FIRST TIME REACTING to Bobbie Gentry - Ode to Billy Joe - BRITS REACTION

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[@rogerevansen2882]

Apple pie is considered quintessentially American. I don't think you quite "got" the song, though. It's a huge tragedy revolving around the suicide of a young man. The first person voice is that of a girl who was apparently dating him, although they kept it quiet so much so that her family apparently didn't even know. They were seen throwing "something" off the Tallahatchie bridge. It is never revealed in the song, although one could speculate what that might have been, and many people have. Bobby Gentry herself said that the real horror of the story was the casual, cavalier attitude of her family to the news of this young man committing suicide, as if it held no importance whatsoever.

[@larrydlam]

The movie added other elements to the story, too. I don't personally like the movie.

[@jollyrodgers7272]

"Dating" may be what you call it now - they were kind of sweet on each other, and he was secretly 'courting' her after hours, but not yet sexual - personally I liked the movie. It was produced and directed by Max Baer, Jr. - yep, Jethro Bodine!

[@Code9]

@@jollyrodgers7272 Maybe they did have a sexual encounter, she got pregnant, lost the child in a miscarriage and they threw the fetus off the bridge.

[@catserver8577]

@@Code9 That's a stretch, I never thought that sounded possible, myself. Considering Bobby Gentry was very affected by the Emmet Till story, the cruelty angle is much more important than what was thrown off the bridge. I personally think it was flowers they were throwing, as she says at the end that is what she spends time doing after his death.

[@JustMe-dc6ks]

And there are lots of different recipes for apple pie. Dutch, lattice, etc.

[@jamesbassett1484]

She described the song as a study in unconscious cruelty.

[@dsgp7835]

Her description was perfect. Having grown up in the fifties and sixties with depression and WW two survivors as parents, I remember that feeling. As a continuous human civilization, you hope that people overcome unconscious cruelty. That's what being WOKE means, a society overcoming conscious cruelty, which there seems to be a lot of in 2023, humans should now know better and be more empathetic.

[@elisekuby2009]

Also known as the 'casual brutality' of humanity at large.

[@elevenbucks5682]

Robert Kennedy said to some South Afrcans once that"We have to realize the reallty of our brutal existence".

[@MattJocks]

The casual indifference to Billie Joe's death is obvious. But I'm also struck in the lyrics by the indifference to the narrator of the song. The mother asks what's happened to her appetite, as if she doesn't comprehend that her own daughter is devastated.

[@jeffcobb2734]

Her family cavalierly discuss Billie Joe's suicide without realizing the daughter is dating him.

[@danielfox6907]

I don't believe I ever saw anyone chuckle their way through this song before. unorthodox reaction.

[@rachellesommerfeld6575]

What's great about this song is it brings you right to the dinner table with them.

[@aceroadholder2185]

A note about the lyrics. When Bobby says they came in from the field for dinner, she means the midday meal, i.e. lunch. Dinner in the Southern United States often means lunch (especially among older people) and the evening meal is usually called supper.

[@HalfNordic]

In the Midwest also...

[@keithleereynolds]

@@HalfNordic Not true at all.

[@stischer47]

@@keithleereynolds Perhaps not where you are?

[@lindaeasley5606]

Funny because yesterday I was talking on the phone to an older friend in Texas and she was telling me about her childhood and how her family would eat dinner around noon . This was in the 1940s/ early "50s

[@lightatthecape2009]

Actually farming families usually ate their largest meal at lunch. In the afternoon you would not want to heat up the house for a second big meal. And people could burn off their meal plowing the north forty. The repressive nature of southern culture in the sixties is clear in the song. There were still lynchings going on. The Civil rights movement was gradually gaining steam and yes Till's brutal murder woke up the world. Just like Selma.

[@billpriddy9326]

One of the most brilliant, stunning songs ever written.

[@PhoenixRisen63]

The tragedy in this song is the casual attitudes of the family about the death of someone the first-person character (the daughter) cared about. Indifference to the deceased, and Indifference to their daughter's loss, as if it weren't anything to get upset over. The dad basically said the kid was a dumbass.

