Amos Moses

Album: Georgia Sunshine (1970)
Charted: 8
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  • Yeah, here comes Amos

    Now Amos Moses was a Cajun
    He lived by himself in the swamp
    He hunted alligator for a living
    He'd just knock them in the head with a stump
    The Louisiana law gonna get you, Amos
    It ain't legal hunting alligator down in the swamp, boy

    Now everyone blamed his old man
    For making him mean as a snake
    When Amos Moses was a boy
    His daddy would use him for alligator bait
    Tie a rope around his base and throw him in the swamp (hahaha)
    Alligator bait in the Louisiana bayou

    About forty-five minutes southeast of Thibodaux, Louisiana
    Lived a man called Doc Millsap and his pretty wife Hannah
    Well, they raised up a son that could eat up his weight in groceries
    Named him after a man of the cloth
    Called him Amos Moses, yeah (haha)

    Now the folks from down south Louisiana
    Said Amos was a hell of a man
    He could trap the biggest, the meanest alligator
    And he'd just use one hand
    That's all he got left 'cause an alligator bit it (hahaha)
    Left arm gone clear up to the elbow

    Well the sheriff caught wind that Amos
    Was in the swamp trapping alligator skin
    So he snuck in the swamp to gon' and get the boy
    But he never come out again
    Well, I wonder where the Louisiana sheriff went to
    Well, you can sure get lost in the Louisiana bayou

    About forty-five minutes southeast of Thibodaux, Louisiana
    Lived a cat called Doc Millsap and his pretty wife Hannah
    Well, they raised up a son that could eat up his weight in groceries
    Named him after a man of the cloth
    Called him Amos Moses

    Sit down on 'em Amos!
    Make it count son
    About forty-five minutes southeast of Thibodaux, Louisiana
    Lived a man called Doc Millsap and his pretty wife Hannah Writer/s: Jerry Reed
    Publisher: CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 15

  • John E from Roseville, MnA good tune
  • Peter from LondonWe sang the Sensational Alex Harvey Band version of this in the 70's and it was always "Duck Bill Sam and his pretty wife Anna"...
  • Chris from ArizonaSo in the lyrics Amos Moses, his old man was Doc Milsap. I know someone else listed Doug Milsap, so I looked at several live versions of this song just to be absolutely sure, and each time if you watch closely you can see he actually says "Doc Milsap" The last verse - "Set out on 'em Amos, make it count son." This is instead of "sit down on 'em Amos, make it count son". I originally started to post this because of how the words were listed. I then noticed the Doug Milsap post.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn this day in 1971 {March 13th} "Amos Moses" by Jerry Reed peaked at #2 {for 1 week} on the Canadian RPM Magazine Singles* chart, for the week it was at #2, the #1 record for that week was "Have You Ever Seen The Rain" by Creedence Clearwater Revival...
    Jerry Reed Hubbard passed away on September 1st, 2008 at the age of 71...
    May he R.I.P.
    And from the 'For What It's Worth' department, the remainder of the RPM Singles' Top 10 on March 13th, 1971:
    At #3. "Mama's Pearl" by Jackson Five
    #4. "One Bad Apple" by the Osmonds
    #5, "Hang On To Your Life" by the Guess Who
    #6. "She's A Lady" by Tom Jones
    #7. " Doesn't Somebody Want To Be Wanted" by the Partridge Family
    #8. "Mr.Bojangles" by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
    #9. "Theme from 'Love Story'" by Henry Mancini
    #10. "What Is Life" by George Harrison
  • Jeb B Raitt from Norfolk, VaI wonder if the Moses part of his name had something to do with how his daddy used him for alligator bait as a boy.
    He'd tie a rope around his waist and throw him in the swamp. But since he survived, it's pretty clear that he'd pull the boy out when a gator got near.
    Pulled him out of the water - like the original Moses, whose name means "came out of the water."
  • Brian From Louisiana from Thibodaux They are casting the Action Drama Movie “Amos Moses” in South Louisiana now Staring Dwayne Johnson “The Rock” as the Sherif hunting Amos Moses!!!!
  • Jim from NebraskaI feel like most people see it as Amos being the son of the Doc and his Pretty Wife Hannah, but i always interpreted it as Amos being the man of the cloth, giving the story a bit of a twist.
  • Burr from ManchuFor Heaven sake.. it's Thibodaux, Louisiana... not "tippietoe" lmfao... and 45 minutes southeast of there is around Golden Meadow.. near Bayou Lafourche. And having been there many times, it's possible this song was loosely based on a real person. lol
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn February 6th 1971, Jerry Reed performed "Amos Moses" on the ABC-TV program 'American Bandstand'...
    Fours months earlier on October 25th, 1970 it entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #97; and on February 21st, 1971 it peaked at #8 (for 2 weeks) and spent almost a half-year on the Top 100 (24 weeks)...
    It reached #2 in Canada and #16 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart...
    His two releases, ""Georgia Sunshine" and "The Preacher and the Bear", that preceded "Amos Moses" on the Country chart both also peaked at #16...
    R.I.P. Mr. Reed, born Jerry Reed Hubbard, (1937 - 2008).
  • Mark from Jefferson City, MoSon!
  • Briar Gates from Lexington, KyA fun a little song.
  • Jim from West Palm Beach, Fl"Now livin' out there in the Bayou, made Amos one helluva man....
  • Harold D Miles Sr from Jeffrey, WvA great song - love this man and hate that he is gone. Bless, J. Reed.
  • Eric from Nyc, NyNote to lyrics transcriber: It's Doug Milsap NOT Dr. Mills South. You got me rolling on the floor laughing my ass off.


  • Andy from Hunterdon, NjNote to lyrics transcriber -- it's THIBODAUX, Louisiana (pronounced tee-buh-doh), not "Tippitoe". Thanks for the chuckle, and good job transcribing the rest of the not-so-easy lyrics of "Amos Moses".
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