Chords for Bobbie Gentry - Ode To Billy Joe
Tempo:
81.45 bpm
Chords used:
D
G
Am
C
A
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
[A] [D]
[A] It was the third of June, another sleepy dusty Delta day.
I was out chopping [Am] cotton and my brother was baling [D] hay.
[G] And at dinner time we stopped and walked back to the house to eat.
And [D] Mama hollered at the back door, y'all remember to wipe your feet.
[G] And then she said, I got some news this morning from Choctaw Ridge.
Today [D] Billy Joe McAllister jumped [C] off the Tallahatchie Bridge.
Papa said to [Am] Mama as he passed around the black [D] eyed peas,
Well Billy Joe never had a lick [Am] of sense, pass the biscuits [D] please.
[G] There's five more acres in the lower forty I got to plow.
Mama [D] said it was a shame about Billy Joe anyhow.
[A]
[G] Seems like nothing ever comes to no good up on Choctaw Ridge.
And [D] now Billy Joe [C] McAllister's jumped off the Tallahatchie [D] Bridge.
Brother said he recollected when he and Tom and Billy Joe
Put a frog down my back at the Carroll County Picture Show.
And [G] wasn't I talking to him after church last Sunday night.
[G] I'll have [D] another piece of apple pie, you know it don't seem right.
[G] I saw him at the sawmill yesterday on Choctaw Ridge.
And [D] now you tell me Billy Joe's jumped [G] off the [D] Tallahatchie Bridge.
Mama said to me, child [Am] what's happened to your appetite?
I've been cooking all morning [Am] and you haven't touched a single [D] bite.
[G] That nice young preacher brother Taylor dropped by today.
Said [D] he'd be pleased to have dinner on Sunday.
Oh by the way, he [G] said he saw a girl that looked a lot like you up on Choctaw Ridge.
And [D] she and Billy Joe was throwing [C] something off the [D] Tallahatchie Bridge.
A year has come and gone since [E] we heard the news about Billy Joe.
Brother married Becky [Am] Thompson, they bought a store in [D] Tupelo.
[G] There was a virus going round, Papa caught it and he died last spring.
And [D] now Mama doesn't seem to want to do much of anything.
[G] And me, I spend a lot of time picking flowers up on Choctaw Ridge.
And [D] drop them into the muddy [C] water off the Tallahatchie [D] Bridge.
[A] It was the third of June, another sleepy dusty Delta day.
I was out chopping [Am] cotton and my brother was baling [D] hay.
[G] And at dinner time we stopped and walked back to the house to eat.
And [D] Mama hollered at the back door, y'all remember to wipe your feet.
[G] And then she said, I got some news this morning from Choctaw Ridge.
Today [D] Billy Joe McAllister jumped [C] off the Tallahatchie Bridge.
Papa said to [Am] Mama as he passed around the black [D] eyed peas,
Well Billy Joe never had a lick [Am] of sense, pass the biscuits [D] please.
[G] There's five more acres in the lower forty I got to plow.
Mama [D] said it was a shame about Billy Joe anyhow.
[A]
[G] Seems like nothing ever comes to no good up on Choctaw Ridge.
And [D] now Billy Joe [C] McAllister's jumped off the Tallahatchie [D] Bridge.
Brother said he recollected when he and Tom and Billy Joe
Put a frog down my back at the Carroll County Picture Show.
And [G] wasn't I talking to him after church last Sunday night.
[G] I'll have [D] another piece of apple pie, you know it don't seem right.
[G] I saw him at the sawmill yesterday on Choctaw Ridge.
And [D] now you tell me Billy Joe's jumped [G] off the [D] Tallahatchie Bridge.
Mama said to me, child [Am] what's happened to your appetite?
I've been cooking all morning [Am] and you haven't touched a single [D] bite.
[G] That nice young preacher brother Taylor dropped by today.
Said [D] he'd be pleased to have dinner on Sunday.
Oh by the way, he [G] said he saw a girl that looked a lot like you up on Choctaw Ridge.
And [D] she and Billy Joe was throwing [C] something off the [D] Tallahatchie Bridge.
A year has come and gone since [E] we heard the news about Billy Joe.
Brother married Becky [Am] Thompson, they bought a store in [D] Tupelo.
[G] There was a virus going round, Papa caught it and he died last spring.
And [D] now Mama doesn't seem to want to do much of anything.
[G] And me, I spend a lot of time picking flowers up on Choctaw Ridge.
And [D] drop them into the muddy [C] water off the Tallahatchie [D] Bridge.
Key:
D
G
Am
C
A
D
G
Am
_ _ _ _ [A] _ _ [D] _ _
_ _ [A] It was the third of June, another sleepy dusty Delta day.
_ _ I was out chopping [Am] cotton and my brother was baling [D] hay. _ _
_ [G] And at dinner time we stopped and walked back to the house to eat.
