About the song
There’s something electrifying about **Elvis Presley** when he’s in full swing—when he’s not just singing but commanding the stage, pouring every ounce of his charisma into a performance. That’s exactly what happens with **Polk Salad Annie**, a song that became a staple of his live shows in the late 1960s and early ’70s. Originally written and recorded by Tony Joe White in 1968, the song tells the story of a tough Southern woman who survives on “polk salad,” a wild green often eaten by poor families in the rural South. But when **Elvis Presley** got his hands on it, the song became something more: a pulsating, sweat-drenched, rock-infused spectacle.
What makes **Polk Salad Annie** such a thrilling ride in Elvis’s hands is his sheer presence. The song starts slow, with a spoken introduction, his deep voice dripping with Southern charm as he sets the scene. Then, the rhythm kicks in—gritty, swampy, with a raw energy that mirrors the rough life of Annie herself. The bassline slinks along, the horns punch through, and Elvis delivers each line with a sly, almost mischievous intensity. By the time he reaches the chorus, he’s all fire and movement, punctuating the music with those signature hip thrusts and dramatic pauses that sent crowds into a frenzy.
But beyond the showmanship, there’s an authenticity in Elvis’s version. He grew up in Tupelo, Mississippi, not far removed from the hard life described in the lyrics. He understood the song’s roots, and that’s why his performance doesn’t just feel like an act—it feels lived-in, real. When he sings about Annie’s struggles, there’s a knowing edge to his voice, a mix of humor and respect.
**Polk Salad Annie** became a high-energy highlight in his live repertoire, especially during his Las Vegas shows, where he would throw himself into the performance, sometimes even wrestling with his microphone stand in a playful burst of intensity. It’s one of those songs that shows Elvis at his best—bold, playful, and utterly captivating.
Video
Lyrics
If some of ya’ll never been down south too much
Some y’all never been down s-
I’m gonna tell you a little story so’s you’ll understand what I’m talkin’ about
Down there we have a plant that grows out in the woods, and the fields
And it looks somethin’ like a turnip green
Everybody calls it polk salad
Now that’s polk salad
Used to know a girl lived down there and she’d go out in the evenings and
Pick her a mess of it
Carry it home and cook it for supper
Because 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
Because her momma was a workin’ on the chain gang
A mean vicious woman
Everyday before supper time, she’d go down by the truck patch
And pick her a mess of polk salad, and carry it home in a tow sack
Polk salad Annie, the gators got your granny
Everybody says it was a shame
Because her momma was a workin’ on the chain gang
A wretched, spiteful, straight-razor totin’ woman
Lord have Mercy, pick a mess of it
Sock a little polk salad to me
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
Because her momma was a workin’ on the chain gang
Yeah, sock a little polk salad to me, you know I need me a mess of it
Sock a little
Sock a little polk salad to me, you know I need a real mess of it (chick-a-boom)
Sock a little polk salad, you know I need a real (chick-a-boom)
Ching-ching-ching-ching-a-ling (chick-a-boom)
Ching-ching-ching-ching-a-ling (chick-a-boom)
Ching-ching-ching-ching-a-ling (chick-a-boom)
Ching-ching-ching-ching-a-ling (chick-a-boom)
Ching-ching-ching-ching-a-ling (chick-a-boom)
Ching-ching-ching-ching-a-ling (chick-a-boom)
Ching-ching-ching-ching-a-ling (chick-a-boom)
Ching-ching-ching-ching-a-ling (chick-a-boom)
