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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 = 3x343x C7 = x32310 D7 = x5453x In the two above live performances she always plays the change to Am7 , but on the original single record she sometimes skips it, and just stays on the D9 to D9/A riff for a few of those lines. I've put those Am7 chords in brackets, so you can choose to play them or not. ************ 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,
I was oD9ut chopping cD9/Aotton, and my brAm7other was bailing D9hay, D9/A D9 D9/A And at diG7nner time we stopped, and walked back to the house to eat, And Momma holD9lered out the back D9/Adoor, (Am7) D9 D9/A D9 D9/A "Y'all re - member ...to wipe your feet!" And then she sG7aid, "I got some news this mornin' ...from Choctaw Ridge, Today, BiD9llie Joe MacAllister jumped C7off the Tallahatchie BD9ridge!D9/A" D9 D9/A
And PoD9ppa said to D9/AMomma, as he pAm7assed around the blackeyed pD9eas, D9/A D9 D9/A "Well, BilD9lie Joe never hD9/Aad a lick of sAm7ense! Pass the biscuiD9ts, D9/ApleaseD9! D9/A "TherG7e'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, Seems like noG7thing ever comes to no good up on Choctaw Ridge, And now BiD9llie Joe MacAllister's jumped oC7ff the Tallahatchie BrD9idge!D9/A D9 D9/A
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,
And, "WG7asn'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, I G7saw him at the sawmill yesterday, up on Choctaw Ridge, And now you tD9ell me Billie Joe's jumped oC7ff the Tallahatchie BrD9idge!D9/A" D9 D9/A
MD9omma said to D9/Ame, "Child, whatAm7's happened to your appD9e - tD9/Aite?&quD9ot; D9/A Why, I've been coD9okin' all D9/Amorning, and you hAm7aven't touched a single D9biteD9/A, D9 D9/A That nG7ice 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, He sG7aid he saw a girl that looked a lot like you up on Choctaw Ridge, And she, and BiD9llie Joe, was throwing somethin' C7off the Tallahatchie BD9ridgD9/Ae!&quoD9t; D9/A
A yD9ear has come and D9/Agone since we Am7heard the news 'bout Billie D9Joe, D9/A D9 D9/A BroD9ther married BD9/Aecky Thompson, they bAm7ought a store in Tupe - D9lo, D9/A D9 D9/A There was a vG7irus 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, And G7me, I spend a lot of time pickin' flowers up on Choctaw Ridge, And drop them iD9nto the muddy water C7off the Tallahatchie BrD9idge! D9/A
| D9/ / D9/A/ / | D9/ / D9/A/ / | D7/ ||