Bobby Gentry - Ode to Billy Joe | Reaction

[@chammiequeen7838]

Billy Joe is a character in the song. Not to be confused to Billy Joel.

[@brettsmith724]

Bobbie Gentry ❤

[@jerrywilliamson4045]

It’s about the casual indifference to tragedy.

[@snapdragon8888]

Billy Joe was her boyfriend, but nobody at the dinner table knew it.

[@Rayray-kj9cc]

This reminds so much of my mom back in the day! Thanks for the memories!!

[@harrietetter9321]

1967 -- i remember right where i was when i first heard it -- we all loved it

[@jessietucker9342]

The artist Bobbie Gentry grew up in The Mississippi Delta, this is an area not to far from Greenwood, MS, my Mom was born in that area, and I found out recently that I am a distant relative of Ms Gentry, a cousin twice removed whatever that means, lol. She studied philosophy in college then released this song thereafter. She is also known for releasing "Fancy", a song covered by Reba McEntire. She produced her own music, then appeared on variety shows, before retiring from the celebrity life just a few years after she released "Ode to Billy Joel". I heard you say you need to watch the movie, for reference about why Billy Joe jumped, Ms Gentry liked to leave that mystery open for everyone to come up with their own thoughts. I've always been fascinated by her.

[@MonguSu1952]

Jessie, I grew up in Tallahatchie county near Charleston. We lived at the edge of the delta area. Hwy 35 was kind of like a dividing of the hills and the delta in our part of the state. I had relatives who lived in Greenwood and Greenville. As a kid, we sometimes fished in the Tallahatchie River but the Yalobusha River was closer. I had friends who lived in Money, MS which was in the vicinity of Greenwood and the Tallahatchie was very close to them. Small world, huh?

[@TrulyUnfortunate]

A classic that has no match!!!!

[@tupelohoney622]

I live about 30 miles from the Tallahatchie River. The original bridge is gone. Fans were constantly taking pieces of the bridge after it was closed. Bobby Gentry quit singing at the peak of her career and disappeared from public life.

[@mikematusek4233]

You should try her Fancy, that she also wrote. This song is about a share cropper's family that is too poor to think about anything but their own survival. This took place before Roe, and teen pregnancies could be a big scandal, a for what it's worth thought.

[@chammiequeen7838]

Oh my goodness. I loved this back in the day.

[@chammiequeen7838]

I was born in 1959….this is from the 60’. Billy Joel, the Piano Man, didn’t come until the 70’s 80’s.

[@kazza2024]

There was a lot of chatter about what her song was about back in the day. Many wanted to know what was thrown off the Tallahatchie bridge 🤣 but I think she said that was not the message. I think it was to do with our humanity and how we respond to tragedy like ‘pass the Black Eyed Peas!’. Casual, indifferent. But there are so many theories still floating around out there.

[@ThatColeGuy]

My dad dated Bobbi gentry when they were teens. They even got kicked out of a theater together. He said she wore the tightest jeans that he ever saw. Lol

[@melissatuel862]

😂

[@cyclops153]

What an incredible reaction. 3 OKs, and an all right in the first 30 seconds. Confusing Billy Joe with Billy Joel. You certainly missed this one!

[@johnmurray3161]

Your reactions are always FANTASTIC!!!

[@kaychristensen4394]

I've had this LP since back in the day. Enjoy! 😎

[@1perfectpitch]

Did you hear that? It was sound of this song whizzing over hius head. That was painful to watch.

[@Trustbutdocument]

I'm 70, it's hard to fathom it was missed by so many reactors.

[@plaidmoon5642]

Sometimes you can overthink and overresearch a reaction.

[@MichaelYoder-e8g]

This is great story telling. It captures your imagination and makes you think

[@you166mhz]

it's Ode to Billy Joe -- not Billy Joel (piano man) ...

[@boomeister2]

OHMYGOSH! Just listen and enjoy the song for heaven's sake!! You can research the song later.

[@reneegunn95]

The song implies there was a romance between her and the jumper and that billy Joe jumped due to a turn/change in the relationship.

[@Tonidolls]

That is how it left a lot of us..!!! I've been on that bridge..When I was younger with my older brothers..and uncles..They were pretending to throw my aunt off the bridge..Had her up in the air..swinging her..They all thought it was a hoot!! that was in the late 50's..

[@Renfair333]

Not a week goes by when I don't wonder what they dropped off that bridge...

[@jhamler1]

Are you serious? Billy JOE sings Piano Man? LOL! I love you, man, so I'll let that shit slide.

