# Damned Song Is Driving Me Nuts! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 23, 2004, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damned-song-is-driving-me-nuts/261162 "2004-08-23T22:52:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2004, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damned-song-is-driving-me-nuts/261162/61 "2004-09-03T06:00:06Z")
_Her daddy was lazy and no-account 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 (chomp, chomp, chomp) Everybody said it was a shame ‘Cos her mama was workin’ on a chain gang…_ ---
**Author:** ![ReadMore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ccd318/32.png) [@ReadMore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ReadMore)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2004, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damned-song-is-driving-me-nuts/261162/62 "2004-09-03T07:02:24Z")
It’s **Poke** (not Polk) Salad Annie… (you know, like pokeweed?) Or… was that part of your nefarious plan to get the song stuck in my brain? ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2004, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damned-song-is-driving-me-nuts/261162/63 "2004-09-03T14:02:45Z")
If you have a southern accent, it’s pronounced _poke_\*, but the copyright of the song is registered under the spelling of _polk_. Don’t ask me, I’m from Canada! I had no idea what he was saying for 30-odd years when he referred to it looking “something like a turnip green.” _Turnip green?_ Us northerners don’t know nothin’ 'bout no turnip greens. And hey, my nefarious plan worked! 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2004, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damned-song-is-driving-me-nuts/261162/64 "2004-09-03T14:04:50Z")
P.S.: sorry about the bad coding. I’ve only been awake for about 10 minutes! Need…caffeine…now… ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2004, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damned-song-is-driving-me-nuts/261162/65 "2004-09-03T14:39:03Z")
I was in McDonald’s for four minutes yesterday to use their ATM and now I have _It never rains in California_ _blah blah blah blah_ _it pours…MAN it pours…_ _blah blah blah blah_ _I wanna go HOME…_ ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2004, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damned-song-is-driving-me-nuts/261162/66 "2004-09-03T14:43:11Z")
I’ve got one in there that comes back and visits at intervals, like an annoying relative. One, two, three: There is a tavern in the town (in the town) And there my dear love sits him down (sits him dow-ow-own) and blah blah blah and blanky blanky eee And never ever thinks of me (thinks of me) Fare the well, for I must leave you do not let the parting grieve you just remember that the best of friends must part (must part!) Adieu, adieu, kind friends adieu (adieu, adieu) I can no longer stay with you (stay with you-ou-ou) I’ll hang my harp on a weeping willow tree, And may the world go well with thee. Oh! dig my grave both wide and deep (wide and deep) Put tombstones at my head and feet (head and fee-ee-eet) And on my breast carve a little turtle dove, To signify I died of love! ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2004, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damned-song-is-driving-me-nuts/261162/67 "2004-09-03T14:53:29Z")
> [@ReadMore](#): > > It’s **Poke** (not Polk) Salad Annie… (you know, like pokeweed?) Wow, you are absolutely right. Google on “polk salad” and you get tons of links to the song. Type in “poke salad” and you get tons of links about poke salad. So Tony Joe White was wrong all this time! ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2004, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damned-song-is-driving-me-nuts/261162/68 "2004-09-03T15:59:48Z")
Argh! Someone on the previous page mentioned cowboys, and now I’ve wound up with [_The Björk Song_](http://www.brunching.com/bjorksongchorus.html) jammed in my brain. Out! :smack: Out! :smack: Out! :smack: No, not **a** Björk song…_The Björk Song_ ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2004, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damned-song-is-driving-me-nuts/261162/69 "2004-09-03T16:20:28Z")
Actually I have two, they sort of alternate: "It’s restless nights and endless fights, 100 miles with no headlights, Fiddles and accordians, Tear stained steel guitars. Tar paper shack, Whiskey and smack, 2 guns left on a 5 rifle rack Somebody round here’s gonna get killed and that’s for sure!" [God help me!] ---
**Author:** ![Gravity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gravity/32/14322_2.png) [@Gravity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gravity)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2004, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damned-song-is-driving-me-nuts/261162/70 "2004-09-03T16:38:48Z")
“Well somebody told me You had a boyfriend Who looks like a girlfriend That I had in February of last year It’s not confidential I’ve got potential” ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2004, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damned-song-is-driving-me-nuts/261162/71 "2004-09-03T17:57:53Z")
Ack! No way, **Gravity** …I’m [never singing that song again](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=270838). 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Gravity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gravity/32/14322_2.png) [@Gravity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gravity)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2004, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damned-song-is-driving-me-nuts/261162/72 "2004-09-03T18:55:28Z")
Aw… c’mon **Hal** , you know you want to… So. Damn. Catchy… can’t escape… ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2004, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damned-song-is-driving-me-nuts/261162/73 "2004-09-03T20:29:34Z")
> [@a35362](#): > > I was in McDonald’s for four minutes yesterday to use their ATM and now I have > > _It never rains in California_ > _blah blah blah blah_ > _it pours…MAN it pours…_ > _blah blah blah blah_ > _I wanna go HOME…_ Oh no. I never should have re-opened this thread! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damned-song-is-driving-me-nuts/261162.md?page=3)