Gumbo John was a swamper He had a small cafe A little ol' shack just outside of Baton Rouge Everybody around said you had it made If you were looking for the right kind of food You just kick back and let the evening come Out on the back porch at Gumbo John's Me and the boys in the band were needing a break We were covered with road dust and the homesick blues So we decided to stop and spend a few days Peel a few crawdads... check out the brew Southern culture on the skids but it sure is fun Out on the back porch at Gumbo John's He had an alligator named Clyde out back in a little stream He said, boys he's a friend of mine but he's still real mean He said you know I used to play the guitar myself He held up his hand and just had two fingers left It was feeding time one evening he'd had a few beers Guess he got just a little too close...'cause one chomp And ol' Clyde he ended his musical career But he could still rear back and sing that jolie blonde Out on the back porch at Gumbo John's You just kick back and let the evening come Out on the back porch at Gumbo John's, Gumbo John's