Tony Joe White - Swamp Rap

Although Tony Joe's sound is unmistakable, it's hard to put into words exactly what that sound is. Hailing from the town of Oak Grove in northeast Louisiana, he's from the part of the state that culturally and geographically has much more in common with the Mississippi Delta than with New Orleans. It's bayou country, a part of rural America that helped inspire the greatest works of John Fogerty, even though he had never spent any time living there. Consequently, White's oeuvre can be appreciated as a more authentic representation of the kind of roots-based music that helped make Creedence Clearwater Revival so successful. The big difference, of course, is the fact that Tony Joe had actually experienced the things about which he sang. But back to his sound. Some people will probably take issue with the labels - including blues, country, country rock, 1960s-1970s rock, psychedelic, and even soul - that I've attached to him. But the fact of the matter is that this musician is all of those things...and more. When one is influenced by Lightnin' Hopkins, Bobbie Gentry, John Lee Hooker, and Bob Dylan, gets signed by a Nashville-based label, records with Muscle Shoals session musicians, and utilizes a wah wah pedal (endearingly referred to by White as a "Whomper Stomper"), such a musician obviously defies simple categorization. However, artists like these, who are not so easily pigeonholed, are very appealing, even if it sometimes prevents them from being as commercially successful as they should be in spite of their creative triumphs.
Source: Record Fiend Blog

   Swamp Rap Lyrics

Tony Joe White

Ungr, now I don't move too fast

And my talk is kind o' slow

I'm from the swamps and I like to stomp

To the Cotton-Eyed-Joe

Now I work hard all week

When it comes Saturday night

I go downtown and cruise around

In my four wheel drive that's right

With mud flaps, ungr

Sometimes I like to slow dance

And I hold my woman tight

'Cause you can't get nothing done

If you stand apart and sling your arms and all

That's right

Now I see a lot of people

And they're thinking they're where it's at

But you know that times are a-changing

When soul brothers wear cowboy hats

That's right, ha ha

But there's still a lot of cowboys

Who don't mind biting the dust

They ride Brahman-bulls and bucking broncs

And they don't want no fuss

[ Tony Joe White Lyrics are found on www.findlyrics.com ] 

But now they're everywhere you look

And though it may sound strange

They ride Coupe De Villes done too cutter Bill's

And overnight they can ride the ranche

I heard that

Ha ha ha, alright

I was down in the swamps one night

Singing to the moon

When an alligator crawled up to me and said

"Hey, I like your tune"

He started to twist and shake his tail

Thought he was having a fit

And my fingers was starting to hurt like hell

But he wouldn't let me quit

He said, "Keep on, ha ha"

Yeah but it's a long time since I wanted to dance

Would you please give me some more

A one two three four you can't alligator

Till you get down on the floor that's right

That's right