I’m back with the SOTD post this Saturday morning with late 50’s classic track: Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ Alligator Wine. OK, it’s also the very first my song of the day post for the whole month of March on the 20th. I guess, you should know I’ve been side track doing something else for most of this month? Side note today is it’s one more word starting with “All” something but off course, it’s NOT the word “All” but that’s just the first three letter of totally different word. It’s the only “Alligator” something song I’m including but got to be more than this but can’t think of any others? Can you, why not share it with me?
A little about Mr. Hawkins: his birth name was really Jalacy Hawkins, who born July 18, 1929 in Cleveland, Ohio and passed away on February 12, 2000 at 70 years old. His most well-most song was I Put a Spell on You which is much loved with cover versions by almost everyone but to name just a few: Creedence Clearwater Revival, Nina Simone, The Animals, Them/Van Morrison, Arthur Brown, Bryan Ferry, Tim Curry, Joe Cocker, Nick Cave etc. but I think, the greatest cover would by Diamanda Galás. I can only think of one cover of Alligator Wine which was Jeff Buckley but maybe they’re more covers of it? It’s an outtake for his Grace album sessions, I wonder why didn’t they included the first time around?
The words to Alligator Wine are:
Take the blood out of an alligator
Take the left eye of a fish, yeah
Take the skin off of a frog, yeah
And mix it up in a dish
Add a cup of green swamp water
And then count from one to nine
Spit over your left shoulder
And you got alligator wine
Alligator wine
You ol’ porcupine
It’s gonna make you mine, oh yeah
It’s gonna make you mine
It’ll make your head bald, baby
It’ll make your toes freeze
It’ll turn your blood into steam, shh
It’ll make you cough and sneeze
You’re gonna scream like an eagle
You’re gonna roar like a mountain lion
When you get finished drinking
Good ol’ alligator wine
Alligator wine
You ol’ porcupine
Is gonna make you mine
Meet me at the stroke of midnight
By the swamp down in the wood
I’m gonna make you love me baby
Like you never thought you could
You gonna drink my magic potion
And your blood shut eye is gonna shine
You’d be a slave forever
To my alligator wine
Alligator wine
Oh, alligator wine
Hey, hey, is gon’ make you mine
Alligator, alligator wine
Cheers! 🙂
a1000mistakes 
Hey William FYI back in the day (84-85) Tex and Kim Salmon’s outfit Salamander Jim used to cover Alligator Wine. Great song! I also remember seeing the great Screaming Jay at Selina’s in the Coogee Bay Hotel who was supporting your boys Nick & the Bad Seeds on an early tour – probably November 85. Good times! (also the name of a track that Tex covered btw, maybe Salamander Jim or maybe the Beasts…. the decades betray me sometimes) Thanks for your blog cheers David
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Oh yeah, i always forget about them because don’t have a copy myself, only one song by them on a comp album, Salamander Jim album Lorne Green Shares His Precious Fluids really should been reissued years ago but never has, as far as know? Those gigs sound beyond bloody wicked amazing toooo, lucky you!
Cheers David and glad you dig it! 🙂
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Catch him in the flick ‘Mystery Train’ if you havent seen it.
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oh yeah, i remember that one but haven’t seen it in awhile, love a lot of Jim Jarmusch but still haven’t seen the new-ish one about Zombies! Cheers CB 🙂
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