Lyrks
Lyrks
Cover Art

Ode to Billy Joe Lyrics by Wendy Moten

I’ve Got You Covered

0

It was the third of June
Another sleepy dusty Delta day
I was out choppin' cotton
And my brother was balin' hay
And 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"

Papa said to mama, as he passed around the blackeyed peas
"Billie Joe never had a lick of sense;
Pass the biscuits, please...
There's five more acres in the lower forty I've got to plow"
And mama said it was shame about Billie Joe, anyhow
Seems like nothin' ever comes to no good, up on Choctaw Ridge
And now Billy Joe MacAllister's jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge

Brother said he recollected when he, and Tom, and Billie Joe
Put a frog down my back at the Carroll County picture show
Wasn't I talking 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, up on Choctaw Ridge
And now you tell me Billie Joe's jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge"

Mama said to me, "Child, what's happened to your appetite?"
"Well I've been cookin' all morning
And you haven't touched a single bite"
That nice young preacher, Brother Taylor, dropped by today
Said he'd be pleased to have dinner on Sunday, and oh by the way
He said he saw a girl that looked a lot like you up on Choctaw Ridge
And she & Billie Joe was throwing somethin' off
The Tallahatchie Bridge"

A year has come and gone since we heard the news about Billie Joe
Brother married Becky Thompson;
They bought a store in Tupelo
There was a virus going 'round;
Papa caught it, and he died last spring
And now mama doesn't seem to want to do much of anything
And me, I spend a lot of time pickin' flowers up on Choctaw Ridge
And drop them into the muddy water off the Tallahatchie Bridge
Credits
Wendy Moten

Wendy Moten

About “Ode to Billy Joe” by Wendy Moten

Read the complete lyrics to "Ode to Billy Joe" by Wendy Moten from the album "I’ve Got You Covered". 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 Billy Joe" is performed by Wendy Moten. from the album "I’ve Got You Covered" 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 Billy Joe", explore more songs by Wendy Moten 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.

View all songs and biography for Wendy Moten · Trending lyrics · Billboard Hot 100

Frequently asked questions

"Ode to Billy Joe" is credited to Wendy Moten. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Ode to Billy Joe" appears on "I’ve Got You Covered".

Visit the Wendy Moten artist page at /artist/wendy-moten for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.

Driving Nails in My Coffin
Consider This Love
Blue Bayou (The Voice Performance)
Come in Out of the Rain
Don’t Touch Me
All That My Heart Can Hold
Change Of Heart
Don’t Turn Away
Lyrks
Lyrks

Your gateway to the world of music lyrics.

Product

Features

Company

About

Artists

Trending

Legal

Privacy

Terms

Copyright

Support

Contact

Features

Charts

© 2026 Lyrks. All rights reserved.