[@busking6292]

Love the little bit of side gossip about 'Becky Thomson buying a store in Tupelo'

[@daricetaylor737]

I don't think you guys completely caught the tragedy in this song. It is not a sweet song, but a tragic song of suicide. Although many kids jump off bridges into rivers in the summer time here in CA, this particular song talks not of fun hot summer days jumping, but that of death. It talks of the cruel blind reaction of families to the tragedy of a youth taking their own life over eating apple pie at the dinner table. It also talks about their daughter who secretly was seeing Billy Joe apparently behind her parents back, and how she and Billy Joe were seen throwing "something" off the bridge and into the river. Bobby Gentry never mentions what the "item" is, but with two young people secretly seeing one another, one can speculate as to what the "item" was and why the girl was so despondent and unable to eat dinner with her family. The daughter was also seen seeking the council of her priest in secret, so it is clear that whatever was thrown off the bridge was something that carried a heavy guilt. The fact that Billy Joe felt such guilt about the deed that he felt he had nothing left in life but to join the "item" in the murky depths of the river. Very sad song, not one to smile and laugh at.

[@nemo227]

So many of the people "reacting" to this song haven't listened carefully and many don't understand what they've heard. But that's often the case in our daily lives; many people don't listen and don't understand what they're told.

[@creinicke1000]

I dont get how folks don't cry when they hear this song.. tragedy on so many levels.

[@nemo227]

@@creinicke1000 Some (many?) people cry.

[@fritty9927]

@@creinicke1000you said the reason: tragedy. Something most relate too.

[@davidhutcheson2609]

People. Petcive thinhs in Diffrent ways. How do you know the Book you've just Txt is Right. Thats your opinion. Not Evetyones ffs. Go and Write anothet book

[@fritty9927]

At 70 I still get tears hearing this song. Everyone has a Tallahatchie bridge.

[@user-gt8uf3nd9i]

Wow you sure got that right well said..

[@bartondrums6606]

Well done lads. She's brilliant. I'm obsessed with Bobbie Gentry. She's maybe the best all around female singer/performer. Underrated big time... our loss..

[@SGBassplayer]

I was born the year this song came out and was raised in the Deep South of the USA, and although my immediate family unit was much smaller, the banter around the dinner table when we’d visit my grandparents on the Florida panhandle was EXACTLY as described in the song (thankfully without the local suicide), but Bobbie Gentry had nearly a cinematic ability to relay a story around a melody. That’s an all-time classic song, masterclass of composition, and basically a demo track to which the producer added only the string section. Other than that it was just the writer, her voice, and her parlour guitar. I’d put it right up there with “Wichita Lineman”, to be honest.

[@charlesmarkley220]

Hauntingly beautiful. Nothing so great as a woman singing with such a heart felt voice.

[@christinerobinson9372]

She is still alive, she has never explained the mystery but promised to tell all before she dies. The G in Gentry is the same as in gentlemen.

[@jeanpierrebrusse8968]

Vous ne trouverez plus une chanteuse comme elle aujourd'hui belle voix classe texte bref une artiste

[@JohnPaul-hm2ys]

She told a brilliant tale, I first heard it as a young child and at 60 years old, it is still in my head. She actually did a live recording on the BBC when this was first released.

[@vidpie]

Bobbie Gentry did more than that on the BBC: "In 1968, after appearing on In Concert, Gentry became the first female songwriter to front a TV series on the BBC network. Impressed with Gentry's performances on- and off-screen, the head of the BBC invited her, in 1968, to host a variety show on BBC 2, making her the first female songwriter to host a series on the network. The Bobbie Gentry series was a 6-week special, broadcast weekly from July 13 to August 17, 1968. It featured musicians from the Mississippi countryside, as well as guests such as Glen Campbell, James Taylor, Randy Newman, Elton John, Alan Price, Billy Preston, and Pan's People. [20] It was produced and directed by Stanley Dorfman,[21] who credited Gentry as his co-director. Dorfman told author Tara Murtha, "After a few episodes, she was pretty much co-directing the show because she had such great ideas. [But] the BBC wouldn't have it, wouldn't have an artist credited as a director or producer, so the credit went to me as producer and director. But she definitely contributed as much as I did creatively to the show."

[@silverfoxdude7]

Same here a 60 year old and always had this song in my head

[@badgastein2]

Those BBC Bobbie Gentry Shows have been restored and available to watch for free in the UK on the i-player. The edition with Donovan is my favourite.

