to a traditional Southern dish made from pokeweed.

Video

Lyrics: Polk Salad Annie

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 tamePolk 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 womanEveryday 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

 

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NOBODY BECOMES A LEGEND BY STANDING AT THE BOTTOM OF A HARMONY. EXCEPT HAROLD REID. Don Reid sang the words. Jimmy Fortune reached the high notes. Phil Balsley held the middle. But Harold Reid held the floor beneath all of them. He was the bass of The Statler Brothers — not always the first voice people hummed on the way home, but the one they felt before they understood why the song worked. Take Harold out of a Statler record and the song still plays. It just does not land the same way. Something underneath is gone. That was his power. He was also funny enough to own a room before the first chorus ever arrived. In a group known for faith, family, and harmony, Harold gave the Statlers something just as important: warmth. He made the crowd laugh, then dropped his voice so low it felt like the whole song had found its foundation. Near the end, he told Jimmy Fortune he had been a blessed man and was ready whenever the Lord called him. When Harold passed in 2020, Jimmy wrote the plainest truth: “Our hearts are broken tonight.” Some singers want you to look at them. Harold Reid made you feel what was missing when he was gone.