Story Behind The Song
The original version of this song was written in return for a favor from a co-worker up in Buffalo, NY. The Co-Worker was really talented and horribly under appreciated. He was known for collecting everyone's bottles and cans to sell for money. The rumor was he didn't need the money at all, it was just a habit of his. I had promised him if he'd work late and on a Saturday to meet a deadline, that I would write a song about him. He got it done and I wrote the song, originally titled "Basement Bottle Man". The funky groove came from riding with him to lunch in a late 1980's lumina with bad shocks driving around like we were the Blues Brothers or something. I've since then changed this song to "Bayou Bottle Man" since there are no basements down South, and in the aftermath of the BP Macondo Oil Spill, I thought I'd re-work it once more to attempt to bring some attention to the pain & suffering along the Gulf Coast of all the people who's way of life was so horribly impacted by this disaster.
Song Description
A song about how altered the lifestyle of the people along the Gulf Coast region affected by the BP Macondo Oil Spill, having to adapt and being frustrated with the whole situation, resorting to collecting bottles and cans to make ends meet.
| Song Length |
4:00 |
Genre |
Blues - Rock, Blues - Rural |
| Tempo |
Medium (111 - 130) |
Lead Vocal |
Male Vocal |
| Mood |
Worried, Troubled |
Subject |
Worry, Region |
| Similar Artists |
Buddy Guy, Stevie Ray Vaughan |
Language |
English |
| Era |
2000 and later |
| |
Lyrics
I'm the bayou bottle man
collecting bottles and cans
tryin' to make up for the pay
the BP Oil Spill took away
Been livin' on the coast all my life
now I'm livin' in strife
I shrug, shiver, sigh and shake
Each time the feds head our way
'cause harder times are on the way
They shut down drilling yesterday
That's why I'm saving up them cans
And I'm The Bayou Bottle Man
- Break -
The Gulf Coast has been good to me
It's in the blood of my family
I'm getting tired of this agony
Tar Balls are almost all I see
We're getting airtime on C-Span
Talkin' bout the Bayou Bottle Man
- Break -
It's hardly ever been games or fun
But we pull together and git it done
They say they're gonna re-emburse me
for trading my life for this misery
That's why I savin' up them cans
And they call me The Bayou Bottle Man