Ode To Billie Joe Foi o terceiro de junho, outro sonolento, dia Delta empoeirado eu estava fora "de algodão e meu irmão era Balin 'choppin feno E na hora do jantar, parou e caminhou de volta para a casa para comer E mamãe gritou pela porta de trás "Vocês não se esqueça de limpar os pés" E então ela disse: "Eu tenho algumas notícias esta manhã de Choctaw Ridge" "Hoje Billie Joe MacAllister pulou da Ponte Tallahatchie" E Papa disse a mamãe quando ele passou torno das ervilhas blackeyed "Bem, nunca Billie Joe tinha um pingo de sentido, passar os biscoitos, por favor" "Há cinco hectares mais no 40 menor que eu tenho que arar" E mamãe disse que era vergonha de Billie Joe, de qualquer maneira Parece que nada nunca vem para não se bom no Ridge Choctaw E agora Billie Joe MacAllister saltou da Ponte Tallahatchie E o irmão disse que se recordava quando ele e Tom e Billie Joe Coloque um sapo na minha volta para o show de imagem Carroll County E eu não estava falando com ele depois da igreja na noite de domingo passado? "Eu vou ter um outro pedaço de torta de maçã, você sabe que não parece certo" "Eu o vi na serraria ontem no Ridge Choctaw" "E agora você me diz Billie Joe pulou da Ponte Tallahatchie" E mamãe me disse: "Filho, o que aconteceu com o seu apetite?" "Eu tenho cookin toda a manhã e você ainda não tocou uma única mordida" "Aquele pregador jovem e bonito, o irmão de Taylor, caiu hoje" "Ele disse que ia ser o prazer de jantar no domingo, oh, a propósito" "Ele disse que viu uma menina que se parecia muito com você em cima Choctaw Ridge" "E ela e Billie Joe estava jogando alguma coisa fora da ponte Tallahatchie" Um ano veio 'n' desaparecido desde que soube da notícia 'bout Billie Joe E o irmão casado Becky Thompson, eles compraram uma loja em Tupelo Houve um vírus vai 'redondo, papai pegou e ele morreu na última primavera E agora Mama parece não quero fazer muita coisa E eu, eu gasto muito tempo pickin flores até no Ridge Choctaw E coloque-os na água barrenta da Ponte Tallahatchie. Ode To Billie Joe 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 blackeyed 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 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 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" And 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
Great to see footage of the 1974 era however I never enjoyed Joni Mitchell's LA Express inspired of "Rainy Night House". In 1974 Joni Mitchell certainly had the vocal agility and vocal range. It seemed to have reduced considerably by Hejira (1976). I prefer the dark piano ballad version of "Rainy Night House"
A beautiful, original song and a beautiful, original, creative singer. A rare thing, a lovely song and a moving story in one. Well done Ms Gentry very impressive.
It's the best kind of love song. Love for his son, love for Kate. Intimate, earthy and ultimately humane. I can see Kate McGarrigle's madonna smile, gathering her loved ones close. :)
When i was 15 in 2011, my little brother and I flew out to California from kansas to visit my mom. My grandparents drove all the way there, and the plan was for us to ride back with them. The drive back took 3 days of driving. My grandpa had a burned cd that he played on repeat. The songs were slow paced, old and unfamiliar but I grew to like a couple of them. This song however, was not one of them. I DREADRD this one. Made me feel so car sick, I ironically wanted to jump out of the car. I can't tell you exactly why i revisit this song. My little brother, who I fought with incessantly on that trip, in a ominous twist of fate, committed suicide 2021. I miss him so much.
This is why music makes the world a better place. a song writer and guitarist of UnCommon Merit. Blown Away! bk. (we met as we traveled on 97th St. in NYC both headed to IGS....at Columbia Univ.) Carry On my friend.
