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Polo My Man… You need to check out Funeral Pyre by The Jam my Friend 💯 A Three piece English Mod Band who I believe You’ll dig Brotherman 🕺👌🏻 Peace out geeza ❤️
Bobby Gentry is the first American woman to write, produce, and sing her own music. She also wrote, produced and sang "Fancy". Reba McEntire also had a hit with Fancy.
@@savinghistory642 Well, I wouldn't go that far. Reba did put her own spin in her crossover version song, but that can be expected. I'm sure Bobby approved of Reba's rendition.
Reba totally screwed up that whole story from the way Bobby Gentry meant the story to be..a total misinterpretation of the theme. It was disrespectful of the story and Bobby.
I was singing along with her. I'm 70 and still to this day , it's one of my favorites. It's so haunting and her story and voice makes this perfection.💋‼️
Bobbie Gentey said the song was about casual cruelty that they could talk about someone taking their own life while talking about the mundane facts of life with little emotional impact. As others have mentioned this was also a Southern Gothic song. I like your comparison of it to a clean version of a Black blues song. I love how in the lyrics she captures the dialogue and cadence of southern life in such a way that you feel as if you were actually there as this tragedy unfolded.
This makes great sense to me. Mildly confused by his action but no emotion - pass the peas. I also like another’s suggestion here that she’d turned down his proposal and it all fits. Great track all around.
Yeah and the movie was dumb as hell, they were pushing their gay agenda. The song was about her and Billy had a baby without anyone knowing, and they threw it off the bridge and he couldn't handle the guilt.
I am a middle aged black woman. I played this song on a 45. I think this song & Harper Valley PTA were the first country songs that I learned the words to.
it a cool song... hanuting and deliously sultry... and its one that you got to hear again and again... just like having another slice of apple pie................ thank you for sharing
I read that she never intended for people to get caught up in what they threw off the bridge. The song is about “casual cruelty,” her family’s indifference to her relationship with Billy Joe, clueless about the fact that she has no appetite, but just going on talking about mundane things.
I always assumed it was about teen pregnancy. She and Billy Joe threw the unwanted baby off the bridge, then it was too much for him, and he jumped too.
@@redsox3459 That's dark! No, it occurred to me that her and Billy Joe were throwing flowers off the bridge. At the end of the song she spends a lot of time picking flowers and throwing them off the bridge because that's what she enjoyed doing with Billy Joe.
in the movie based on the song, billy joe killed himself because he admitted that he performed oral sex on another man after he'd been out drinking, and when the girl said it wasn't on purpose, he didn't know what he was doing so it would be okay, he said no, he enjoyed it...then he couldn't live with how his family and the townsfolk would react so he suicided...she threw flowers off the bridge because thats what they used to do to pass the time
@@anniemysweet2085 The individual that came up with that storyline is an idiot. That's far too dirty and unrealistic for the times, and it doesn't come close to fitting into the sadness of his act and the story of a heartbroken young couple. Nobody would have written about something that was considered unholy and very adverse to acceptable societal standards at the time. It's a fictional story that could have included any of a hundred different storylines. Nobody would have even considered that particular subject matter in those days. Any mention of homosexual activity was taboo in those days, it was considered by virtually everyone as too filthy to talk about and against the will of God. It's a ridiculous premise as well; his girlfriend making an excuse for him after he admits a homosexual encounter, he rejects her excuse, as if a man in that situation wouldn't hope for her to accept and forget. It's so ridiculous that it's not believable.
I'm 76 years old. When I was younger I loved this song. Her voice is fantastic. The music and song still give me goosebumps. Thanks for playing it. Everyone of the songs she wrote were fantastic. There was not a single one that bombed. Very talented.
76 here, too, and I remember well the first time I heard this. I was driving to work on 3rd shift, and I had to wait in the car until it was over - Instant fan! I've loved every recording I've ever been able to find by her.
One of the most atmospheric songs ever written or performed. You can almost feel the heat and humidity of the delta summer. And of course, the lyrics about the casualness of the family talking about the death and their obliviousness to the pain of the daughter who's telling the story. The haunting way she plays the guitar. A one-of-a-kind classic.
My father was a tv news anchor & reporter, we got to see Bobbie Gentry from backstage. We were also backstage when she brought Glenn Campbell out for an introduction performance. It was a great show. She was a very sweet woman...❤❤
Bobby Gentry is an American singer-songwriter who was one of the first female artists to compose & produce her own material. A lot of her songs were stories. Her biggest hit was in 1967 with "Ode To Billy Joe". Other hits she wrote & recorded were "Mississippi Delta" & "Fancy". She also had hits with "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head", "I'll Never Fall In Love Again", "Sunday Mornin" (with Glen Campbell) etc.
A renaissance woman if ever there was one. Writer, poet, singer/ songwriter, producer, fashionista, trendsetter. She made fat stacks in music, invested it and became a multi-millionaire. What a woman ❤
It was a story that actually happened in her neck of the woods. She never revealed much more. But song was muched talked about. She was good relaying it in song She lived in same area not far from where Elvis was born and raised They were great friends.
