Amos Moses
Jerry Reed Lyrics
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Now Amos Moses was a Cajun
He lived by himself in the swamp
He hunted alligator for a living
He'd just knock them in the head with a stump
The Louisiana law gonna get you, Amos
It ain't legal hunting alligator down in the swamp, boy
Now everyone blamed his old man
For making him mean as a snake
When Amos Moses was a boy
His daddy would use him for alligator bait
Tie a rope around his base and throw him in the swamp (hahaha)
Alligator bait in the Louisiana bayou
About forty-five minutes southeast of Thibodaux, Louisiana
Lived a man called Doc Millsap and his pretty wife Hannah
Well, they raised up a son that could eat up his weight in groceries
Named him after a man of the cloth
Called him Amos Moses, yeah (haha)
Now the folks from down south Louisiana
Said Amos was a hell of a man
He could trap the biggest, the meanest alligator
And he'd just use one hand
That's all he got left 'cause an alligator bit it (hahaha)
Left arm gone clear up to the elbow
Well the sheriff caught wind that Amos
Was in the swamp trapping alligator skin
So he snuck in the swamp to gon' and get the boy
But he never come out again
Well, I wonder where the Louisiana sheriff went to
Well, you can sure get lost in the Louisiana bayou
About forty-five minutes southeast of Thibodaux, Louisiana
Lived a cat called Doc Millsap and his pretty wife Hannah
Well, they raised up a son that could eat up his weight in groceries
Named him after a man of the cloth
Called him Amos Moses
Sit down on 'em Amos!
Make it count son
About forty-five minutes southeast of Thibodaux, Louisiana
Lived a man called Doc Millsap and his pretty wife Hannah
The song "Amos Moses" by Jerry Reed tells the story of a Cajun man who lives in the swamp of Louisiana and hunts alligators for a living. However, the law is after him, as it is illegal to hunt alligators in the swamp. Amos was raised in a tough environment by his father, who trained him to use himself as bait for alligators when he was just a boy. Despite his upbringing, Amos has become a legendary figure in the local community for his skill in catching alligators, often with just one hand after losing his left arm to an alligator bite.
Line by Line Meaning
Now Amos Moses was a Cajun
Amos Moses was a person of Cajun ethnicity
He lived by himself in the swamp
He resided in the swamp with no other inhabitant
He hunted alligator for a living
His job was to hunt alligators
He'd just knock them in the head with a stump
He killed alligators by hitting them on the head with a stump
The Louisiana law gonna get you, Amos
The Louisiana law will catch you, Amos, for your illegal alligator hunting in the swamp
It ain't legal hunting alligator down in the swamp, boy
Hunting alligators in the swamp is an illegal activity
Now everyone blamed his old man
People held Amos Moses' father responsible for making him rough
For making him mean as a snake
His father's harmful influence caused Amos to become a venomous and vicious person
When Amos Moses was a boy
During his childhood days, as a young child
His daddy would use him for alligator bait
His father would make him alligator bait, tie a rope around him and throw him in the swamp
Tie a rope around his base and throw him in the swamp (hahaha)
His father would tie him with a rope and leave him in the swamp to attract alligators
Alligator bait in the Louisiana bayou
He was used as alligator bait in the Louisiana bayou/swamp
About forty-five minutes southeast of Thibodaux, Louisiana
Thibodaux, Louisiana is located approximately 45 minutes southeast of this place
Lived a man called Doc Millsap and his pretty wife Hannah
A man named Doc Millsap and his beautiful wife Hannah lived there
Well, they raised up a son that could eat up his weight in groceries
They had a son who could eat a lot
Named him after a man of the cloth
Their son was named after a religious figure
Called him Amos Moses, yeah (haha)
They named him Amos Moses
Now the folks from down south Louisiana
People from southern Louisiana
Said Amos was a hell of a man
People praised Amos for his bravery and strength
He could trap the biggest, the meanest alligator
He could successfully catch the biggest, strongest alligators
And he'd just use one hand
He accomplished all of this with only one hand
That's all he got left 'cause an alligator bit it (hahaha)
He lost his other hand when an alligator bit it off
Left arm gone clear up to the elbow
The alligator bit off his left arm up to the elbow
Well the sheriff caught wind that Amos
The sheriff heard about Amos Moses
Was in the swamp trapping alligator skin
Amos was hunting and catching alligators for their skin
So he snuck in the swamp to gon' and get the boy
The sheriff went to the swamp to catch Amos illegally hunting alligators
But he never come out again
The sheriff never returned back
Well, I wonder where the Louisiana sheriff went to
The whereabouts of the Louisiana sheriff is unknown
Well, you can sure get lost in the Louisiana bayou
It's easy to get lost in the swamp and bayou areas in Louisiana
Sit down on 'em Amos!
A command to attack or overpower the opponent
Make it count son
Make your move carefully and thoughtfully
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Jerry Reed
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind