The Legend of Wooley Swamp
Encyclopedia
"The Legend of Wooley Swamp" is the title of a song written and recorded by the Charlie Daniels Band. It was released in August 1980 as the second single from the album Full Moon
, which was later certified platinum.
s, the Cable Boys, live in Carver's Creek- a neighboring wilderness
just miles away from Wooley Swamp. These three brothers are described as being "white trash" and "belligerent." They soon grow jealous of the old man and plot to kill him. Later one night they sneak up on Lucius, who has just dug up "13 rusty mason jars" filled with money. The Cable brothers then attack Lucius and dump his body in the swamp. Afterwards, they go back to the shack and pick up the money and run. But after only taking a few steps, they discover they are running in quick sand. Shortly before they sink, they can hear the old man "laughing in a voice as loud as thunder."
The song later goes on to say that, although it's been 50 years later, on full moon nights "you can hear three young men screaming and you can hear one old man laugh".
country charts
, it was major crossover hit on the U.S. pop charts
as it entered the Top 40 on Sept. 27, 1980 and later peaked at #31. It receives occasional airplay to this day and has become one of Charlie Daniels' signature songs.
Full Moon (Charlie Daniels album)
Full Moon is a studio album by The Charlie Daniels Band released on July 18, 1980. It produced two hit singles for the band, In America and The Legend of Wooley Swamp...
, which was later certified platinum.
Content
"The Legend of Wooley Swamp" tells of a myth in which an elderly man, Lucius Clay, is filled with greed and cares only about the money buried in the area in which he lives, called Booger Woods. According to the song, Lucius Clay lives out in the Wooley Swamp and digs up his money just to run his fingers through it. The antagonistAntagonist
An antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
s, the Cable Boys, live in Carver's Creek- a neighboring wilderness
Wilderness
Wilderness or wildland is a natural environment on Earth that has not been significantly modified by human activity. It may also be defined as: "The most intact, undisturbed wild natural areas left on our planet—those last truly wild places that humans do not control and have not developed with...
just miles away from Wooley Swamp. These three brothers are described as being "white trash" and "belligerent." They soon grow jealous of the old man and plot to kill him. Later one night they sneak up on Lucius, who has just dug up "13 rusty mason jars" filled with money. The Cable brothers then attack Lucius and dump his body in the swamp. Afterwards, they go back to the shack and pick up the money and run. But after only taking a few steps, they discover they are running in quick sand. Shortly before they sink, they can hear the old man "laughing in a voice as loud as thunder."
The song later goes on to say that, although it's been 50 years later, on full moon nights "you can hear three young men screaming and you can hear one old man laugh".
Success and reception
Although the song only went to #80 on the BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
country charts
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
, it was major crossover hit on the U.S. pop charts
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
as it entered the Top 40 on Sept. 27, 1980 and later peaked at #31. It receives occasional airplay to this day and has become one of Charlie Daniels' signature songs.
| Chart (1980) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks | 80 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 31 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 57 |