Yeah, they say it's mighty big and they claim it's awful old
And it swims near the bottom of the river where the water's really cold
Keep your eye on the surface, hold tight to your line
'Cause if you see a little ripple on the water, well it might be a sign

So many men have tried to catch it, like they were tryin' a find a cure
But it'll take your line, snap your pole, break your heart and swallow up your lure
So many men have dreamt about it, a few have gone to church to pray
To the Lord on Sunday just to be the one to catch it Saturday

And each and every critter by the river has a lair
The possum and the spider and the snake live there
The ol' snappin' turtle and the salamander too
But the critter near the bottom is the closest one to you

The big fish, yeah the big fish
The big catfish

If you caught it you could cook it, you could fry it in a pan
And feed the family for a whole week, every child, woman, each man
Feed all the neighbors and their cousins, feed all the uncles and the aunts
So put your line in the water, boy, go on and take a big chance

So folks will tell you it's the Devil, but folks they talk a lot of trash
Just because it's near the bottom in the mud and it's sportin' a mustache
Other folks say it's a woman, a sort of siren, a mermaid
And she's just waitin' for the right man to come along, so don't you be afraid
Each and every critter but the river has a lair
The possum and the spider and the snake live there
The ol' snappin' turtle and the salamander too
But the critter near the bottom is the closest one to you

The big fish, the big fish, yeah
The big catfish