uhh go ahead home up in appaloosa county there s a place called ko ko ridge sittin right on the bend on the etowah river where the water washed away the bridge cotton mouth country a river rat s knee high way up around the back border lived a man that the river folks talked about they said you better stay away from ko ko joe cause he s cause he s crazy no account ko ko joe they called him the etowah river swamp rat the folks despised him ko ko joe he was an awfully peculiar man the river was his only friend and the folks didn t understand the man called ko ko joe he d eat monkey meat and mashed potatoes he drunk a brew called mo jo claw that he beat outa roots from old dead stumps on the banks of the etowah made him walk a little funny made his breath smell funky well he never come across the river cause the folks didn t like him in town they said his hair was long his clothes were dirty they didn t want him hangin around ko ko joe they called him the etowah river rat the folks despised him ko ko joe he was an awfully peculiar man the river was his only friend and the folks didn t understand the man called ko ko joe well it happened a year ago sunday and they still talk about it today how the dam broke loose on the etowah river nearly washin everybody away the river water rising washin up all the bushes well the headlines said how a mother said my son woulda lost his life but he was pulled from the mud in the etowah river by the man y all despised ko ko joe they called him the etowah river rat the folks despised him ko ko joe so be careful what you say my friend about folks you don t understand someday you might need a man like ko ko joe go ahead home son ko ko joe they called him the etowah river rat the folks despised him