Amos Moses

"Amos Moses"
Single by Jerry Reed
from the album Georgia Sunshine
B-side "The Preacher and the Bear"
Released October 19, 1970
Genre Country, rock
Length 2:19
Label RCA
Writer(s) Jerry Reed
Producer(s) Chet Atkins
Certification Gold (RIAA)
Jerry Reed singles chronology
"The Preacher and the Bear"
(1970)		 "Amos Moses"
(1970)		 "When You're Hot, You're Hot"
(1971)

"Amos Moses" is a song written and recorded by American country music artist Jerry Reed. It was released in October 1970 as the fourth and final single from the album Georgia Sunshine. This record was Reed's highest-charting single on the Billboard Hot 100, bowing at #97 on 31 October 1970 and peaking at #8 on 27 February - 6 March 1971. The song has been used ever since as a line dance taught at local YMCAs. "Amos Moses" was certified gold for sales of 1 million units by the RIAA. It also appeared on charts in several other countries and was #28 on Billboard's Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1971. Of interest is the fact that only two instruments were used in the original recording: a Fender Telecaster guitar and a bass guitar.

Content

The song tells the story of a one-armed Cajun alligator hunter named Amos Moses, son of Doc and Hanna Milsap, who lives "about 45 minutes southeast of Thibodaux, Louisiana", putting that town on the map, so to speak. It covers Amos' history ("[his] daddy would use him for alligator bait") and his troubles with the law for illegal alligator hunting, including a description of how the town sheriff "snuck in the swamp [to] get the boy, but he never come out again".

Appearances in other media

The song appears in the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas on the country music radio station K-Rose.[1]

The song was featured in an episode of the TV show My Name Is Earl.

It's been covered and recorded by Les Claypool twice. First appearing on Primus' Rhinoplasty EP and then on his 2014 Duo de Twang album. It's also been covered by Alabama 3 on their album M.O.R. and by the Pleasure Barons on their 1993 album Live in Las Vegas, with Mojo Nixon on lead vocals. Cross Canadian Ragweed covered the song on 1999's Live and Loud at the Wormy Dog Saloon.

A rock version of "Amos Moses" featured on The Sensational Alex Harvey Band's 1976 album SAHB Stories.

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Chart (1970–71) Peak
position
Canadian RPM Top Singles[2] 2
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[3] 8
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs[4] 16
Australia (Go-Set)[5] 38

Year-end charts

Chart (1971) Rank
Canadian RPM Top Singles[6] 35
U.S. Cashbox Top 100 64
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 28

References

  1. ↑ "Soundtrack". GTA San Andreas. Retrieved 2016-10-02.
  2. ↑ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016-10-02.
  3. ↑ "Music: Top 100 Songs | Billboard Hot 100 Chart". Billboard.com. 1971-03-06. Retrieved 2016-10-02.
  4. ↑ "Jerry Reed | Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-10-02.
  5. ↑ "Go-Set Australian charts - 19 June 1971". Poparchives.com.au. 1971-06-19. Retrieved 2016-10-02.
  6. ↑ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016-10-02.

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 10/2/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.