Artist: Bobbie Gentry Song: Ode to Billie Joe Tabbed by: DJ 12th May 2014 Played fingerstyle, the thumb picking the bass note of the chords before an upstoke with the other fingers, keeping the rhythm clipped, and syncopated. You can see the style well in these live videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaRacIzZSPo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tR97ITFD76M These are the chord shapes Bobbie used - D9 = x54530 D9/A = 5x4530 Am7 = 505550 G7 = 3x303x C7 = x32310 D7 = x5453x In these live performances she always plays the Am7, but on the original single she sometimes skips it, and just stays on the D9 for some of the lines. I've put those chords in brackets. ************************************************************************************ D9 D9/A D9 D9/A e |------0---0------0---0---|------0---0------0---0---| [Repeat] B |------3---3------3---3---|------3---3------3---3---| G |------5---5------5---5---|------5---5------5---5---| D |------4------------------|------4------------------| A |---5---------------------|---5---------------------| E |--------------5----5-----|--------------5----5-----| D9 D9/A (Am7) D9 D9/A D9 D9/A It was the third of June, another sleepy, dusty, Delta day, D9 D9/A Am7 D9 D9/A D9 D9/A I was out chopping cotton, and my brother was bailing hay, G7 And at dinner time we stopped, and walked back to the house to eat, D9 D9/A And Momma hollered out the back door, (Am7) D9 D9/A D9 D9/A "Y'all re - member ...to wipe your feet!" G7 And then she said, "I got some news this mornin' ...from Choctaw Ridge, D9 C7 D9 D9/A D9 D9/A Today, Billie Joe MacAllister jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge!" D9 D9/A Am7 D9 D9/A D9 D9/A And Poppa said to Momma, as he passed around the blackeyed peas, D9 D9/A Am7 D9 D9/A D9 D9/A "Well, Billie Joe never had a lick of sense! Pass the biscuits, please! G7 "There's five more acres in the lower forty ...I got to plow!" D9 D9/A (Am7) D9 D9/A D9 D9/A And Momma said it was shame ...a - bout Billie Joe any - how, G7 Seems like nothing ever comes to no good up on Choctaw Ridge, D9 C7 D9 D9/A D9 D9/A And now Billie Joe MacAllister's jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge! D9 D9/A (Am7) D9 D9/A D9 D9/A Brother said he recollected ....when he, and Tom, and Billie Joe, D9 D9/A (Am7) D9 D9/A D9 D9/A Put a frog down my back at the Carroll County Picture Show, G7 And, "Wasn't I talkin' to him after church, last Sunday night? D9 D9/A (Am7) D9 D9/A D9 D9/A I'll have a - nother piece of apple pie! You know, it don't seem right, G7 I saw him at the sawmill yesterday, up on Choctaw Ridge, D9 C7 D9 D9/A D9 D9/A And now you tell me Billie Joe's jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge!" D9 D9/A Am7 D9 D9/A D9 D9/A Momma said to me, "Child, what's happened to your appe - tite?" D9 D9/A Am7 D9 D9/A D9 D9/A Why, I've been cookin' all morning, and you haven't touched a single bite, G7 That nice young preacher, Brother Taylor, dropped by today, D9 D9/A (Am7) D9 D9/A D9 D9/A Said he'd be pleased to have dinner on Sunday! Oh, by the way, G7 He said he saw a girl that looked a lot like you up on Choctaw Ridge, D9 C7 D9 D9/A D9 D9/A And she, and Billie Joe, was throwing somethin' off the Tallahatchie Bridge!" D9 D9/A Am7 D9 D9/A D9 D9/A A year has come and gone since we heard the news 'bout Billie Joe, D9 D9/A Am7 D9 D9/A D9 D9/A Brother married Becky Thompson, they bought a store in Tupe - lo, G7 There was a virus going 'round, Poppa caught it, and he died last Spring, D9 D9/A (Am7) D9 D9/A D9 D9/A And now Momma doesn't seem to wanna do much ...of any - thing, G7 And me, I spend a lot of time pickin' flowers up on Choctaw Ridge, D9 C7 D9 D9/A And drop them into the muddy water off the Tallahatchie Bridge! D9 D9/A D9 D9/A D7 | / / / / | / / / / | / ||