I remember Bobby Gentry very well. She was a unique singer and personality. A beautiful young woman who was a brave rebel with a cause in her day as a musician. ♥️
With this classic song, Bobbie Gentry became the first white woman to have a self penned top ten r&b hit. It charted #1 pop(4 weeks ). #5 adult contemporary, #17 country and #8 r&b. To date 260 covers and adaptations and 50 million in sales. Later in 1967, King Curtis and the Kingpins took their instrumental of this song to #26 pop and #6 r&b. Out of the 260 covers, two thirds are by r&b and jazz artists. Check out her other Southern Gothic Classic song, Fancy,( Whitney Houston's mom Cissy Houston is the backup singer) and check out master jazz pianist, Bill Evans, instrumental cover of her song Mornin' Glory. Bobbie Gentry's influences included Billie Holiday and she was most comfortable labeling herself as a blues singer.
I was born in 69, and I remember hearing this song for the first time when I was about 5. The music of my childhood was Motown and Janis Joplin, but I when I heard this, it opened me up to another world of music altogether. It felt... sacred? I soon after found a Mississippi Blues collection on vinyl at the thrift store and would lay on the floor, head between the stereo speakers, being transported. Charlie Booker, Honeyboy Edwards, Elmore James... she's definitely in that lineage, I think. Beautiful. Thanks for the memories.
This song was written and sung by the beautiful and talented Bobbie Gentry.Later a screen play was written for a movie, by the same name, based on the song.
Thanks for your reaction. Back in the 60's we women understood the song to be about an illegitimate baby and the young couple's secret relationship ending in tragedy. Perhaps others interpret it differently, that's just what we thought at the time.
Agree. Narrator female. Protagonist female. Has to be a baby. Mother's depression re hubby's death comments on Billy Jo's depression=suicide re loss of the premature baby.
I agree, it's what I believed from the beginning. In my mind, she managed to hide her pregnancy, and Billy Joe could not cope with the realization that they did the baby in by throwing it off the bridge. But I also agree with others that her family were absolutely clueless, never asking her more about what was wrong. That being said, Polo, you Really did need to dig into the lyrics.....
Bobbie Gentry just dropped off the grid a few years after this massive song. Many people have wondered why? Apparently it was all by choice. She wrote a few hits for other artists and quietly departed. What a great song she left us.
What was thrown off the bridge she has always been mysterious about and has never revealed it. I would recommend the movie, starring Robby Benson. It goes in a direction you'd never expect in the 70's.
@dougww1ectebow seriously did you like the movie ? How do you rate it 1-10 ? I've listened to that song since I was in kindergarten and always wanted to know the secret and they come up with that.... Sorry ! Just my opinion
@@connieleighton4375 Today the movie is somewhat dated I suppose but at the time it was unexpected. It wasn't what I expected from the song and probably departs from the obvious mistery contained in the song. I would give it an 8 at the time.
@@dougww1ectebowI’m with you. I give it an 8, Or maybe even a 9. Nothing was touching the subject Matter in those days. It’s always ba favorite movie of mine. The song on the other hand is an 11 out of 10. I truly love the unanswered mysteries. Considering people still don’t know the truth about the story and still question it, makes the whole story even better. Bobbie Gentry is a phenomenal talent as an artist and a flawless songwriter. Fancy is just as flawless. So underrated today!
I don’t remember my dad and mom ever talking to us when we were kids. Talking at us and around us, yeah. But we were always listening and we knew more about the grownups than they ever knew about us. Looking back my childhood was the most complicated time I have ever lived through.
This song came out when I was in grade school. It was a huge hit. It was a profound song then and here we are almost 60 years later and it still just as powerful as it was then. A true enduring classic. I love that new generations of listeners are getting to experience it.
As a kid back in 1967 (I'm 68 now) I remember this was not only getting airplay on the country western radio stations, but also on the soft Rock and Pop stations as well. It really took off, after her appearance on The Ed Sullivan Variety Show (every Sunday night from 8pm to 9pm). The story of the song was as intriguing as the music. Was it a suicide, murder, or what exactly happened on the Bridge? Everyone was talking about it at school on Monday morning, after she sang this on Ed Sullivan, the night before. Life was different in the 1960s, and TV especially. There were only the three Network channels to watch in the whole country. No cable, or satellite, just ABC,NBC, and CBS. So everyone usually watched, what everyone else watched. I kind of miss those days of my childhood.
We're the same age and I agree everyone was talking about the song and wondering WHO she was. But just to be clear, the song was released in July and she didn't appear on the Sullivan show until December, so it had already hit #1 on the Billboard charts ... I think the Sullivan show just boosted her career and it gave people a chance to see her because people were speculating about what she looked like and whether she was black or white.
She was also a swimsuit model as she was performing in the 1960's in L.A. before she got her record deal. Intelligent, beauty, and a killer body! Around 1981/1982 she went into hiding, and has performed or has been seen much. I believe she has a son, and did see a photo of her from maybe 20 years ago, and she looked very classy!!
