koko joe
koko joe
koko joe
uhh
koko joe
go ahead home
koko joe
up in appaloosa county
there’s a place called koko ridge
sittin’ right on the bend
on the etowah river
where the water washed away the
cotton mouth country
koko joe
a river rat’s knee high
koko joe
way up around the back border
lived a man
that the river folks talked about
they said you better stay away from koko joe
’cause he’s cause he’s crazy no account
koko joe
koko joe
they called him the etowah river swamp rat
the folks despised him
koko joe
koko joe
he was an awfully peculiar man
the river was his only friend
and the folks didn’t understand
the man called koko joe
koko joe
koko joe
he’d eat monkey meat and mashed potatoes
he drunk a brew called mojo claw
that he beat outa roots from old dead stumps
on the banks of the etowah
made him walk a little funny
koko joe
made his breath smell funky
koko joe
well he never come across the river
’cause the folks didn’t like him in town
they said his hair was long
his clothes were dirty
they didn’t want him hangin’ around
koko joe
they called him the etowah river rat
the folks despised him
koko joe
koko joe
he was an awfully peculiar man
the river was his only friend
and the folks didn’t understand
the man called koko joe
koko joe
koko joe
well it happened a year ago sunday
and they still talk about it today
how the dam broke loose
on the etowah river
nearly washin’ everybody away
the river water rising
koko joe
washin’ up all the bushes
koko joe
well the headlines said
how a mother said my son woulda lost his life
but he was pulled from the mud in the etowah river
by the man y’all despised
koko joe
koko joe
they called him the etowah river rat
the folks despised him
koko joe
koko joe
so be careful what you say my friend
about folks you don’t understand
someday you might need a man like koko joe
koko joe
go ahead home son
koko joe
koko joe
they called him the etowah river rat
the folks despised him
Artist: Jerry Reed
Year: 1971
Decade: 70s
Language: en
Word Count: 250