_ _ And [D] Mama hollered at the back door, y'all remember to wipe your feet.
_ _ [G] And then she said, I got some news this morning from Choctaw _ Ridge.
Today [D] Billy Joe McAllister jumped [C] off the Tallahatchie Bridge.
_ _ _ Papa said to [Am] Mama as he passed around the black [D] eyed peas, _ _
Well Billy Joe never had a lick [Am] of sense, pass the biscuits [D] please.
_ _ [G] There's five more acres in the lower forty I got to plow.
_ _ Mama [D] said it was a shame about Billy Joe anyhow.
_ _ [A] _
[G] Seems like nothing ever comes to no good up on Choctaw Ridge.
_ And [D] now Billy Joe [C] McAllister's jumped off the Tallahatchie [D] Bridge.
_ _ Brother said he recollected when he and Tom and Billy Joe _ _
Put a frog down my back at the Carroll County Picture Show. _
_ And [G] wasn't I talking to him after church last Sunday night.
_ [G] I'll have [D] another piece of apple pie, you know it don't seem right. _ _
[G] I saw him at the sawmill yesterday on Choctaw _ Ridge.
And [D] now you tell me Billy Joe's jumped [G] off the [D] Tallahatchie Bridge.
_ _ _ Mama said to me, child [Am] what's happened to your appetite? _ _ _
I've been cooking all morning [Am] and you haven't touched a single [D] bite. _
_ _ [G] That nice young preacher brother Taylor dropped by today.
_ _ Said [D] he'd be pleased to have dinner on Sunday.
Oh by the way, _ he [G] said he saw a girl that looked a lot like you up on Choctaw Ridge.
_ And [D] she and Billy Joe was throwing [C] something off the [D] Tallahatchie Bridge.
_ _ A year has come and gone since [E] we heard the news about Billy Joe. _ _ _
Brother married Becky [Am] Thompson, they bought a store in [D] Tupelo. _
_ _ [G] There was a virus going round, Papa caught it and he died last spring.
_ _ And [D] now Mama doesn't seem to want to do much of anything. _ _ _
[G] And me, I spend a lot of time picking flowers up on Choctaw Ridge.
And [D] drop them into the muddy [C] water off the Tallahatchie [D] Bridge. _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [A] It was the third of June, another sleepy dusty Delta day.
_ _ I was out chopping [Am] cotton and my brother was baling [D] hay. _ _
_ [G] And at dinner time we stopped and walked back to the house to eat.
_ _ And [D] Mama hollered at the back door, y'all remember to wipe your feet.
_ _ [G] And then she said, I got some news this morning from Choctaw _ Ridge.
Today [D] Billy Joe McAllister jumped [C] off the Tallahatchie Bridge.
_ _ _ Papa said to [Am] Mama as he passed around the black [D] eyed peas, _ _
Well Billy Joe never had a lick [Am] of sense, pass the biscuits [D] please.
_ _ [G] There's five more acres in the lower forty I got to plow.
_ _ Mama [D] said it was a shame about Billy Joe anyhow.
_ _ [A] _
[G] Seems like nothing ever comes to no good up on Choctaw Ridge.
_ And [D] now Billy Joe [C] McAllister's jumped off the Tallahatchie [D] Bridge.
_ _ Brother said he recollected when he and Tom and Billy Joe _ _
Put a frog down my back at the Carroll County Picture Show. _
_ And [G] wasn't I talking to him after church last Sunday night.
_ [G] I'll have [D] another piece of apple pie, you know it don't seem right. _ _
[G] I saw him at the sawmill yesterday on Choctaw _ Ridge.
And [D] now you tell me Billy Joe's jumped [G] off the [D] Tallahatchie Bridge.
_ _ _ Mama said to me, child [Am] what's happened to your appetite? _ _ _
I've been cooking all morning [Am] and you haven't touched a single [D] bite. _
_ _ [G] That nice young preacher brother Taylor dropped by today.
_ _ Said [D] he'd be pleased to have dinner on Sunday.
Oh by the way, _ he [G] said he saw a girl that looked a lot like you up on Choctaw Ridge.
_ And [D] she and Billy Joe was throwing [C] something off the [D] Tallahatchie Bridge.
_ _ A year has come and gone since [E] we heard the news about Billy Joe. _ _ _
Brother married Becky [Am] Thompson, they bought a store in [D] Tupelo. _
_ _ [G] There was a virus going round, Papa caught it and he died last spring.
_ _ And [D] now Mama doesn't seem to want to do much of anything. _ _ _
[G] And me, I spend a lot of time picking flowers up on Choctaw Ridge.
And [D] drop them into the muddy [C] water off the Tallahatchie [D] Bridge. _ _ _ _ _ _