[Start] [Instrumental Intro] [Spoken Intro] Old man Boudreaux said, “Boy, there’s somethin’ living down in that water.” I said, “What kind of somethin’?” He looked me dead in the eye… And said, “The kind that remembers your name.” [Verse 1] Down where the black creek bends, Past the cypress and the cane, There’s a shack on rotten pilings Where the sun don’t leave a stain. Old Boudreaux kept a lantern, Kept a shotgun by the door, Said he heard somebody breathing Underneath his bedroom floor. Found his boat against the bank, Found his hat upon a limb, Found eleven muddy footprints— But not a single one from him. [Pre-Chorus] When the bullfrogs quit their singing, And the night birds disappear, There’s a ripple moving upstream… And you know that thing is near! [Chorus] SWAMP THANG! Coming out the black lagoon! SWAMP THANG! Howling at a blood-red moon! Got a backbone full of lightning, Got the devil in its veins! When you hear that water moving, Better get out of the rain! SWAMP THANG! Lord, here it comes again! [Electric Guitar Solo] [Verse 2] Sheriff brought a dozen deputies, Had their rifles shining bright, Said, “We’re gonna catch that monster Before the middle of the night.” They spread out through the sawgrass, Put their boots into the mud, Then a voice came from the darkness Saying, “Sheriff, how’s your blood?” Every flashlight turned together, Every barrel pointed west, But the sound came from behind them… Like a heartbeat in a chest. [Pre-Chorus] Then the water started boiling, And the cypress roots began to shake, Something big stood up behind them… And the whole damn shoreline BREAK! [Chorus] SWAMP THANG! Coming out the black lagoon! SWAMP THANG! Howling at a blood-red moon! Got a backbone full of lightning, Got the devil in its veins! When you hear that water moving, Better get out of the rain! SWAMP THANG! Lord, here it comes again! [Instrumental] [Verse 3] Now the sheriff’s back in town, But he don’t talk much anymore. Keeps his curtains tightly drawn, Keeps a chain across his door. And old Boudreaux came walking Through the diner yesterday, With his boots still full of river mud And nothing much to say. I said, “Where the hell you been, old man?” He just smiled and shook his head. Said, “That thing ain’t hunting people, son… It’s hunting something dead.” [Bridge] He laid a photograph before me, From a summer long ago. Three young men beside a river, One was someone I should know. There was Boudreaux, there was Sheriff… And the third one wore my face. Then the lights went out around us. And something scratched beneath the place. [Electric Guitar Solo] [Final Chorus] SWAMP THANG! Coming out the black lagoon! SWAMP THANG! Howling at a blood-red moon! Got a backbone full of lightning, Got the devil in its veins! When you hear that water moving, Better get out of the rain! SWAMP THANG! I can hear it calling me! SWAMP THANG! There’s a shadow in the trees! [Outro] [Spoken] Old Boudreaux leaned across the table… Said, “Boy, you still don’t remember?” I looked down at that photograph. The river was behind us. And the fourth man… Was standing in the water. [Hard Stop] [End]