[@stevedahlberg8680]

A study in unconscious cruelty as Bobby said. By the way she's studied philosophy. But her phrasing on this is just exquisite.

[@carolburnett190]

Bobby Gentry said this song was about unconscious cruelty. She never said what they threw off the bridge-that wasn’t the point. And Gentry is pronounced like your “landed gentry” in the UK. American apple pie is mostly baked from the heart instead from a recipe. Double crust pastry filled with sliced apples which are seasoned with sugar, cinnamon, and (optional) nutmeg, then topped by some slices of butter before the top crust is added. Simple but delicious!!

[@elizabeth10392]

Instead of the Apple Pie perhaps you might ponder on the reason why the girl had lost her appetite. Perhaps It's because she knows exactly why Billy Joe McAllister jumped off the Tallahatchie bridge and because she is absolutely devastated by the news. If you read between the lines, they had a secret. It's a tragic story and the family's chatty indifference to the boy's death speaks volumes. The song us about what is not said rather than what is said. It's brilliant. All of the foregoing is, of course, just my opinion. Her name is Gentry with a soft g sound...."Jentry".

[@nl2766]

After the young preacher came by, the mother then knew that her daughter was the girl seen in the area.

[@cheryla7480]

Even though for years people speculated on what was thrown off the bridge…..The main theme of the song was the terrible indifference people show to tragic events. She was devastated and her family just carried on with their supper, totally unfeeling for the loss of someone they knew.

[@lacelucy]

It’s a tragic look into how disconnected families can be. The singer was dating Billy Joe, he committed suicide and the family didn’t even notice.

[@vidpie]

Bobbie Gentry tried to get signed as a recording artist. She didn't have any luck. So she set her sights on getting signed as a staff writer and sent a demo tape as part of that effort. They basically took her demo tape and added the string section, and released that. It was a big hit. So big that it marked the end of the Psychedelic Rock Era's chart dominance.

[@onewomanandsomesongs]

As an Alabamian, I'm tickled pink to listen to Brits review this song. Glad they liked it. :)

[@simonjones7727]

I have never seen this written down but I think it is, at some level, Gentry's creative response to Eleanor Rigby. The setting is entirely American, and there is no musical similarity, but there is something that links them in the very spare use of orchestration, lyrics that come close to poetry and a subject matter that is way beyond what anyone would have considered appropriate to a pop record. She certainly followed Lennon and McCartney and covered their songs.

[@kimking6036]

Gentlemen in country music it is called a fiddle not a violin. To this day people debate what she and Billy Joe threw of that bridge that would make him commit suicide.

[@billparrish4385]

The 'biscuits' referred to here are not the thin crispy kind that Brits might be thinking of, but something more like scones. Southern U.S. biscuits are a type of shortbread (i.e., no yeast, but rises from baking powder and baking soda), flour, and milk (often with buttermilk added). The dough is rolled out in layers and folded over with bits of chilled butter in between to promote flakiness, cut round by pressing into the layers with a cutter, and the lumps of dough arranged in the pan just touching, so as they bake and rise, they crowd into each other, leaving the crust on the tops and bottoms only, resulting in a dense roll about 6-8 centimeters round and about 2/3 of that tall. This form of shortbread has been a staple in rural Southern homes for generations.

[@patriciaadams-rl4iz]

Bobby Gentry, wow she could really tell a story. This is actually a song of suicide. The first time I heard it, I got chills. I can still remember all of the words

[@mitzifrancis9843]

Bobby Gentry is a great storyteller. Someone else mentioned a live performance of her song Fancy. It's amazing. Reba MacIntyre covered it years later and it was a big hit for her. I always preferred Bobby's version as it felt more raw, less "produced". She really draws you in immediately and you have to know what happened!

[@stormyweather4898]

She is a southern women 😆 😆 That is why she has southern accent , like you have a British one.

[@billparrish4385]

The story here is a tragedy, on many levels, brought to life by Bobbie's amazing voice, picking, arrangement and strings accompaniment, transporting the careful listener directly into the hot, humid delta region of the southern U.S. It is a study in casual indifference, and therefore unconscious cruelty, at the news of a local boy throwing himself off a bridge. But beyond noticing the girl's loss of appetite, and seeing that only as a sleight against the mother's hard work cooking the midday meal, the girl's family is oblivious to the devastating effect the news has on her. As the story unfolds, we learn that the boy and someone who looked like her were seen throwing 'something' off that bridge, just days before the boy threw himself off of it. The girl was apparently seeing the boy in secret, and the 'something' that was thrown off, some have speculated, could have been the baby she lost, and the grief ended up being more than the young father could bear. The movie referenced here had a different object thrown, and plot, but TV in those days rarely if ever gave voice to this more dire interpretation, judging it as too adult a theme.

