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It was the third of June, another sleepy, dusty Delta day
I was out choppin' cotton and my brother was balin' hay
And at dinner time we stopped and walked back to the house to eat
And Mama hollered out the back door, "Y'all remember to wipe your feet."
And then she said, "I got some news this mornin' from Choctaw Ridge.
Today Billie Joe MacAllister jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge."
And Papa said to Mama as he passed around the black-eyed peas
"Well, Billie Joe never had a lick of sense. Pass the biscuits, please.
There's five more acres in the lower forty I've got to plow."
And Mama said it was a shame about Billie Joe, anyhow
Seems like nothin' ever comes to no good up on Choctaw Ridge
And now Billie Joe MacAllister's jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge
And brother said he recollected when he and Tom and Billie Joe
He put a frog down my back at the Carroll County picture show
And wasn't I talkin' to him after church last Sunday night?
"I'll have another piece of apple pie. You know, it don't seem right.
I saw him at the sawmill yesterday on Choctaw Ridge.
And now you tell me Billie Joe's jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge."
Mama said to me, "Child, what's happened to your appetite?
I've been cookin' all morning and you haven't touched a single bite.
That nice young preacher, Brother Taylor, dropped by today.
Said he'd be pleased to have dinner on Sunday. Oh, by the way,
He said he saw a girl that looked a lot like you up on Choctaw Ridge.
And she and Billie Joe was throwing somethin' off the Tallahatchie Bridge."
A year has come 'n' gone since we heard the news 'bout Billie Joe
And brother married Becky Thompson, they bought a store in Tupelo
There was a virus going 'round, Papa caught it and he died last Spring
And now Mama doesn't seem to wanna do much of anything
And me, I spend a lot of time pickin' flowers up on Choctaw Ridge
And drop them into the muddy water off the Tallahatchie Bridge
| Nuance (Winnipeg) | Posted: Aug 30, 2004 - 07:27 steve wrote: I'm not so sure BillyJoe jumped off that bridge. I think it is a real possibility that David Byrne might have PUSHED him off. Not sure, but I'm just sayin'... 
Honestly, Bill thanks for adding this to the playlist!   must be a repeat playlist today... same segue |
| Nuance (Winnipeg) | Posted: Aug 30, 2004 - 07:25 Eagan wrote: Thanks for reminding me that I never could figure out what the hell her and Billy Joe was throwin" off the blinkin' bridge?
yeah, I don't get it. |
| Tritter (Chicago, IL) | Posted: Aug 30, 2004 - 07:23 thanks for the surpirse!! I can count on RP to bring those on quite often!! |
| Skeletor (On the coffee plantation of my dreams) | Posted: Aug 15, 2004 - 14:59 Some songs are just too dated. You hear it come on and right away, you think of a certain time and place, and how the song belongs in that far-gone era. The song has no relevance, it's a relic from the past, a kind of archeologic find that causes you to stop, take notice for a bit, chuckle, and move on. Billy Jo is not one of those songs. It could just as easily been written and recorded yesterday, as 100 years ago. Its themes of family, revenge, betrayal, and murder come right out of the lore of the deep woods across much of the south. Its very simple delivery belongs to no time in particular, and all times in general. It is no more a 60's song than it is a modern screed. Despite its recording age, Billy Jo sounds as chilling and fresh as it did when it unspooled off of AM transistor radios in the 60s. Bobbie Gentry's wonderful voice breathes so much life into this you find yourself drifting freely, until suddenly you're passing those biscuits at the dinner table. This is a remarkable song. Earl Hamner, the great writer who mined much of southern and backwoods lore for his works, would certainly have appreciated this song. |
| redeyespy (SoFL) | Posted: Aug 15, 2004 - 14:25 Nicely rendered, always did give me the chills. Glad I never saw the flick; the song paints vivid pictures. |