Bobbie is a great singer songwriter and performer. she to me sets the standards of quality. She is a master storyteller. I love her voice. She's got it all!
Music back then wasn’t stratified the way it is now. Radio played a wide variety of music and we listened to all of it… and then in the 80s live DJ’s with taste and opinions were replaced with prerecorded sets for target markets. Video didn’t kill the radio, national corporate marketing did. 😢
She *wrote* as well performing this small masterpiece. It won her 3 Grammies and kicked 2 Beatles hits off the charts in 1967. Bobbie Gentry is the genius you never heard of.
I'm 70. Can hardly listen to this without some tears. It was a sad song and her voice really brought that across. It had to do with what they threw off the bridge. Loved her song "Fancy" too. She should have gone further than she did with her music. It was sad that we never heard anymore songs by her.
Song came out in the summer of 67. I was a 20 year old jr. in college, it played over and over on AM top 40 radio that summer and fall, usually sandwiched in between the Beatles and The Monkees. Never get tired of hearing it.
I remember this from my childhood and of course was the age to make fun of eyelashes that are now back and loved your comments about her dress...demeanor...and presence. Love seeing this video too with older eyes.
“Ode to Billie Joe” is a hauntingly beautiful song written by American singer-songwriter Bobbie Gentry. It was released by Capitol Records in July 1967. The song tells the story of a family living in a rural town in Mississippi and revolves around the mysterious suicide of a young man named Billie Joe MacAllister. The song’s narrative is performed over sparse acoustic guitar accompaniment with strings in the background. It leaves its audience intrigued as to what the narrator and Billie Joe threw off the Tallahatchie Bridge. Gentry later clarified that she intended the song to portray the family’s indifference to the suicide in what she deemed “a study in unconscious cruelty,” while she remarked that the object thrown was not relevant to the message. The song received widespread attention and has been recognized as one of the greatest songs of all time1. In 2023, it was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry1. 🎶🌟
I was waiting for you to get to this track which I knew would happen. You will never tire of this song it only gets better. It's just that good. Stripped down to only what was needed leaving nothing but meat. So Simple it ends up being complex.
Nobody captured Southern Gothic the way Bobby did. She said this song was about “ casual Cruelty”. Her song “ Fancy” is phenomenal- best performed by Reba McIntyre in a great official video. She wrote Ode to Billy Joe too. Also- Son of a Preacher Man! ❤
Bobbie did a great cover version of 'Son of a preacher man', but it was John Hurley and Ronnie Wilkins who wrote it. It was first a hit for Dusty Springfield in 1968, and the next year Aretha Franklin and Bobbie Gentry did their own versions.
@@MeanMistreater-zq3rl I agree, but what I think makes the comparison cool is that it demonstrates how a singer using the same words, meter, notes, etc can create a performance that alters the story in subtle (or not so subtle) ways. It's a validation of great songwriting, and it's a validation of the craft of vocal artistry.
It’s storytelling set to music. If it’s good, you can visualize the story as it unfolds. If it’s powerful, you become a part of the story, watching it beside the singer. Bobby Gentry was an amazing storyteller. Every word precisely painted the canvas of an unforgettable bridge and 2 kids with a haunting secret.
I hadn't heard this since it was released and when I was in high school. Thank you for your reaction. I experienced a new appreciation for this classic.
Back in those days a baby being born and the mother not married was a big deal so it was hidden! There was always a lot of talk about this song and about what Billie Joe and a girl throwing off the bridge and then him jumping off the bridge! The song has always had an Erie feeling about it! Great reaction!
Yep, Bobby Gentry was some kind of amazing for sure. Among everything already mentioned, I believe she was also the first woman to write her own music, lyrics, and produce her own music as well. Witch was a hell of a thing in that era.
72 yrs old here. I haven’t heard this song in ages, but sang every word with her. That tells you something about her performance then and now. I cried the first time I heard it and misted up now. Thanks for the memory!
The song is haunting. It can make you stop what you were doing and drift into this odd musical story. When it's over, there is no sense of comfort or even satisfaction, just the realization you've been standing in one place for several minutes looking at a spot on the wall. " Mabey, if I play it one more time...
I really don't think you understand whose company you were just in. That was not just a singer, songwriter, musician, classy dresser, performer... She is a teacher. She is a true artistic mind. She is a philosopher. She's a woman. An unusual woman that overcame and never stopped. Not because of greed and drive for power and money. She is a teacher. When she performs that song, you are in her kitchen breaking bread with her family around the table. You understood. You understood a powerful message and moral. So powerful that you became immediately lost in it. And you literally took something away from it. Something that you will never forget. ✌🏼❤️🙏🏼😎
Consider when this song was released. What was considered acceptable material and a how far women had come by that time. It was groundbreaking. We youngsters wondered what they threw off that bridge, and why she jumped. We were a bit too innocent (kinda like thinking Mick couldn’t get “no satisfaction” with society’s treatment of young people). Such a sophisticated piece of musical storytelling wrapped in a low down country soap opera. The tale underscored by the the simplicity of the lyric, melody and the guitar accompaniment builds toward the epilogue leaving the listener with no doubts as to what “happened.” Bravo Polo for choosing to do a pop single from the mid 1960’s.
