Bobbie Gentry - Louisiana Man Lyrics






At first Mom and Poppa called the little girl a lady
They raised her on the banks of a river bed

A house boat tied to a big tall tree
A home for my poppa and my momma and me

The clock strikes three Poppa jumps to his fee
Already Moma's cookin' Poppa somethin' to eat
At half past Poppa he's a ready to go, he jumps in
His pirogue headed down the bayou

He's got fishin' line strung across the Louisiana River
Got to catch a big fish for us to eat
He's settin' his traps catchin' anything he can
Gotta make a livin' he's a Louisiana man, gotta make
A livin' he's a Louisiana man

Muskrat hides hangin' by the dozen
Even got a little bitty muskrat cousin
Got 'em out dryin' in the hot hot sun
Tomorrow Poppa's gone turn 'em into money

They call Moma Rita and my Daddy Jack
My little baby brother on the floor that's Mac
Rhett and Lynn are the family twins
Big brother Eddie's on the bayou fishin'

On the river floats Poppa's great big boat
That's how me and Poppa get in to town
It takes every bit of a night and day to even reach
A place where the people stay

Oh I can hardly wait until tomorrow comes around
That's the day my Poppa takes the furs to town
Poppa done promised me that I could go
He'd even let me see a cowboy show

I saw the cowboys and Indians for the first time then
I told my Poppa "gotta go again" but Poppa says
"Hon we got lines to run
We'll have to come again
'Cause there's work to be done"

He's got fishin' line strung across the Louisiana River
Got a catch a big fish for us to eat
He's settin' his traps catchin' anything he can
Gotta make a livin' he's a Louisiana man
Gotta make a livin' he's a Louisiana man

Poppa done promised me that I could go
He'd even let me see the cowboy show

I saw the cowboys and indians for the first time then
I told my Poppa "Gotta go again" but Poppa said
"Hon, we got lines to run
We'll have to come again
'Cause there's work to be done"

He's got fishin' line strung across the Louisiana River
Got a catch a big fish for us to eat
He's settin' his traps catchin' anything he can
Gotta make a livin' he's a Louisiana man
Gotta make a livin' he's a Louisiana man





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Bobbie Gentry Louisiana Man Comments
  1. R.... L....

    Thank You, I first heard it on the radio in 1968... It transported me to Louisianan although I've never been there ....

  2. C.... ....

    This brings me to tears. My Great Grand papa lived on a boathouse on the river. The album sounded better. Too much treble.

  3. b.... d....

    discover the french version of dick rivers , louisiana man, top version

  4. L.... G....

    Charley Pride's is better !!!!!!!!!!!

  5. B.... B....

    This my favorite album of all time. Had it for over 50 years now!

  6. q.... ....

    AMAZING!!! Nobody can touch it!!! Thanks Ms Gentry!!!

  7. P.... C....

    I think Bobby Gentry does a great job I love it!

  8. Z.... T....

    Best version of you never heard Doug Kershaw or virtually anybody else play it.

  9. R.... R....

    It is not the best version of Louisiana Man. The Kershaw song is the best. Somebody needs to fix there hearing.

  10. K.... L....

    Wahnsinnig süß .

  11. R.... C....

    One of my first ever 'singles' - still like it!!

  12. J.... C....

    Enough mean worse version, don't you?

  13. J.... S....

    I remember playing this tune when I was a D.J. at 55 KOY in Phoenix, AZ. Thanks for the post.

  14. R.... G....

    No one can do it better than Rusty and Doug..

  15. R.... B....

    possible the vest version I have heard thus far...

  16. B.... C....

    Puke! Do they eat RATS in Louisiana?

    B.... C....

    My brother used to sell the hides. I didn't know of anyone eating them.

    B.... C....

    I think they call them Neutra, not sure of the spelling

    B.... C....

    Someone else thought nutria. As per a gov wildlife site muskrat are smaller. 4 pounds vs.20 pounds. Nutria have a hairy round tail and white haired muzzle. I guess both are related to the beaver. Anyway,thanks for the comment.

    B.... C....

    Yes both Muskrat and Nutria are eaten. And they eat them wherever they exist not just Louisiana.

    B.... C....