[@celestelittek7360]

This is the theme song from the movie Ode to Billy Joe from 1976❤

[@adrienne1958l]

The movie was written from the story of this song Which is why it's the theme song of the movie. The song came out in 67 .❤

[@mollydavis6276]

The movie stunk.

[@adrienne1958l]

@@mollydavis6276 why yes , yes it did .

[@hauoleguyify]

I was today years old when I learned the piano man jumped off a bridge 😂

[@TruthTroubadour-xi9cc]

Billy Joe was her boyfriend, and they had a stillborn baby--in secret. No one but her and Billy Joe were the only ones that knew about the baby. They decided to throw their stillborn baby off the bridge and into the river vs burying it. Billy Joe was so distraught, he committed suicide. When she heard about his death, she lost her appetite. It sounds like a year later, she is grieving the loss of her baby, Billy Joe, or both. She picks flowers (and either throws them off of the bridge as a memorial or sets up a memorial near the bridge. I'm not sure what happened to this girl's mom, but "she doesn't do much anymore".... depression or is she was really sick.

[@KarinStrong-k4j]

This is considered Southern Goth .

[@sp33dr4c3r]

I dislike this version because the captions are mistimed and interrupt the way the story in the song develops. Thanks for covering it though, it's a masterclass in writing a story song. Plus her theme of the casual cruelty exhibited by the girl's family is pretty interesting. Enjoyed your reaction!

[@dianeritthaler7792]

I always assumed her and Billy Joe slept together and she got pregnant and possibly had a miscarriage and that's what they threw off the bridge and they both felt guilt about it. I could be wrong. Back then girls getting married out of wedlock was a no no.

[@jonnawyatt]

Getting married out of wedlock?

[@crowleybo]

liked it

[@MusicCityMere]

Thanks for reacting to this one! I guess I could've given you more backstory but honestly I didn't know it! I've love it for at least 20 years, but didn't know a lot of the info you looked up so thanks! Especially about Emmet Till 😢

[@lynnieiapichino1121]

☮️💙💙💙🔥😎

[@barbaracollins385]

No offense, dude, but you should do your research BEFORE you play the song . You are missing the story.

[@sueznann8927]

❤

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

You’re thinking of Billy Joel (with an L on the end of the last name). This is Billy Joe (no L).

[@SD-mw1hz]

She is a great storyteller. Great reaction.

[@JWH66]

Billy Joe, not Billy Joel ( The Piano Man). Billy Joe ( aka Billy Shoeless Joe Jackson) was the son of Billy Jean and Michael Jackson. Although Michael swore he was not the father. 😂

[@TheDivayenta]

Don’t confuse Nick. Now he’ll think MJ hatched a kid named BJ.

[@josephcox736]

Billie Joe, not Billie Joel haha

[@kathleenfarraher9894]

Ode to Billie Joe. Movie. Not to be confused with the musician Billy Joel.

[@johnfleming6236]

Piano Man, lmao.

[@carsonc1156]

She was pregnant. He killed himself

[@TheDivayenta]

lol. Now do Romeo and Juliet.

[@jonnawyatt]

He didn't jump. He left town.

[@KevinSmith-up1qo]

As good as Bobbi Gentry is. My favorite version of this song is Sinead O’Connors version

[@angelamosley4588]

Not Billy Joel!! Billy Joe

[@tarahill2193]

Wat h the movie 😊

[@88pjtink]

Is anyone smoother? Seriously! She is just amazing. And she left the business behind! BTW, the movie is kind of cheesy and not the best. Don't know if it is worth watching....Robby Benson is great in it, but it is kind of mediocre.

[@shannonmiller1129]

I actually dislike the live version of this otherwise good song. It comes off as hammy and insincere. She sings it too slowly, exaggerating her own accent. She written a song about a dispassionate casual response to a tragedy. Yet, in this performance, it feels like she is more focused on projecting her southern awesomeness.

[@nealmyers8274]

Billy Joel was probably still in diapers when this came out

[@bearballin]

In diapers??? Billy Joel was born in 1949, making him 18 yo in 1967 when this song was released.

[@nealmyers8274]

@@bearballin whatever dude is that your life's ambition is to go through the internet correcting people if so we'll all bow down to your generosity

[@nealmyers8274]

@@bearballin pretty sure you're one of those people that likes to go around correcting people's grammar as well

[@nealmyers8274]

@@bearballin I wouldn't be running around with a handle that suggest you are having carnal knowledge of fuzzy Forest creatures and then expected anyone to take anything you say very seriously you just one of those guys that always has to be right aren't you

[@tanyaweathersby9393]

❤