Thanks for watching. Most of my requests come from here and I also read the comments below. To support the show here www.patreon.com/poloreacts or show your love for the channel by buying me a coffee using this link www.buymeacoffee.com/poloreacts
Polo My Man… You need to check out Funeral Pyre by The Jam my Friend 💯 A Three piece English Mod Band who I believe You’ll dig Brotherman 🕺👌🏻 Peace out geeza ❤️
Her song I saw an angel die is so good as well.
Bobbie Gentry was also the original singer of the song named fancy everybody thinks it's a Reba McEntire song but it's not it's just a cover
Ian Hunter Man Overboard
Mr. Polo, really liked your take on this. It always reminded me of an old blues song.
Bobby Gentry is the first American woman to write, produce, and sing her own music. She also wrote, produced and sang "Fancy". Reba McEntire also had a hit with Fancy.
bobby did it better. reba sounded like a cat with its tail caught under a rocking chair.
@@savinghistory642 Well, I wouldn't go that far. Reba did put her own spin in her crossover version song, but that can be expected. I'm sure Bobby approved of Reba's rendition.
I don’t remember her version of Fancy, I remember Lynn Anderson’s version though. Grew up on this type of country music.
I had forgotten that Lynn Anderson recorded that song!
Reba totally screwed up that whole story from the way Bobby Gentry meant the story to be..a total misinterpretation of the theme.
It was disrespectful of the story and Bobby.
Bobby Gentry is 81 years old now . Great song .
and still a mystery
@@dianayount2122 Very true .
Actually, she has passed away. Quietly surrounded by family.
@@Sue-zf5uu Aww I did not know that .xx
@@Sue-zf5uu She did NOT.
She's definitely a storyteller. Some singers are so good at this. This one is atmospheric. You can feel the vibes of a family living in a small town.
Corb Lund. Shine up my Boots. Or we don't ride them anymore.
The best!
She wrote it!!!
I was singing along with her. I'm 70 and still to this day , it's one of my favorites. It's so haunting and her story and voice makes this perfection.💋‼️
I am 70 too. I really think I like the song even more now than I did when it first came out.
Same here, 70 and still know all of the words.
Same here. Still remember the words too
I am only 64 lol but I have this on 8 track and 45
Same
Bobbie Gentey said the song was about casual cruelty that they could talk about someone taking their own life while talking about the mundane facts of life with little emotional impact. As others have mentioned this was also a Southern Gothic song. I like your comparison of it to a clean version of a Black blues song. I love how in the lyrics she captures the dialogue and cadence of southern life in such a way that you feel as if you were actually there as this tragedy unfolded.
I remember reading that. Now, looking back, I realize that she was brilliant!
it also reminds me of Flannery OConnor's short stories..it is probably my favorite lyric
This makes great sense to me. Mildly confused by his action but no emotion - pass the peas. I also like another’s suggestion here that she’d turned down his proposal and it all fits. Great track all around.
She was absolutely an icon.🙏
Not to take away from the hypnotic voice of Ms Gentry.. wondering if you ever heard AT LAST by Etta James. She's right up your ally.
When a singer can make you see what she’s singing, that’s true talent. Always loved this song. They actually made a movie from the song.
Great movie with a great cast
Yeah and the movie was dumb as hell, they were pushing their gay agenda. The song was about her and Billy had a baby without anyone knowing, and they threw it off the bridge and he couldn't handle the guilt.
@@HollyMacNaughton actually she's already debunked what you've heard. Watch her interviews
❤Billy Joel.....
Diana, very good point. The ability of an artist to create a visual in the listeners mind is a rare gift.
I am a middle aged black woman. I played this song on a 45. I think this song & Harper Valley PTA were the first country songs that I learned the words to.
Same tune but changed the words.
Harper Valley is also great!
Jeanie C. Riley. I think the songwriter was Tom T. Hall.
it a cool song... hanuting and deliously sultry... and its one that you got to hear again and again... just like having another slice of apple pie................ thank you for sharing
RIGHT ON!
I read that she never intended for people to get caught up in what they threw off the bridge. The song is about “casual cruelty,” her family’s indifference to her relationship with Billy Joe, clueless about the fact that she has no appetite, but just going on talking about mundane things.
We discussed this in class in the 8th grade. The clueless talk about Billy Joe's death echoed in her reaction to Mama's grief.
I always assumed it was about teen pregnancy. She and Billy Joe threw the unwanted baby off the bridge, then it was too much for him, and he jumped too.
