Ode To Billy Joe
Bobbie Gentry
Intro: [D7][D7][D7][D7]
It was the[D7] Third of June another sleepy dusty delta day
I was[D7] out choppin cotton and my brother was balin' hay
And at[G7] dinner time we stopped and walked back to the house to eat
And Mama[D7] hollered out the back door "y'all remember to wipe your feet”
And then she[G7] said "I got some news this mornin' from Choctaw Ridge"
"Today[D7] Billy Joe MacAllister jumped[C7] off the Tallahatchie[D7] Bridge"
And[D7] Papa said to Mama as he passed around the black-eyed peas
"Well, Billy[D7] Joe never had a lick of sense, pass the biscuits, please"
"There's[G7] five more acres in the lower forty I've got to plow"
And Mama[D7] said it was shame about Billy Joe, anyhow
Seems like[G7] nothin' ever comes to no good up on Choctaw Ridge
And now[D7] Billy Joe MacAllister jumped[C7] off the Tallahatchie[D7] Bridge
And[D7] brother said he recollected when he and Tom and Billie Joe
Put a[D7] frog down my back at the Carroll County picture show
And wasn't[G7] I talkin' to him after church last Sunday night?
"I'll have an[D7]-other piece of apple pie, you know it don't seem right"
"I[G7] saw him at the sawmill yesterday on Choctaw Ridge"
"And now you[D7] tell me Billie Joe's jumped[C7] off the Tallahatchie[D7] Bridge"
And[D7] Mama said to me "Child, what's happened to your appetite?
Well I've been[D7] cookin' all morning and you haven't touched a single bite
That[G7] nice young preacher, Brother Taylor, dropped by today
Said he'd be[D7] pleased to have dinner on Sunday, oh, by the way"
He[G7] said he saw a girl that looked a lot like you up on Choctaw Ridge
And she and[D7] Billy Joe was throwing somethin'[C7] off the Tallahatchie[D7] Bridge”
A[D7] year has come 'n' gone since we heard the news 'bout Billy Joe
And[D7] brother married Becky Thompson, they bought a store in Tupelo
There was a[G7] virus going 'round, Papa caught it and he died last Spring
And now[D7] Mama doesn't seem to wanna do much of anything
And[G7] me, I spend a lot of time pickin' flowers up on Choctaw Ridge
And drop them[D7] in to the muddy water[C7] off the Tallahatchie[D7] Bridge
[D7][D7]
Intro D7D7D7D7
It was theD7 Third of June another sleepy dusty delta day
I wasD7 out choppin cotton and my brother was balin' hay
And atG7 dinner time we stopped and walked back to the house to eat
And MamaD7 hollered out the back door "y'all remember to wipe your feet”
And then sheG7 said "I got some news this mornin' from Choctaw Ridge"
"TodayD7 Billy Joe MacAllister jumpedC7 off the TallahatchieD7 Bridge"
AndD7 Papa said to Mama as he passed around the black-eyed peas
"Well, BillyD7 Joe never had a lick of sense, pass the biscuits, please"
"There'sG7 five more acres in the lower forty I've got to plow"
And MamaD7 said it was shame about Billy Joe, anyhow
Seems likeG7 nothin' ever comes to no good up on Choctaw Ridge
And nowD7 Billy Joe MacAllister jumpedC7 off the TallahatchieD7 Bridge
AndD7 brother said he recollected when he and Tom and Billie Joe
Put aD7 frog down my back at the Carroll County picture show
And wasn'tG7 I talkin' to him after church last Sunday night?
"I'll have anD7-other piece of apple pie, you know it don't seem right"
"IG7 saw him at the sawmill yesterday on Choctaw Ridge"
"And now youD7 tell me Billie Joe's jumpedC7 off the TallahatchieD7 Bridge"
AndD7 Mama said to me "Child, what's happened to your appetite?
Well I've beenD7 cookin' all morning and you haven't touched a single bite
ThatG7 nice young preacher, Brother Taylor, dropped by today
Said he'd beD7 pleased to have dinner on Sunday, oh, by the way"
HeG7 said he saw a girl that looked a lot like you up on Choctaw Ridge
And she andD7 Billy Joe was throwing somethin'C7 off the TallahatchieD7 Bridge”
AD7 year has come 'n' gone since we heard the news 'bout Billy Joe
AndD7 brother married Becky Thompson, they bought a store in Tupelo
There was aG7 virus going 'round, Papa caught it and he died last Spring
And nowD7 Mama doesn't seem to wanna do much of anything
AndG7 me, I spend a lot of time pickin' flowers up on Choctaw Ridge
And drop themD7 in to the muddy waterC7 off the TallahatchieD7 Bridge
D7D7