[@charlesdavis7461]

Great song, full of imagery, you can envision every thing she is speaking about.

[@richardhinman3046]

Now you have to do Harper Valley PTA by Jeannie C. Riley. (31M views- kkiilljjooy) It's another southern story-telling song that was a hit around the same time as Ode to Billie Joe.

[@melliehobson8299]

There was a film made after this, but it rang hollow with me. I believe the story is that the protagonist and Billy Joe were lovers, ( didn't I see you talking to him after church last Sunday night?), she bore a stillborn child that they buried in water, (he said he saw a girl that looked a lot like you up on Choctaw Ridge. And she and Billy Joe was (sic) throwin' something off the Tallahatchee Bridge.) Billy Joe was so devastated by the events and what they had to do that he jumped himself, committing suicide. At the end she spends her time picking flowers (tributes) up on Choctaw Ridge, and (marking the graves of the child and Billy Joe) toss them into the muddy water off the Tallahatchee Bridge. It's very poetic, an American tragedy, if you will. I've been told by English teachers that I glean the meat of a poem, and I believe I'm correct here.

[@philipem1000]

The saying is "As American as apple pie." Nuff said. This song came out the summer I graduated from High School and it was an enormous hit and since it wasabout a tragic teen romance resonated with us.

[@LizJasonHEA]

Apple pie is so big in America that there's a saying,. It's as American as apple pie!! I do love a good apple pie although if I had a choice between apple and pecan Apple would come in second. 2nd is still better than all the other kind of pies you can have. I was 13 when this song came out. I listened to it as often as I could, captivated by the story . I am a southerner and I also love the way she sang it just like a southerner telling a tale on the front porch on a hot summer night. To this day I still want an answer. What did they throw off the bridge???

[@elisekuby2009]

My personal take on this is that they threw an infant off that bridge - their infant. Possibly born prematurely or aborted. Why else mention the young preacher showing up at the farm? Billie Joe was unable to live with their common crime and thus ended the torture his life had become.

[@berktv2936]

They threw an apple pie off the bridge.

[@psidvicious]

@@berktv2936 Whaaaat?? Even Billy Joe would have had enough sense not to throw an apple pie off the bridge. How could you even think of anything so profane? 🤦‍♂ (I can’t believe the YT censors would let that go…reporting for blasphemy)

[@lindamccluskey868]

These are actually places in mississippi

[@josephclarke4244]

A phyc major in college Bobby claimed the song is a character study in man's indifference to man, a kind of "O-well" attitude for hard working hard living people in the deep south.

[@elisekuby2009]

I believe that Gentry may have been a psych major in college.

[@josephclarke4244]

@@elisekuby2009 yes she was. I think I remember her saying there is no one meaning, the overarching theme is this kind of dismissive attitude over the tragic death of the young man. My father, now 89 years old holds very different attitudes about those who commit suicide. My father's generation saw the issue more a character flaw then an illness, born in the thirties my father thought suicide the cowards way out. Sounds harsh but remember in Bobbie Jo and my father's time a man who committed suicide was abandoning his responsibilities to family. Wives and children of suicide were victims.

[@elisekuby2009]

@@josephclarke4244 True! I myself grew up learning that suicide was the coward's way out. But how many folks grow up now, learning that life is about duty and responsibility? We are beset by entire nations of narcissists, who actually believe that everything must be about them or not at all. Are the new generations taught that actions have consequences? Do they understand the nature of cause and effect? In my imagination, the 'cause' of Bobbie Jo actions led to the consequence of his actions. He was mostly likely terrified out of his mind, being 'churchy' sort of folk and the thought of the victims left behind may not ever have been in the forefront of his chaotic 'thinking.' I imagine that all he could react to was the terror in his mind.