@@redsox3459 That's dark! No, it occurred to me that her and Billy Joe were throwing flowers off the bridge. At the end of the song she spends a lot of time picking flowers and throwing them off the bridge because that's what she enjoyed doing with Billy Joe.
in the movie based on the song, billy joe killed himself because he admitted that he performed oral sex on another man after he'd been out drinking, and when the girl said it wasn't on purpose, he didn't know what he was doing so it would be okay, he said no, he enjoyed it...then he couldn't live with how his family and the townsfolk would react so he suicided...she threw flowers off the bridge because thats what they used to do to pass the time
@@anniemysweet2085 The individual that came up with that storyline is an idiot. That's far too dirty and unrealistic for the times, and it doesn't come close to fitting into the sadness of his act and the story of a heartbroken young couple. Nobody would have written about something that was considered unholy and very adverse to acceptable societal standards at the time. It's a fictional story that could have included any of a hundred different storylines. Nobody would have even considered that particular subject matter in those days.
Any mention of homosexual activity was taboo in those days, it was considered by virtually everyone as too filthy to talk about and against the will of God. It's a ridiculous premise as well; his girlfriend making an excuse for him after he admits a homosexual encounter, he rejects her excuse, as if a man in that situation wouldn't hope for her to accept and forget. It's so ridiculous that it's not believable.
People forget ...she wrote Fancy too, and sang it beautifully
Fancy was the second 45 record I bought when I was a kid!
I'm 76 years old. When I was younger I loved this song. Her voice is fantastic. The music and song still give me goosebumps. Thanks for playing it. Everyone of the songs she wrote were fantastic. There was not a single one that bombed. Very talented.
And she's beautiful
Yes this song was on the radio when we were kids in the early 1970s. Old time music.
I heard it when I was a young teenager, I understood it’s meaning and it made me cry, it still does.
76 here, too, and I remember well the first time I heard this. I was driving to work on 3rd shift, and I had to wait in the car until it was over - Instant fan! I've loved every recording I've ever been able to find by her.
@@davidanon1568I had the 45 record.
Bobbie Gentry was very young and this song gives me shivers. This and Son of a Preacher Man are wonderful songs.
I never tire of this song. Haunting and so beautifully performed.
I'm old enough to remember when this song was a hit. Even as a child, this song gave me the chills.
63 y/o here. I sang every word of the song with Bobby. Thank you for taking me back in time.
She wrote, arranged and produced her recording of this song and others. This is an original song...
Bobbie Gentry wrote it.
She wrote Son of a Preacher Man.
She wrote Fancy, which Reba covered.
She didn't write Son of a Preacher Man, she just covered it. But I do like her version better than the Dusty version.
One of the most atmospheric songs ever written or performed. You can almost feel the heat and humidity of the delta summer. And of course, the lyrics about the casualness of the family talking about the death and their obliviousness to the pain of the daughter who's telling the story. The haunting way she plays the guitar. A one-of-a-kind classic.
Jimmie Haskell's arrangement is a HUGE part of the atmosphere. He 'got it', 100%.
Southern Gothic. If Joyce Carol Oates wrote a song ...this would be it.
Singer, songwriter, producer, performer.....and she ain't hard to look at either. 😊❤
My father was a tv news anchor & reporter, we got to see Bobbie Gentry from backstage. We were also backstage when she brought Glenn Campbell out for an introduction performance. It was a great show. She was a very sweet woman...❤❤
The country music isn’t really country. This is what country music was all about. It tells a story.
It isn't country. It's DEEP SOUTH
and what a great story it is
If you Play country music backwards you get your wife back, your dog back hey you may even get Billy Joe back.
Bobby Gentry is an American singer-songwriter who was one of the first female artists to compose & produce her own material. A lot of her songs were stories. Her biggest hit was in 1967 with "Ode To Billy Joe". Other hits she wrote & recorded were "Mississippi Delta" & "Fancy". She also had hits with "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head", "I'll Never Fall In Love Again", "Sunday Mornin" (with Glen Campbell) etc.
I didn't know she wrote all these great songs!!
She actually recorded Fancy long before Reba.
Thanks! I'll go listen! I love her voice and this haunting song!
"Raindrops" and "Ill Never Fall in Love" wwere written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David.
A renaissance woman if ever there was one. Writer, poet, singer/ songwriter, producer, fashionista, trendsetter. She made fat stacks in music, invested it and became a multi-millionaire.
What a woman ❤
This is live. No auto tune. Just Talent. That is missing in 2024. There is a treasure chest full of classic music . 60s, 70s,80s.
🎶🌎✨️
Seems there's a lot missing in 2024😭
It was a story that actually happened in her neck of the woods. She never revealed much more. But song was muched talked about. She was good relaying it in song She lived in same area not far from where Elvis was born and raised They were great friends.
I'm from Tupelo, Elvis's hometown. Mother, now 95 years old, remembers something about this story, but never told us, the details about what she knew.
@@tupelohoney622 You MUST ask her and then post it here!
This is untrue.
@@tupelohoney622be surprised how a many story travelled back then.
"Great friends"? Could you elaborate on that?
I remember Bobby Gentry very well. She was a unique singer and personality. A beautiful young woman who was a brave rebel with a cause in her day as a musician. ♥️
She is still alive.
