Chords for Ode to Billie Joe - Bobbie Gentry (BBC Live 1968)
Tempo:
112.05 bpm
Chords used:
D
G
Am
C
Ab
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
[Ab] I was born in Chickasaw County.
When I was six, we moved to another region in Mississippi called the Delta.
[G] And we lived between two rivers.
One was the Azu, and the other was the [D] Tallahatchie.
It was the third of [A] June, another [Am] sleepy, dusty [D] Delta day.
I was out chopping cotton [Am] and my brother was [G] [D] baling hay.
[G] And at dinnertime we stopped and walked back to the house to eat.
[D] And Mama hollered at the back [E] door,
Y'all remember to [D] wipe your feet.
And [G] then she said, I got some news this morning from Choctaw Ridge.
[D] Today Billy Joe McAllister [C] jumped off the Tallahatchie [D] Bridge.
Papa said to Mama [Am] as he passed around the Black [D] Eyed Peas,
Oh, Billy Joe never had [Am] liquor since.
[G] [D] Pass the biscuits please.
[G] There's five more acres in the lower forty I got to plow.
[D] Mama said it was a shame.
[G] [D]
Seems [G] like nothing ever comes to no good up on Choctaw Ridge.
[Em] And [D] now Billy Joe McAllister [C] jumped off the Tallahatchie [D] Bridge.
Brother said he recollected [Am] when he and [D] Tom and Billy Joe
put a frog down my back at the [Am] Carroll County Picture [D] Show.
And [G] wasn't I talking to him after church last Sunday night.
I'll [D] have another piece of apple pie.
[G] [D] You know it don't seem right.
[D] [G] I saw him at the sawmill yesterday up on Choctaw Ridge.
[D] Now you [Am] tell me Billy Joe's [C] jumped off the Tallahatchie.
[D]
Mama said to me [Am] child what's happened to your [D] appetite.
Well 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.
[Db] [D] He was stabbed in the arm.
[G] [D]
Oh by the way [G] he said he saw a girl that looked a lot like you up on Choctaw Ridge.
[D] And Billy Joe was throwing [C] something off the [D] Tallahatchie Bridge.
A year has come and [Am] gone since we heard the news [G] about [D] Billy Joe.
Brother Mary Becky [G] Thompson [Am] they bought a store in [D] Tupelo.
[G] There was a virus going around.
Papa caught it and he died last spring.
[D] And now Mama doesn't [G] seem to [Am] want to [C] do much of [D] anything.
[G] And me I spend a lot of time picking flowers up on Choctaw Ridge.
[Dm] [D] And dropping them into the muddy [C] water off the [D] Tallahatchie Bridge.
When I was six, we moved to another region in Mississippi called the Delta.
[G] And we lived between two rivers.
One was the Azu, and the other was the [D] Tallahatchie.
It was the third of [A] June, another [Am] sleepy, dusty [D] Delta day.
I was out chopping cotton [Am] and my brother was [G] [D] baling hay.
[G] And at dinnertime we stopped and walked back to the house to eat.
[D] And Mama hollered at the back [E] door,
Y'all remember to [D] wipe your feet.
And [G] then she said, I got some news this morning from Choctaw Ridge.
[D] Today Billy Joe McAllister [C] jumped off the Tallahatchie [D] Bridge.
Papa said to Mama [Am] as he passed around the Black [D] Eyed Peas,
Oh, Billy Joe never had [Am] liquor since.
[G] [D] Pass the biscuits please.
[G] There's five more acres in the lower forty I got to plow.
[D] Mama said it was a shame.
[G] [D]
Seems [G] like nothing ever comes to no good up on Choctaw Ridge.
[Em] And [D] now Billy Joe McAllister [C] jumped off the Tallahatchie [D] Bridge.
Brother said he recollected [Am] when he and [D] Tom and Billy Joe
put a frog down my back at the [Am] Carroll County Picture [D] Show.
And [G] wasn't I talking to him after church last Sunday night.
I'll [D] have another piece of apple pie.
[G] [D] You know it don't seem right.
[D] [G] I saw him at the sawmill yesterday up on Choctaw Ridge.
[D] Now you [Am] tell me Billy Joe's [C] jumped off the Tallahatchie.
[D]
Mama said to me [Am] child what's happened to your [D] appetite.
Well 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.
[Db] [D] He was stabbed in the arm.
[G] [D]
Oh by the way [G] he said he saw a girl that looked a lot like you up on Choctaw Ridge.
[D] And Billy Joe was throwing [C] something off the [D] Tallahatchie Bridge.
A year has come and [Am] gone since we heard the news [G] about [D] Billy Joe.
Brother Mary Becky [G] Thompson [Am] they bought a store in [D] Tupelo.
[G] There was a virus going around.
Papa caught it and he died last spring.
[D] And now Mama doesn't [G] seem to [Am] want to [C] do much of [D] anything.
[G] And me I spend a lot of time picking flowers up on Choctaw Ridge.
[Dm] [D] And dropping them into the muddy [C] water off the [D] Tallahatchie Bridge.
Key:
D
G
Am
C
Ab
D
G
Am
_ _ _ _ _ _ [Ab] I was born in Chickasaw County.
When I was six, we moved to another region in Mississippi called the Delta.
[G] _ And we lived between two rivers.
One was the Azu, _ _ and the other was the [D] Tallahatchie. _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ It was the third of [A] June, another [Am] sleepy, dusty [D] Delta day. _
_ _ _ _ I was out chopping cotton [Am] and my brother was [G] [D] baling hay.
