“Cadillac In The Swamp” (1995)

This is the title track of an album that AllMusic.com lauded as “first-rate modern blues.” Another reviewer described the blues of the band SmokeHouse as “simple, straight-forward and powerful.”

Murky and Sultry

The tune “Cadillac In The Swamp” may be “modern,” but the deep, murky vocals are reminiscent of the late great John Lee Hooker at his best. And the rhythms are as sultry as those of the Chicago blues masters Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon.

Moreover, the steamy music of this swampy tune is complemented by a macabre Southern Gothic tale. Let’s call this music “dark blue.”

According to “Living Blues” magazine, “Cadillac In The Swamp” was the “Best Album” of 1995. _{(Image source)}

SmokeHouse

The band previously known as Smokehouse was formed in Florida in 1989, by Anthony “Packrat” Thompson. The band has been active for most of the 30 years since then, and is now known as Packrat’s Smokehouse.

Swamp Blues

Packrat’s Smokehouse has opened for and played with such great blues outfits as Jim Belushi and the Blues Brothers Band, Taj Mahal, Koko Taylor, and The Fabulous Thunderbirds.

Packrat’s Smokehouse typifies the genre that they call “Florida Swamp Blues.” And they call themselves “The Men of the Swamp.” Let’s hope no crazed orangutans come around to drain this steamy swamp. _{(Image source)}

Ah, now let me tell y'all something here
Now, now this ain't no lie
Y'all come on over here
And let's sit by the fire
Way down south
Where the beetles and cottonmouth breed
I seen something down there, y'all
That took my breath away

I saw a black Cadillac
Cruising real slow
Way down the swamps
Where no man dare go
The windows went down slowly
There sat a chauffeur with no head
Well, I stood there trembling y'all
Never been so damned scared

(Chorus)
Whoa oh, that Cadillac, yeah
Whoa oh, down in the swamp
Ah, Lord
Thick fog rolled in
I could barely see the lights
And that old ghost Cadillac, y'all
Faded into the night
I ran home and told my daddy
Just what I seen
He reached for his knife, people
Never saw him look so damned mean
He said, Look a-here boy
It was 1952
It was late one night
Your mammy saw it too

(Chorus)
Well, your mammy got so scared
She packed up and moved away
And she swore to the Lord
She'd never come back to stay
It was about three days later
I went hunting that night
And I found yo mama dead, boy
Tire tracks right across her back
So my daddy grabbed his shotgun
He said, Boy, show me them tracks
Now, whatever you hear
You just don't look back

(Chorus)

He went down them swamps
With that old big dick hound
About 20 minutes later
That old hound began to sound
Five shots rung out
I was froze in my tracks
And I thought about what daddy said, y'all
So I didn't look back
That old hound kept running
With his tongue hung to the ground
That old ghost Cadillac, ya'll
Nowhere to be found
(Chorus)
I said, Hey, daddy
What happened to that old hound?
He said, That old Cadillac boy
Done done rode him down
That Cadillac killed yo mammy
And it's going to get me
So you get out of these swamps, boy
And set yourself free
That ghost Cadillac
You better hide
That ghost Cadillac, ya'll
Headless chauffeur inside
That ghost Cadillac
Patrolling them swamps
That ghost Cadillac
Blood stains in the trunk
Have mercy
Have mercy
Yeah lord.
        _{(Thanks to Kocegeorgiev Georgiev)}   _{(Image source)} _{Lyrics by Anthony Thompson, courtesy of Don's Tunes – YouTube

Reference – PackratsSmokeHouse.com

Reference – Last.fm

Into your ears … through 5 channels

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         1 – “Music to Your Ears” (MTYE)

         2 – “Cover Versions”

         3 – “Honor Roll”

         4 – “Documentaries”

         5 – “Mock’n’Roll”

More “Music to Your Ears” ...

          Previous posts in this series – "MTYE posts 1–20"

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Links to my other series ...}

Lou Reed – "Anthology of Memorable Lyrics, Part 1"
Lou Reed – "Anthology of Memorable Lyrics, Part 2"