I loved this song as far back as I remember.
It's been giving me goosebumps for decades
Indeed ❤
Probably the most under-rated song of all time. What a master piece of excellence.
I think of this every time we go to the Delta and cross over the Tallahatchie bridge….👍👍
I'm 68 years old. I love this song; it brings back a lot of Summer memories. Chills, for sure.
With this classic song, Bobbie Gentry became the first white woman to have a self penned top ten r&b hit. It charted #1 pop(4 weeks ). #5 adult contemporary, #17 country and #8 r&b. To date 260 covers and adaptations and 50 million in sales. Later in 1967, King Curtis and the Kingpins took their instrumental of this song to #26 pop and #6 r&b. Out of the 260 covers, two thirds are by r&b and jazz artists. Check out her other Southern Gothic Classic song, Fancy,( Whitney Houston's mom Cissy Houston is the backup singer) and check out master jazz pianist, Bill Evans, instrumental cover of her song Mornin' Glory. Bobbie Gentry's influences included Billie Holiday and she was most comfortable labeling herself as a blues singer.
This song always transported me to where she was singing about, when I was a kid. I can taste the corn bread and beans!!
The original Preacer's son from Dusty Springfield will groove you more than any song with preacher in it should!
I was born in 69, and I remember hearing this song for the first time when I was about 5. The music of my childhood was Motown and Janis Joplin, but I when I heard this, it opened me up to another world of music altogether. It felt... sacred? I soon after found a Mississippi Blues collection on vinyl at the thrift store and would lay on the floor, head between the stereo speakers, being transported. Charlie Booker, Honeyboy Edwards, Elmore James... she's definitely in that lineage, I think. Beautiful. Thanks for the memories.
This song was written and sung by the beautiful and talented Bobbie Gentry.Later a screen play was written for a movie, by the same name, based on the song.
There was a book too.
She was just amazing! She went on to a get PhD in philosophy
Thanks for your reaction. Back in the 60's we women understood the song to be about an illegitimate baby and the young couple's secret relationship ending in tragedy. Perhaps others interpret it differently, that's just what we thought at the time.
Agree. Narrator female. Protagonist female. Has to be a baby. Mother's depression re hubby's death comments on Billy Jo's depression=suicide re loss of the premature baby.
Yes we did. ❤
I'd say a reaction that doesn't mention one thing about the lyrics to a great story song is a fail.
I agree, it's what I believed from the beginning.
In my mind, she managed to hide her pregnancy, and Billy Joe could not cope with the realization that they did the baby in by throwing it off the bridge. But I also agree with others that her family were absolutely clueless, never asking her more about what was wrong.
That being said, Polo, you Really did need to dig into the lyrics.....
I understood the song to interpret a midterm still born fetus was dropped from the bridge.
Bobbie Gentry just dropped off the grid a few years after this massive song. Many people have wondered why? Apparently it was all by choice. She wrote a few hits for other artists and quietly departed. What a great song she left us.
She made a fortune in real estate.
Yeah. She lives a quiet life from what I've read. Good for her.
What was thrown off the bridge she has always been mysterious about and has never revealed it. I would recommend the movie, starring Robby Benson. It goes in a direction you'd never expect in the 70's.
The movie sucked and nobody should watch it
@@connieleighton4375 Thanks for your input Karen.
@dougww1ectebow seriously did you like the movie ? How do you rate it 1-10 ? I've listened to that song since I was in kindergarten and always wanted to know the secret and they come up with that....
Sorry ! Just my opinion
@@connieleighton4375 Today the movie is somewhat dated I suppose but at the time it was unexpected. It wasn't what I expected from the song and probably departs from the obvious mistery contained in the song. I would give it an 8 at the time.
@@dougww1ectebowI’m with you. I give it an 8, Or maybe even a 9. Nothing was touching the subject Matter in those days. It’s always ba favorite movie of mine. The song on the other hand is an 11 out of 10. I truly love the unanswered mysteries. Considering people still don’t know the truth about the story and still question it, makes the whole story even better. Bobbie Gentry is a phenomenal talent as an artist and a flawless songwriter.
Fancy is just as flawless. So underrated today!
such a haunting classic! ♥
I don’t remember my dad and mom ever talking to us when we were kids. Talking at us and around us, yeah. But we were always listening and we knew more about the grownups than they ever knew about us.
Looking back my childhood was the most complicated time I have ever lived through.
We were always in the back round… listening…your comment brought a smile to my face…❤
As a Rocker, I had the utmost respect for this woman & Loved this beautiful story.❤😊
A song you do not forget.
If you dont get emotional listening to this song, then you aint human.
This song came out when I was in grade school. It was a huge hit. It was a profound song then and here we are almost 60 years later and it still just as powerful as it was then. A true enduring classic. I love that new generations of listeners are getting to experience it.