[@josephclarke4244]

@@elisekuby2009 great observation and yet I think Gentry's idea was to tell the story of the attitude of those left behind! For what it's worth however even the Catholic church now allows for Catholic burial in the case of suicide. My own attitude is a mix of my father's and my own attitude on suicide, I take the attitude if no one is relying on you...have at it, that being said if your doing it to run out on responsibilities of a wife and children...If I do shed a tear; it will be for those ya ran out on! Thanks for the interaction...helps me understand the world and people around me a little better!

[@elisekuby2009]

@@josephclarke4244 That may well be true and I certainly will not dispute her attitude. We all have our own methods of trying to make sense of the world - which is easy, and trying to make sense of humanity, which is impossible. Her song is a poignant reminder that humans and their behaviour are hard, if not impossible to predict. However...we must shuffle on as best as we can under trying circumstances. Maybe just gathering flowers on Chaoctaw Ridge and letting them float down the river. I don't know if I spelled Chaoctaw correctly, but what does it matter?

[@LoriTalbot-du2qt]

One of my favorite songs .It never gets old.

[@GR65330]

Every time that I hear this song, I can see myself sitting at the dinner table listening to the conversation.

[@mikerobertson4041]

Her real name was Roberta Jo Streeter. At age 13 she moved from Mississippi to California, with her mother, and I don't know if she ever returned to Mississippi.

[@Karen-nn6kg]

Well, to answer your question, in a nut shell: the {un}official Mid-Century American motto was: "Baseball, Apple Pie, hot dogs and Chevrolet"

[@dagmar.6954]

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 songs are "Mississippi Delta", "Fancy", "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head", "I'll Never Fall In Love Again", "Sunday Mornin" (with Glen Campbell) etc.

[@jollyrodgers7272]

"Raindrops keep falling on my head" was a cover of a Burt Bacharach song, as was" I'll never fall in love again".

[@coolworx]

Bobby was brilliant. Nuf' said.

[@annadreamsart9756]

Apple pie is now like a mythological "all American" thing. I don't know many who actually eat it often. The story in the song is really sad. The girl had to hide from her family she was dating him, and when he committed suicide, her family acted like no one really cared about him jumping or about her pain.

[@stargazer3677]

That is patently not true. Apple pie is often served as a dessert with home cooked family meals, especially when having guests, and on holidays. Let me guess, your family only eats fast food.

[@rebeccabishop2791]

Eaten all the time. Especially delicious warm with vanilla ice cream.

[@abigailgerlach5443]

Apple pie is essential. Serving it is where the creativity comes in. Some serve it with whipped cream, some with vanilla ice cream, and some with a slice of cheddar cheese. The question is what did they throw off the bridge????

[@michaelwhelan2376]

Great old classic! Had no idea it was such a big song. It was nominated for eight Grammy Awards; Gentry and arranger Jimmie Haskell won three between them. Gentry's writing was adapted for the 1976 film Ode to Billy Joe. The song appeared on Rolling Stone's lists, 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and Greatest Country Songs, while Pitchfork featured it on their 200 Best Songs of the 1960s list. In 2023, the song was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry. Fun reaction as normal! Cheers Gents!

[@chipurBillWhite]

Just as genuine as it gets.

[@otisyoung7061]

Mom and Apple pie......the most patriotic thing to have at your side while you salute the flag

[@TheDivayenta]

Classic “ Southern Gothic” storytelling right here. The Flannery O’Connor of songwriting!

[@lauraautry6992]

I love listening to her and a fan. She has an amazing voice. I lived closed to where she grew up in Mississippi.

[@ATN2USN]

Apple pie is an American dessert staple. It is my second favorite pie after cherry. I am not much of a baker, so no recipe, but I am sure that a good one will come your way. Thanks for listening to this one.

[@selmonb921]

She had also done modeling in the 1960's, especially in swimsuits! This woman was gorgeous and an unbelievable body! She purposely retired in the early 1980's and was rarely heard from. She is still alive today. There is a video of her singing a song called Fancy! She wears a form fitting red pants suit...GORGEOUS!!

[@megdelaney3677]

Fancy - Fanny means something else in UK

[@SouthernArtist77]

I can hear my grandma’s voice in this song calling me in to eat supper. Supper is the southerner’s dinner.

[@capstan50g]

This song got a lot of airplay when I was a kid. It's haunting.

[@michellemarrison4397]

My favorite movie ode to Billie Joe about first love complete tragedy the loss of the love of your life and the rumors that follow.