    Mmmm... Them's good eatin'!!
    Do you barbecue 'em, or just put 'em in a stew or a gumbo or a fricasee or a perloo?
    (I've got no idea what a "perloo" is, but it's mentioned in the Pogo funnies; if they've got 'em in the Okefenokee, I figure they oughta be in the bayou country, too? Allus wanted to try me some...)

  17. S.... B....

    Holy Shit! That was amazing why have it never heard that? I live 10 minutes from the Louisiana line.

    S.... B....

    Thank you. Her version was released in 1968.

    S.... B....

    Scharpy1 Ah! That's why my mom said she'd never heard it when I fussed at her for not playing it for me as a kid, she was born in 67. Thanks for putting it up so I could find it.

  18. M.... C....

    bobbie gentry is awesome

  19. m.... ....

    Great collection of photos. Helps to enjoy the song. I wonder how many singers have recorded this. I have several albums with this on it. My favorite is Dave Edmund's. version.

    m.... ....

    mrocnroll! I h bubbly
    nude beach club

    m.... ....

    mrocnroll. Dave Edmunds put out a ton of super music

  20. R.... ....

    Not the Best Version .. Thats the "Rusty & Doug Kershaw" version

    R.... ....

    True but listen to Glenn Campbell and Ricky Nelson version.

    R.... ....

    Perhaps not, however it's still a Good version of a great song...

  21. S.... S....

    i feel very fortunate to have been born here and can still call it home. from my front door i can see the bayou, gators, nutria, and turtles sunning on logs. to me, this is paradise.....

    S.... S....

    Sure do. I also remember that we could only watch cartoons on Saturday mornings. Now kids have them 24/7.

    S.... S....

    The sad part is that cartoons today suck. Best cartoons were Wacky Racers, Bug's Bunny Road Runner, Little Rascals,Johnny Quest,Beatles etc. Todays stuff has too much violence and fake lightning bolt. nice shit to put in kids heads..I say keep them laughing.Not violence. we have enough of that. I also love Louisiana very much.Thats Gods big back yard

    S.... S....

    Me too cuz!!!

    S.... S....

    Homesick !

  22. S.... M....

    NOT the best version....see Doug Kershaw

  23. A.... P....

    That was a lucky old fool that she married. What was he,100?

    A.... P....

    Hahahahaha.Yes,I am that lucky old fool bald guy at 2:30. About 40 in about 1990.

  24. w.... ....

    This is good, but Connie Smith sings it better.

  25. c.... c....

    i grew up in southern louisiana and on music like this.

    c.... c....

    +christopher carrier I envy you.

    c.... c....

    ...and do you KNOW the derivation of the term "CAJUN"?......

    c.... c....

    +M.G. Brooks why sure abbreviation of the term acadian

    c.... c....

    +christopher carrier person from acadia , what is now Nova Scotia.

    c.... c....

    ...et tu parles francais, toi?...D'ici au Quebec......The "Acadians"...in one of Canada's shameful disgraces...were booted OUT of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia following England's conquest...but down in Southern La...they clung to and KEPT their cultural heritage...

  26. R.... t....

    Great song

  27. D.... T....

    Man! That was good!

    D.... T....

    +Dave Thelander Thanks!

  28. M.... M....

    Those are muskrat not nutras

    M.... M....

    Back to Wikipedia.

  29. K.... S....

    Doug Kershaw wrote this song...He's from here in Louisiana.....Those  are actually nutria rat & not muskrat....

  30. A.... M....

    The onle place I heard this was at the NCO club at Chicksands, England in 1971. I have never heard it anywhere here in the states. It is not Rusty and Doug but it is still a very version.

    A.... M....

    rusty had passed away before the song came out I think

  31. 0.... 0....

    can remember this song being played on the radio in new zealand when I was a child...haven't heard it again until now...really good song...have been to Louisiana 3 or 4 times and love the place

    0.... 0....

    You can throw rocks through oldies radio station windows in NZ and they still wont play what we want to hear. I've given up trying to tell them about songs like this (and 500 others). This is a fantastic song. Charted in New Zealand in May 1968 (number 20).

    0.... 0....

    Never heard this version before in NZ. - The version I am familiar with is by The Seekers,