''Ko-Ko Joe'' is a song written and recorded by American

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while ...

artist

Jerry Reed Jerry Reed Hubbard (March 20, 1937 – September 1, 2008) was an American singer, guitarist, composer, and songwriter as well as an actor who appeared in more than a dozen films. His signature songs included " Guitar Man", " U.S. Male", "A Thi ...

. It was released in August 1971 as the lead single from the album of the same name, ''Ko-Ko Joe''. The

song A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetit ...

reached peaks of number 11 on the

U.S. The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

chart and number 51 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and was the follow-up to his country chart number 1 hit, When You're Hot, You're Hot.

Content

The song, composed by Reed himself, begins with the description of a man living on the banks of the Etowah River, (as Reed calls it " cottonmouth country"). As the locals seem to tell it, he's a long-haired, dirty-clothed survivalist who drinks homemade brew and eats exotic meats. He is ostracized by these same locals who think of him as both a bum and 'crazy'. Reminiscent of the 'maligned' character's 'redemption' found in Hank Williams' 1953 song, "Be Careful of Stones That You Throw" (in that case a

woman A woman is an adult female human. Prior to adulthood, a female human is referred to as a girl (a female child or adolescent). The plural ''women'' is sometimes used in certain phrases such as "women's rights" to denote female humans regardl ...

), the third verse tells us about the day (one year before the song's telling), when the

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use ...

on the river burst, washing away everything in its path. We learn from the headlines of that day about a

mother ] A mother is the female parent of a child. A woman may be considered a mother by virtue of having given birth, by raising a child who may or may not be her biological offspring, or by supplying her ovum for fertilisation in the case of ges ...

who told of how Ko-Ko pulled her

son A son is a male offspring; a boy or a man in relation to his parents. The female counterpart is a daughter. From a biological perspective, a son constitutes a first degree relative. Social issues In pre-industrial societies and some current c ...

from the flood waters, saving the boy's life. Reed leaves it ambiguous as to whether Ko-Ko survived.

Chart performance

References

{{authority control 1971 singles Jerry Reed songs Songs written by Jerry Reed Song recordings produced by Chet Atkins 1970 songs