Cottonmouth Charlie

Hey
Mm-mm
Don't tie your boat where the black water bends
After the sun drops low
Old river keeps what the daylight leaves
That's just somethin' locals know
If you hear a whistle through the cypress trees
Don't whistle back too soon
Might be a wind, might be Charlie
Singing to the moon
Cottonmouth Charlie
Laughing through the cane
Walking where the snakes lays, sleeping like they knew his name
River don't tell, and Charlie won't lie
He just grinned and tipped his hat
As another boat drifted by
Charlie never packed a pistol
Said the river settles scores
Kept a deck of river cards, cut from old ballroom floors
Played five hands with a bootleg captain
Won his boat before first light
Gave it back by Sunday morning
Said he only borrowed luck that night (hey)
Whoa, come flood season, Charlie vanished
Just like smoke above the reeds
Some said he drifted south with the river
Others said the river breeze
Still the day when fog hangs heavy
And the frogs all stop at once
Folks don't ask if Charlie's coming
They just head back home for lunch