Big Marv And The Hodads - Swamp Ass Joe (2nd version)

 Towards the end of last year, Big And Tall Records published a strange song by an even stranger singer. A polka number called Polka Polka! The song itself wasn't so strange, although part of it was in Polish. Bu the singer was decidedly strange, an owner of a Polka Dance Hall, a Polish immigrant by the name of  Ziegniew 'Zbig' Szafrański. This guy is really old, has a voice you can't believe. Rough isn't the word. We don't have an adjective that describes the grating, downright scary quality of it. Some of our on the road associates went to this guy's dance hall to record some polka music for us. They didn't get too far, as Zbig came out in the middle of the recording and ordered everyone off the stage but a few musicians. He then announced that he was going to record him singing one of his own songs instead of the band. Evidently the man is as intimidating size wise as his voice, so they did. This is the single most crazy song we've recorded. Well, at least up 'til now.

Another backstory: In January, Big Marv And The Hodads recorded a song called Swamp Ass Joe, that had a beginning section played by The Noir Players, then Big Marv and his band came in for the song. The 1st version of the song. Ends up that Big Marv and one of the producers for The Noir Players got together and did an experimental version of the song, with Big Marv doing the singing. It's an odd thing coming from Big Marv and the boys, as they're known for Cajun, Dixieland, and other styles of music. So when Marv brought it to us a while back, we played it through a few times and told him we'd think about it. 

Wasn't unanimous by a long shot, but by a majority vote we've decided to release it. A short intro that sounds like it came from the bowels of hell that is run through so many filters there's can be no identification of what instruments played it. Big Marv's voice isn't the most tuneful either, and that is filtered with added distortion as well. One of  the band plays an acoustic slide guitar heavily amplified, and pounding drums are added. The entire mish mash winds down with some howling, thumping, and yelps before it fades out. Big Marv's really proud of the result, must be for the sheer novelty of it!

Lemme tell ya’ll a story ‘bout a man 

Lives in the swamp and the slough, 

Some say he’s a legend, but I know better, 

He’s a man not like me or like you 

 

Swamp Ass Joe is a man of the earth, 

He hunts the big alligator, 

He then sells the meat for what it’s worth, 

And then he says ‘See ya later. 

 

I seen him myself, so I know he’s real 

He’s built ‘bout six foot five 

Raw boned and strong, long scraggly beard, 

He hunts any ‘gator alive 

 

 Swamp Ass Joe lives out in the swamp 

In a little shack made of drift wood 

Got no phone, no electricity 

Only one in his neighborhood 

 

Ev’ry body asks why they call him Swamp Ass

 The answer is so plain to see 

Never takes a bath, unless swamp water counts,

 His life is completely free 

 

Swamp Ass Joe stinks to high heaven 

His hair is full of swamp bugs 

You can smell him comin’ a mile away, 

Dead gator on his back he lugs 

 

Some say he’s hunderd and fifty year old, 

Don’t make no sense to me. 

Ain’t nobody that old, can do what he done, 

An’ wrassle alligators you see! 

 

 So when gator season opens, keep yer eye peeled 

For Joe to start makin’ his rounds 

Of the places he sells the meat 

His stink always annoys the hounds!

 

 Imagine, livin’ in the swamp 

With all the bugs, snakes and critters 

To him their just like his kin 

But it shore would give me the jitters. 

 

Swamp Ass Joe, a legend in his time 

He shore ain’t like one of those 

That lives like the rest us, decent and clean 

And ya’ll can ‘see’ him first with yer nose…….