Bobbie Gentry - Ode To Billy Joe

masterpiece is right

you are just repeating the movie. Gentry didn't write the movie. What would be a more likely scenario would be that the narrator broke up with Billie Joe broke up, and she threw away the promise ring. He was diving in to retrieve it, to prove his love to her. She realizes the whole story when she hears it at the dinner table. Now, I am not saying it is the real story, but it fits as well or better then the homo or aborted baby stories.

He jumped and died because an oldman noticed he was drunk and seduced him.After that Billy believed himself to be evil and ruined,could not go on.Hope that helps.Wonder how many times that happens everyday?

Correct. BG said she had nothing in mind about Billy Joe's suicide. She had no idea why she made him jump. She was focusing on the family's indifference and self-centeredness. There were several more verses, but the record producers made her drop them. I would love to hear the original without the strings, just the acoustic guitar and bass. It's a great and haunting song... it stays with you. I'm learning to play it now, just acoustic guitar.

even bobbie gentry doesn't know. That is not the point. The point is that her world has been shattered, and her parents and brother don't even know it. THEY are too busy passing potatoes and talking about rumors to even notice her pain. if you close your eyes, you can feel time stop when this song plays, and feel the heat from the mississippi delta. Time actually reverses.
There was supposed to be another verse, where she acts indifferent to her fathers death....but I don't know where it is.

why did he jump??

Beautuful, haunting song

Very nice and intriguing performance. I was about 10 when the song came out. A local radio station supposedly had a contest for you to guess why Billy Joe jumped off the bridge.

Super bad song and performance! Thanks

An absolute masterpiece.