[@jollyrodgers7272]

GENTRY - as in 'gentrified' (J sound) - you know, The Gentry, Gentlemen! "As American as Apple Pie" is more than just an expression. My mother made several different apple pies; Deep Dish Apple Pie, Mile High Apple Pie, Apple Pan Dowdie, etc. --> I recommend watching the film - it fills in the blanks and was produced and directed by Max Baer, Jr.

[@jandmvideos9051]

The first time I heard his song it sent chills down my spine. My imagination went wild. The movie did not do the song justice.

[@cdfdesantis699]

She studied psychology in college, & did a brilliant job of telling the story of a tragic, secret love affair, in which the boyfriend commits suicide. She's the sad young girl throwing flowers after her love. Good luck with your apple pie, & thanks for your reaction!

[@39thala]

A few interesting trivia on this song. The recording was actually done initially as a guitar demo that Bobbie recorded herself in the studio. The producers liked it so much they just added the strings and bass and released it and it became a number one hit. Also, the song originally had about 11 or 12 verses. The producers cut it down to a length that could be played on radio. Those original complete verses are locked away in the Mississippi State Archives and have never been publicly released to be read. Also, Bobbie has never divulged what the characters in the song dropped in to the river or why Billy Joe jumped to his death off the bridge. The movie script of course, took liberties to write their own story around the song, but keep in mind, that's only Hollywood's creation of what the story is about. (The beauty of this song is that it leaves it to your imagination to fill in what may have happened.) And finally, the actual Tallahatchie Bridge which you see in this video was later burned by vandals and had to be torn down. A newer one was rebuilt in it's place I believe.

[@BritPopsReact]

@39thala Hello and thank you for all the great information. All the best

[@psidvicious]

Maybe spell-check got you there but it is the “Tallahatchie” bridge, not Tallahassee.

[@39thala]

@@psidvicious Thanks, yes that gets me sometimes. Correction made.

[@psidvicious]

@@39thala Admittedly spell-check can be helpful, but at other times it can be aggravating or completely wrong! Every time I write the word “were”, IT thinks I wanted to say “we’re” and adds the apostrophe for me. 😡 [It did it as I was writing this as a matter of fact.] 🤦‍♂

[@williamcabell142]

Back in the 60’s on the radios, you could hear several genres on the same radio station in an hour! From Country, Rock, Pop. Rhythm & Blue etc. it was great, no prejudice concerning music!

[@Polyphemus47]

1967 is the perfect example of the diversity of pop radio. My favorite year in music. (I was 20).

[@matthewdooley7855]

Classic country storytelling. Very specific, relatable imagery "don't forget to wipe your feet", coupled with some tragedy.

[@martinhafner2201]

They planted a LOT of apple trees in the U.S. about 200 years ago. We also have a lot of apple groves in NW U.S. So apples have been a big part of desserts for a long time. Thus apple pie. Most apple pie recipes use green apples rather than the red varieties. They are a little more bitter and tangy, so they contribute more interesting flavors. I've always heard her name pronounced like jentry.

[@JustMe-dc6ks]

Yeah there are different varieties of apple for baking and cooking vs just eating. Also depends how soft you want the apple to be after cooking.

[@lizmil]

Definitely go green and tart with pie apples! An old variety that is perfect are Newtown Pippins - I often put two or three different varieties in my pie.

[@jimcorbett3764]

You ever hear the saying, "It's as American as apple pie."? The point of the song was that this tragedy occured, and the family was treating it as casually as if it was just another occurrence in daily life.

[@makarov138]

I currently live in Chickasaw County, MS just 10 miles north of Woodland, MS where Bobby grew up early on. She's a staple down here!!

[@cedardreams9623]

How can you not know any American country or pop and we know all about your music and royalty Godsave the Queen

[@libertyresearch-iu4fy]

There was a saying a few years back: "As American as apple pie."

