Bobbie Gentry - Ode to Billy Joe Chords
Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow.
[Opening]
[D7]
[D7]It was the third of June, another [Am7]sleepy, dusty, delta [D7]day
[D7]I was out chopping cotton, and my [Am7]brother was bailing [D7]hay,
And at [G7]dinner time we stopped and walked back to the house to eat.
And Momma [D7]hollered out the back door “Y’all re member to wipe your feet!”
And then she [G7]said, I got some news this mornin from Choctaw Ridge
Today [D7]Billie Joe MacAllister jumped [C7]off the Tallahatchie [D7]Bridge.
[verse 2]
[D7]And Poppa said to Momma as he [Am7]passed around the blackeyed [D7]peas
[D7]Well Billie Joe never had a lick of sense [Am7]pass the biscuits [D7]please
“[G7]There’s five more acres in the lower forty I got to plow.
And Momma [D7]said it was shame about Billie Joe anyhow,
Seems like [G7]nothing ever comes to no good up on Choctaw Ridge.
And now [D7]Billie Joe McAllister jumped [C7]off the Tallahatchie [D7]Bridge.
[verse 3]
[D7]And Brother said he recollected [Am7]when he and Tom, and Billie [D7]Joe
[D7]Put a frog down my back at the [Am7]Carroll County Picture [D7]Show
[G7]And, “Wasn’t I talking to him after church, last Sunday night.
[D7]I’ll have another piece of apple pie, you know, it don’t seem right.
I [G7]saw him at the sawmill yesterday up on Choctaw Ridge.
And now you [D7]tell me Billie Joe’s jumped [C7]off the Tallahatchie [D7]Bridge.
[verse 4]
[D7]Momma said to me “Child what’s [Am7]happened to your appe[D7]tite?
[D7]Why, I’ve been cooking all morning, and you [Am7]haven’t touched a single [D7]bite.
[G7]That nice young preacher Brother Taylor dropped by today.
[D7]Said he’d be pleased to have dinner on Sunday, [D7]oh, by the way.
[G7]He said he saw a girl that looked a lot like you up on Choctaw Ridge.
And she and [D7]Billie Joe was throwing [C7]something off the Tallahatchie [D7]Bridge.”
[Closing]
[D7]A year has come and gone since we [Am7]heard the news bout Billie [D7]Joe
[D7]Brother married Becky Thompson they [Am7]bought a store in Tupe[D7]lo,
[G7]There was a virus going round Poppa caught it and he died last Spring.
And now [D7]Momma doesn’t seem to wanna do much of anything
And [G7]me, I spend a lot of time pickin flowers up on Choctaw Ridge.
And drop them [D7]into the muddy water [C7]off the Tallahatchie [D7]Bridge. [D7]
How to play Ode to Billy Joe on Guitar (Step-by-step)
Bobbie Gentry - Ode to Billy Joe on guitar requires 4 chords and 3 core chord transitions. You can find the full step-by-step guide below. Before you start, tune your instrument. The song uses the ↓-↓↑-↑↓↑ pattern; practice it muted first, or simplify to downstrokes while you learn the changes.
Ode to Billy Joe uses these transitions most often: Am7 → D7 (10), D7 → Am7 (10), and D7 → G7 (10). These transitions may feel a little challenging at first, but with steady practice you can play this song quickly.When you are ready, begin with D7 - Am7 chord transition.
1. D7 → Am7 chord transition
To move from D7 to Am7;
- While playing D7, lift your ring finger from E string fret 2.
- Keep index finger on B string fret 1.
- Lift your middle finger from G string fret 2 and place it on D string fret 2.
2. D7 → G7 chord transition
To move from D7 to G7;
- Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
- Slide your ring finger on E string from fret 2 to fret 1.
3. D7 → C7 chord transition
To move from D7 to C7;
- Keep index finger on B string fret 1.
- Lift your middle finger from G string fret 2 and place it on D string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger from E string fret 2 to A string fret 3.
- Place pinky on G string fret 3.
Ode to Billy Joe chord transition analysis
A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Ode to Billy Joe.
- Ode to Billy Joe includes 50 chord transitions, 3 of them unique.
- These transitions represent 0.01% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
- These transition patterns show how Ode to Billy Joe connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.After D7, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (51%), G7 (18%), and C (6%).
- D7 → G7: 18%
- D7 → C7: 1%
After Am7, the most likely next chords across Chordier are D7 (16%), D (16%), and G (11%).- Am7 → D7: 16%