_ _ _ _ _ [G] And at dinnertime we stopped and walked back to the house to eat. _
_ _ _ _ [D] And Mama hollered at the back [E] door,
Y'all remember to [D] wipe your feet. _
_ _ _ And [G] then she said, I got some news this morning from Choctaw _ _ Ridge.
_ _ [D] Today Billy Joe McAllister [C] jumped off the Tallahatchie [D] _ Bridge.
_ _ _ _ _ Papa said to Mama [Am] as he passed around the Black [D] Eyed _ Peas,
_ _ Oh, Billy Joe never had [Am] liquor since.
_ _ [G] [D] Pass the biscuits please.
_ _ _ _ [G] There's five more acres in the lower forty I got to plow. _
_ _ _ _ [D] Mama said it was a shame.
_ [G] _ _ _ [D] _ _ _
_ _ _ Seems [G] like nothing ever comes to no good up on Choctaw Ridge. _
_ _ _ [Em] And [D] now Billy Joe McAllister [C] jumped off the Tallahatchie [D] Bridge. _ _
_ _ _ _ _ Brother said he recollected [Am] when he and [D] Tom and Billy Joe
_ put _ a frog down my back at the [Am] Carroll County Picture [D] Show. _
_ _ _ And [G] wasn't I talking to him after church last Sunday night. _
_ _ I'll [D] have another piece of apple pie.
_ _ _ [G] [D] You know it don't seem right.
[D] _ _ _ [G] I saw him at the sawmill yesterday up on Choctaw Ridge. _
_ _ _ _ [D] Now you [Am] tell me Billy Joe's [C] jumped off the Tallahatchie.
[D] _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ Mama said to me [Am] child what's happened to your [D] appetite. _
_ _ _ Well 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. _
_ _ _ _ [Db] _ [D] _ He was stabbed in the arm.
_ [G] _ [D] _ _
Oh by the way _ [G] he said he saw a girl that looked a lot like you up on Choctaw Ridge.
_ _ _ _ [D] And Billy Joe was throwing [C] something off the [D] Tallahatchie Bridge. _
_ _ _ _ _ A year has come and [Am] gone since we heard the news [G] about [D] Billy Joe. _
_ _ _ _ _ Brother Mary Becky [G] Thompson [Am] they bought a store in [D] Tupelo. _ _
_ _ _ [G] There was a virus going around.
Papa caught it and he died last spring.
_ _ _ _ [D] And now Mama doesn't [G] seem to [Am] want to [C] do much of _ [D] anything. _
_ _ _ _ [G] And me I spend a lot of time picking flowers up on Choctaw Ridge.
_ _ _ [Dm] [D] And dropping them into the muddy [C] water off the _ [D] Tallahatchie Bridge. _
When I was six, we moved to another region in Mississippi called the Delta.
[G] _ And we lived between two rivers.
One was the Azu, _ _ and the other was the [D] Tallahatchie. _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ It was the third of [A] June, another [Am] sleepy, dusty [D] Delta day. _
_ _ _ _ I was out chopping cotton [Am] and my brother was [G] [D] baling hay.
_ _ _ _ _ [G] And at dinnertime we stopped and walked back to the house to eat. _
_ _ _ _ [D] And Mama hollered at the back [E] door,
Y'all remember to [D] wipe your feet. _
_ _ _ And [G] then she said, I got some news this morning from Choctaw _ _ Ridge.
_ _ [D] Today Billy Joe McAllister [C] jumped off the Tallahatchie [D] _ Bridge.
_ _ _ _ _ Papa said to Mama [Am] as he passed around the Black [D] Eyed _ Peas,
_ _ Oh, Billy Joe never had [Am] liquor since.
_ _ [G] [D] Pass the biscuits please.
_ _ _ _ [G] There's five more acres in the lower forty I got to plow. _
_ _ _ _ [D] Mama said it was a shame.
_ [G] _ _ _ [D] _ _ _
_ _ _ Seems [G] like nothing ever comes to no good up on Choctaw Ridge. _
_ _ _ [Em] And [D] now Billy Joe McAllister [C] jumped off the Tallahatchie [D] Bridge. _ _
_ _ _ _ _ Brother said he recollected [Am] when he and [D] Tom and Billy Joe
_ put _ a frog down my back at the [Am] Carroll County Picture [D] Show. _
_ _ _ And [G] wasn't I talking to him after church last Sunday night. _
_ _ I'll [D] have another piece of apple pie.
_ _ _ [G] [D] You know it don't seem right.
[D] _ _ _ [G] I saw him at the sawmill yesterday up on Choctaw Ridge. _
_ _ _ _ [D] Now you [Am] tell me Billy Joe's [C] jumped off the Tallahatchie.
[D] _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ Mama said to me [Am] child what's happened to your [D] appetite. _
_ _ _ Well 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. _
_ _ _ _ [Db] _ [D] _ He was stabbed in the arm.
_ [G] _ [D] _ _
Oh by the way _ [G] he said he saw a girl that looked a lot like you up on Choctaw Ridge.
_ _ _ _ [D] And Billy Joe was throwing [C] something off the [D] Tallahatchie Bridge. _
_ _ _ _ _ A year has come and [Am] gone since we heard the news [G] about [D] Billy Joe. _
_ _ _ _ _ Brother Mary Becky [G] Thompson [Am] they bought a store in [D] Tupelo. _ _
_ _ _ [G] There was a virus going around.
Papa caught it and he died last spring.
_ _ _ _ [D] And now Mama doesn't [G] seem to [Am] want to [C] do much of _ [D] anything. _
_ _ _ _ [G] And me I spend a lot of time picking flowers up on Choctaw Ridge.
_ _ _ [Dm] [D] And dropping them into the muddy [C] water off the _ [D] Tallahatchie Bridge. _