In the shade of the cottonwood tree Sat a boy called Blue Docherty His feet were bare and the undersides were black Like the hobo stick bandana that he carried on his back My baby my baby I'm gonna tell you a story My baby my baby I'm gonna make you sleepy My baby my baby you better listen good In his bundle Blue had a lucky charm A trinket he made from a gator's arm The poor old beast had tried to go his way But Blue had felt a bit sadistic on that day My baby my baby I'm gonna tell you a story My baby my baby I'm gonna make you sleepy My baby my baby you better listen good In the bayou Blue tried to wash his hair He hadn't seen the one armed gator there It pulled him under straight in a deathly roll His body rapidly was parted from its soul ♪ My baby my baby I'm gonna tell you a story My baby my baby I'm gonna make you sleepy My baby my baby you better listen good It's true the hare outran the tortoise But you know how that one ends I told the story I won't tell it again So close your eyes and slip away to Nightmare Land And keep your senses sharp for gators out there with one hand