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Ode To Billie Joe Lyrics by Molly Johnson

Lucky

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It was the third of June, another sleepy, dusty Delta day
I was out choppin' cotton and my brother was balin' hay
At dinner time we stopped and walked back to the house to eat
And Mama hollered out the back door "y'all remember to wipe your feet"
And then she said "I got some news this mornin' from Choctaw Ridge"
"Today Billy Joe MacAllister jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge"
And Papa said to Mama as he passed around the blackeyed peas
"Well, Billy Joe never had a lick of sense, pass the biscuits, please"
"There's five more acres in the lower forty... got to plow"
And Mama said it was shame about Billy Joe, anyhow
Seems like nothin' ever comes to no good up on Choctaw Ridge
And now Billy Joe MacAllister, jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge
And Brother said he recollected when he and Tom and Billie Joe
Put a frog down my back at the Carroll County picture show
And wasn't I talkin' to him after Church last Sunday night?
"I'll have another piece of apple pie, you know it don't seem right"
"I saw him at the sawmill yesterday on Choctaw Ridge"
"And now you tell me Billie Joe's jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge"
And Mama said to me "Child, what's happened to your appetite?"
"I've been cookin' all morning... you haven't touched a single bite"
"...Nice young preacher, Brother Taylor, dropped by today"
"Said he'd be pleased to have dinner on Sunday, oh, by the way"
"He said he saw a girl that looked a lot like you up on Choctaw Ridge"
"And she and Billy Joe were throwing somethin' off the Tallahatchie Bridge"
A year has come 'n' gone since we heard the news 'bout Billy Joe
And Brother married Becky Thompson, bought a store in Tupelo
There was a virus going 'round, Papa caught it... died last Spring
And now Mama doesn't seem to wanna do much of anything
And me, I spend a lot of time pickin' flowers up on Choctaw Ridge
And drop them in the muddy water off the Tallahatchie Bridge, Yeah!
Ooh, the Tallahatchie Bridge
Oh, Muddy, Muddy, Water
Off the Tallahatchie Bridge
Sleepy, Dusty, Delta Day
Tallahatchie Bridge
Credits
Molly Johnson

Molly Johnson

About “Ode To Billie Joe” by Molly Johnson

Read the complete lyrics to "Ode To Billie Joe" by Molly Johnson from the album "Lucky". On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Pop.

"Ode To Billie Joe" is performed by Molly Johnson. from the album "Lucky" This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Ode To Billie Joe", explore more songs by Molly Johnson using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Ode To Billie Joe" is credited to Molly Johnson. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Ode To Billie Joe" appears on "Lucky".

Visit the Molly Johnson artist page at /artist/molly-johnson for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.