| Drunkenlilacwine (my heads in venice and paris) | Posted: Aug 01, 2004 - 05:23 Beautiful song. Spooky and sad. |
| 999_99_999 (Gridsquare Reference 89-47, 26-71) | Posted: Apr 29, 2004 - 14:51 I just read on AMG, Bobbie Gentry Studied philosophy at UCLA before transferring to the Los Angeles Consevatory of Music. Interesting. |
| KALINEVE (Idyllwild, CA) | Posted: Apr 29, 2004 - 14:50 Good song I guess but it's ruined because I can't get the picture of Robbie Benson out of my head.  |
| ABanana224 (Mississippi) | Posted: Apr 29, 2004 - 14:49 Extra spooky: I live very near a bridge over the Tallahatchie rumored to be the inspiration for this song. I heard about it for years before I ever heard the song. I've never heard it so clearly as I have today, where I could really get all the lyrics. Thank you! My mom's old 45 just doesn't do the song justice anymore. |
| Businessgypsy (Deepest, Darkest Florida) | Posted: Apr 29, 2004 - 14:49 Kingpepper wrote: Only Robbie Benson knows... and he ain't talkin. |
| Patrick (Columbia, MO (1920 miles E of Paradise, CA)) | Posted: Apr 29, 2004 - 14:47 Love how she comes in close to the mike for "yada yada yada Tallahatchee bridge." |
| qbee (San Francisco, CA) | Posted: Apr 29, 2004 - 14:46 Mmm, gives me chills. t h a n k y o u ! |
| heyho (Chicago) | Posted: Apr 29, 2004 - 14:45 Way cool. Now how about some classic Dusty Springfield? |
| gypsy222 (Under the Table and Dreaming) | Posted: Apr 29, 2004 - 14:43 NO WAY! Wow. Awesome choice. I have always loved this song!  |
| Steve (The Freakin Desert - Mesa, AZ) | Posted: Apr 16, 2004 - 18:36 dmax wrote: Segue into Psycho Killer? HAHAHAHAHA I'm not so sure BillyJoe jumped off that bridge. I think it is a real possibility that David Byrne might have PUSHED him off. Not sure, but I'm just sayin'...
Honestly, Bill thanks for adding this to the playlist! |
| birdboy (new york, ny) | Posted: Mar 24, 2004 - 06:41 what a treat! Haven' heard this great song in a while. Dmax, you're the other(!) Crack the Sky fan here, aren't you?... |
| (former member) (Shadow Valley Condos) | Posted: Mar 22, 2004 - 13:58 child what's happened to your appetite?
i been cookin all day and you haven't touched a single bite... o by the way he said he saw a girl who looked a lot like up on choctaw ridge and her and billie joe were tossing something off the tallahachee bridge. Still a little spooky. After all these years. Thanks. Segue into Psycho Killer? HAHAHAHAHA |
| kcarr224 (Cary, NC) | Posted: Mar 22, 2004 - 13:57 This is the first time I've heard this in clear digital quality. Most of times I have heard this was on AM radio many moons ago. Bill you know how to make a listener happy. |
| ladyj (Owosso, MI) | Posted: Mar 10, 2004 - 10:21 kelli wrote: oh gosh........i wonder when the original relase date on this was. musta been before i was born. haven't heard it in many many years.
1967. My mom had this album. |
| hobbitt (central coastal new jersey) | Posted: Mar 10, 2004 - 10:21 Wow, what a blast (?) from the past. The popular music version of "my dog done left me and my wife has rablies" song. Or something like that. |
| Kingpepper (Venice, CA) | Posted: Feb 27, 2004 - 17:41 Eagan wrote: Thanks for reminding me that I never could figure out what the hell her and Billy Joe was throwin" off the blinkin' bridge?
Only Robbie Benson knows... and he ain't talkin. |
| ottonorse (Chico, CA) | Posted: Feb 27, 2004 - 17:36 I don't know if this is good or not - but i love it and gave it a 9. |
| Eagan (Victoria) | Posted: Feb 16, 2004 - 10:34 Thanks for reminding me that I never could figure out what the hell her and Billy Joe was throwin" off the blinkin' bridge? |
| kelli (out of it) | Posted: Feb 16, 2004 - 10:32 oh gosh........i wonder when the original relase date on this was. musta been before i was born. haven't heard it in many many years. |
| GregX59 (Omaha, NE) | Posted: Feb 16, 2004 - 10:29 LOL - I don't know how to rate this one. A "1" for the number of times I've heard it in the past, a "9" because it sounds surprisingly good today? |