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
Length	2:19
Label	RCA
Writer(s)	Jerry Reed
Producer	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, peaking at #8. "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.

Content

The song tells the story of a one-armed Cajun alligator hunter named Amos Moses, who lives "about 45 minutes southeast of Thibodaux, Louisiana". 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 gonna 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]
It was covered by Primus on their Rhinoplasty EP, 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.

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

Chart performance

Year-End Chart

References