As a kid back in 1967 (I'm 68 now) I remember this was not only getting airplay on the country western radio stations, but also on the soft Rock and Pop stations as well. It really took off, after her appearance on The Ed Sullivan Variety Show (every Sunday night from 8pm to 9pm). The story of the song was as intriguing as the music. Was it a suicide, murder, or what exactly happened on the Bridge? Everyone was talking about it at school on Monday morning, after she sang this on Ed Sullivan, the night before. Life was different in the 1960s, and TV especially. There were only the three Network channels to watch in the whole country. No cable, or satellite, just ABC,NBC, and CBS. So everyone usually watched, what everyone else watched. I kind of miss those days of my childhood.
Pop culture was a shared experience
We're the same age and I agree everyone was talking about the song and wondering WHO she was. But just to be clear, the song was released in July and she didn't appear on the Sullivan show until December, so it had already hit #1 on the Billboard charts ... I think the Sullivan show just boosted her career and it gave people a chance to see her because people were speculating about what she looked like and whether she was black or white.
Me too
Bobbie Gentry wrote and produced this song.
I remember when this song came out, it got folks attention. I'm 72, a boomer and this was great music!
Polo you need to listen to this song again and again. There is a very deep and disturbing mystery.
Im 59, been hearing it for as long as i remember. Hits harder the older i get.
Yes she is beautiful.
She was also a swimsuit model as she was performing in the 1960's in L.A. before she got her record deal. Intelligent, beauty, and a killer body! Around 1981/1982 she went into hiding, and has performed or has been seen much. I believe she has a son, and did see a photo of her from maybe 20 years ago, and she looked very classy!!
Bobbie is a great singer songwriter and performer. she to me sets the standards of quality. She is a master storyteller. I love her voice. She's got it all!
I also love how well she captured the southern vernacular in the dialog of the characters.
Bobbie Gentry was the first American female who wrote and sang her owns songs while playing the musical instrument.
They made a movie about this song called "Ode to Billie Joe" starring Robbie Benson and Glynnis O'Connor. Great movie.
I also believe that James Best, ( Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrain on Duks Of Hazzard). was a star in the movie.
Yes. I remember it. Hit me hard. ❤
I remember this song, 1967.
A haunting, chilling, but beautiful song from my youth. I'll be 70 this month. You can just feel the oppressive heat.
Yessssss
Very cool song...see we listened to this, Led Zep, Kool and the Gang...ALL of it! Good times...☮️
Music back then wasn’t stratified the way it is now. Radio played a wide variety of music and we listened to all of it… and then in the 80s live DJ’s with taste and opinions were replaced with prerecorded sets for target markets. Video didn’t kill the radio, national corporate marketing did. 😢
The cello is so haunting . . . . just grabs you.
If this gave you chills, consider Alison Krauss performing “Jacob’s Dream”. It will make your blood run cold.
I'm 78,singing every word with her
Still makes me cry, since I was a little girl I’m 61 years old now, and this Song Hits its mark❤
Hearts & souls come in all colors, cuz we're all human beings...
I was about 6 years old when this song came out. I listened to it over and over again.
She *wrote* as well performing this small masterpiece. It won her 3 Grammies and kicked 2 Beatles hits off the charts in 1967. Bobbie Gentry is the genius you never heard of.
This is such a classic blues song that propelled Bobby Gentry as a household figure of Americana.
I'm 70. Can hardly listen to this without some tears. It was a sad song and her voice really brought that across. It had to do with what they threw off the bridge. Loved her song "Fancy" too. She should have gone further than she did with her music. It was sad that we never heard anymore songs by her.
The music business turned her off.
@@deniseadams2899 That makes sense because the music business has done just that with so many people, even people as talented as Bobbie Gentry.
Song came out in the summer of 67. I was a 20 year old jr. in college, it played over and over on AM top 40 radio that summer and fall, usually sandwiched in between the Beatles and The Monkees. Never get tired of hearing it.
I remember this from my childhood and of course was the age to make fun of eyelashes that are now back and loved your comments about her dress...demeanor...and presence. Love seeing this video too with older eyes.
It’s a masterpiece ❤
Grew up listening to these great tunes
This was the #1 song of the year when I graduated high school.
“Ode to Billie Joe” is a hauntingly beautiful song written by American singer-songwriter Bobbie Gentry. It was released by Capitol Records in July 1967. The song tells the story of a family living in a rural town in Mississippi and revolves around the mysterious suicide of a young man named Billie Joe MacAllister. The song’s narrative is performed over sparse acoustic guitar accompaniment with strings in the background. It leaves its audience intrigued as to what the narrator and Billie Joe threw off the Tallahatchie Bridge. Gentry later clarified that she intended the song to portray the family’s indifference to the suicide in what she deemed “a study in unconscious cruelty,” while she remarked that the object thrown was not relevant to the message. The song received widespread attention and has been recognized as one of the greatest songs of all time1. In 2023, it was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry1. 🎶🌟
This is when country was good! I feel like there was less of a separation between genres in he 70's, music ws music!
@@beckymalone2779 YES!! I totally agree with you. You could actually close your eyes and see the story come alive on the rhythm of the music. Sweet.
