Tabbed By Glenn Gibson Drop D tuning A fun tune in drop D tuning from the days of Swamp Rock D5 C5 Black water Hattie lived back in the swamp G5 D5 Where the strange green reptiles crawl. D5 C5 Snakes hang thick from the cypress trees G5 D5 Like sausage on a smokehouse wall. D5 C5 Where the swamp is alive with a thousand eyes G5 An all of them watching you D5 C5 Stay off the track to Hatties Shack G5 D5 In the back of the Black Bayou D5 C5 Way up the road from Hattie?s Shack G5 F5 D5 Lies a sleepy little Okeechobe town D5 C5 Talk of swamp witch Hattie lock you G5 F5 D5 In when the sun go down D5 G5 Rumors of what she?d done, rumors of what she?d do D5 C5 Kept folks off the track of Hattie?s shack G5 F5 D5 In the back of the Black Bayou One day brought the rain and the rain stayed on And the swamp water overflowed Skeeters and the fever grabbed the town like a fist Doctor Jackson was the first to go Some say the plague was-a brought by Hattie, there was talk of a hangin? too But the talk got shackled by the howls and the cackles From the bowels of the Black bayou Early one morn ?tween dark and dawn When shadows filled the sky There came an unseen caller On a town where road run dry You?d swear there was found a big black round, vat full of gurgling brew Whispering sounds as the folk gathered round It came from the Black Bayou There ain?t much pride when you?re trapped inside A slowly sinkin? ship Scooped up the liquid deep and green And the whole town took a sip Fever went away and the very next day the skies again were blue Lets thank old Hattie for savin? our town Well fetch her from the Black Bayou Party of ten of the towns best men headed for Hattie?s Shack Said Swamp Witch magic was useful and good And they?re gonna bring Hattie back Never found Hattie and they never found the shack Never made the trip back in There was a parchment note they found tacked to a stump Said don?t come lookin? again