I loved this song growing up. I’m 73 and enjoyed some great artist, groups and songs fabulous orchestration. The 70’s was a great time in music.
She wrote this song. I guess living in Mississippi gives many songwriters plenty of stories to tell. Blues is one of my favorite genres
Wow hey… wow
Keep it up Polo, I’m 68 and am enjoying all the forgotten music from my childhood and life… 🙌
I was waiting for you to get to this track which I knew would happen.
You will never tire of this song it only gets better.
It's just that good.
Stripped down to only what was needed leaving nothing but meat.
So Simple it ends up being complex.
Well said… you never tire of it , continues to draw you in…
😊😊1970s music and fashion AWESOME
Love Bobbie gentry. I remember when the song came out. Everybody I knew was singing it. Glad you liked it.❤ Great show as usual❤
Still gives me chills and makes me cry.
What a story teller! Discussing horror story material while eating a wholesome meal. Not my first listening but she draws me in every time.
This song still makes my heart weep.....
One of those songs that have stood the test of time. Just as great today as the first time I heard it.
Nobody captured Southern Gothic the way Bobby did. She said this song was about “ casual
Cruelty”.
Her song “ Fancy” is phenomenal- best performed by Reba McIntyre in a great official video.
She wrote Ode to Billy Joe too. Also- Son of a Preacher Man! ❤
Bobbie did a great cover version of 'Son of a preacher man', but it was John Hurley and Ronnie Wilkins who wrote it.
It was first a hit for Dusty Springfield in 1968,
and the next year Aretha Franklin and Bobbie Gentry did their own versions.
@@MrDiddyDee Yes. Thank you.
I think Fancy is best performed by Bobbie, herself. IMO, Reba didn't do it justice.
@@MeanMistreater-zq3rl I agree, but what I think makes the comparison cool is that it demonstrates how a singer using the same words, meter, notes, etc can create a performance that alters the story in subtle (or not so subtle) ways. It's a validation of great songwriting, and it's a validation of the craft of vocal artistry.
She and Glen Campbell did an entire album of duets that is fabulous.
It’s storytelling set to music. If it’s good, you can visualize the story as it unfolds. If it’s powerful, you become a part of the story, watching it beside the singer. Bobby Gentry was an amazing storyteller. Every word precisely painted the canvas of an unforgettable bridge and 2 kids with a haunting secret.
I hadn't heard this since it was released and when I was in high school. Thank you for your reaction. I experienced a new appreciation for this classic.
The song so impressed people that they created a movie about it; it was a heartbreaker!!!
Beautiful song! Great delivery by Bobby Gentry.
Back in those days a baby being born and the mother not married was a big deal so it was hidden! There was always a lot of talk about this song and about what Billie Joe and a girl throwing off the bridge and then him jumping off the bridge! The song has always had an Erie feeling about it! Great reaction!
Story tellers are always the best artist. Telling your own story you are singing from the heart. *****5 STARS*****
I grew up when music was music
Great songs by great artists
I had forgotten just how good that song is. Just great.
Her style attractiveness and delivery outstanding!
Such an atmospheric song and performance. She was very special.
Yep, Bobby Gentry was some kind of amazing for sure. Among everything already mentioned, I believe she was also the first woman to write her
own music, lyrics, and produce her own music as well.
Witch was a hell of a thing in that era.
72 yrs old here. I haven’t heard this song in ages, but sang every word with her. That tells you something about her performance then and now. I cried the first time I heard it and misted up now. Thanks for the memory!
I just googled her. She’s still really beautiful.
The song is haunting. It can make you stop what you were doing and drift into this odd musical story. When it's over, there is no sense of comfort or even satisfaction, just the realization you've been standing in one place for several minutes looking at a spot on the wall. " Mabey, if I play it one more time...
I really don't think you understand whose company you were just in. That was not just a singer, songwriter, musician, classy dresser, performer... She is a teacher. She is a true artistic mind. She is a philosopher. She's a woman. An unusual woman that overcame and never stopped. Not because of greed and drive for power and money. She is a teacher. When she performs that song, you are in her kitchen breaking bread with her family around the table. You understood. You understood a powerful message and moral. So powerful that you became immediately lost in it. And you literally took something away from it. Something that you will never forget. ✌🏼❤️🙏🏼😎
Chill out.
Jesus that’s intense man . Chill out is right . Oh she’s a teacher ! A teacher !
Wow that’s a bit much.. it’s a song
Consider when this song was released. What was considered acceptable material and a how far women had come by that time. It was groundbreaking. We youngsters wondered what they threw off that bridge, and why she jumped. We were a bit too innocent (kinda like thinking Mick couldn’t get “no satisfaction” with society’s treatment of young people). Such a sophisticated piece of musical storytelling wrapped in a low down country soap opera. The tale underscored by the the simplicity of the lyric, melody and the guitar accompaniment builds toward the epilogue leaving the listener with no doubts as to what “happened.” Bravo Polo for choosing to do a pop single from the mid 1960’s.
I think this young man did an absolutely fabulous job appreciating Bobbie!!!