[@jameswiglesworth5004]

She made three series for the B.B.C, each consisting of six shows, the first in 1968 and the last in1971, there were various guest artist featured

[@snoodlegirl1794]

Three large apples 🍎 chop after peel. Put in sugar let set in fridge sugar cinnamon nutmeg ginger. Mix. Gets little soupy then put pie crust in pan u can add thickner mix pour into crust top bits butter cover with another crust seal edges put holes top bake it

[@lgempet2869]

Speaking as an American, apple pie is the THE quintessential American dessert in that it’s very representative of a common thread/theme within our culture though, obviously, it’s not THE only favored or tasty dessert found here- we’re all aware of that. State fairs, festivals, etc. quite often feature apple pie-baking contests for the best tasting one (obviously) or just pie baking contests in general- fun!!😊

[@sueprator9314]

Apple pie is as Americana as the FLAG on the 4th of July, baseball, hot dogs....

[@willieboy3011]

The description fit my Southern upbringing quite well. She and Glen Campbell did some nice duets together also.

[@ivansavoie3190]

Storytelling at it's best, she is great at getting you to visualize everything, great reaction

[@DreamingCatStudio]

Lost on these 2 I’m afraid-too busy wanting an apple pie recipe.

[@katrinaprescott5911]

Apple pie doesn't need a recipe. The trick is choosing the right apple. You want a cooking apple. My dad always said Golden Delicious or Jonagold (Jonathan and Golden Delicious cross) . A lot of people use Granny Smith but I think they are too tart and firm. You just make a standard pie crust - enough for a double crust. Cut up and peel your apples. They cook down so cut up enough to mound pretty high. Put the bottom crust in the pie pan. Pile in the apples. Sprinkle with some sugar, cinnamon and a dash of salt. Dot with butter (sorry, no measurements. I wasn't taught to cook that way). Put the top crust on and crimp it around the edge. Slice some vent holes in the top crust. Optionally, you can brush it with an egg wash ans sprinkle it with sugar. Put it in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven and bake it until the crust is golden brown in the middle. You may need to put foil around the edges of the crust partway through to keep them from browning too much. Handcuff yourself to force yourself to let it cool a bit before cutting into it because the filling is about as hot as lava when it first comes out of the oven. A "from scratch" apple pie that does not used canned apple pie filling is going to taste fresher, but it is also going to be juicier and may weep a bit if you refrigerate it. Some recipes call for sprinkling flour on the apples with the sugar to thicken the filling but I never did that. You can also make an apple pie with a streusel topping (flour, brown sugar and nuts with butter cut in to make crumbs). That's usually called a Dutch Apple Pie. (Possibly German in origin as the German settlers in Pennsylvania called themselves - in German - Deutsch and the English settlers started calling them the "Pennsylvania Dutch" and it stuck)

[@JustMe-dc6ks]

The original Pennsylvania Dutch were from Switzerland I think. And they call the rest of us English.

[@62impalaconvert]

Apple pie is best when it is warm from the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream dumped on it.

[@stparisian]

150 miles away from each other? That’s within walking distance! 😘🇺🇸

[@robertrodes1546]

A few odds and ends: Gentry is pronounced "Jentry" as in gentle, gentlmen, gentry and so on. I was living in England at the time she sang Burt Bacharach's "Raindrops keep fallin on my head" on Top of the Pops in 1970. You got the feeling she was sick of singing what she was told to sing, and that this was one of those. She has several great songs on her last album Patchwork, which I believe was entirely her own work, including producing. I have her up there with Paul McCartney as a songwriter, and I don't say that lightly. Check out Beverly, Miss Clara and Mean Stepmama Blues. Apple pie is American the way steak and kidney pie is English.

[@wadeerwin3920]

The strings are amazing!!

[@alastairtopham5939]

I really love this song. I first heard it in the late 1960s. It really draws you in with the back ground of a haunting catchy tune and lyrics. One wants to know more about what happened to Billie Joe McAlistair....But that doesnt matter too much. It is the haunting lyrics and catchy tune and brillianty sung by Bobbie Gentry with unforgettable guitar pickin riff. And all with that atmosphere of rural deep south USA on a hot humid sweltering day. .

[@deborahcornell171]

I'm an American & a Southerner & a bit unusual in that I don't like Apple Pie. It is, indeed, very popular. So are other fruit pies like Cherry Pie etc. I much prefer cream pies (also popular) like Coconut Cream Pie, Chocolate Pie, Banana Cream Pie. Most traditional Southern cooks have a scrumptious recipe for Coconut Cream Pie & it's usually to die for. Banana Pudding too. So yummy! It's funny..even though I don't much like fruit pies I do make a mean Peach Cobbler. People always ask for seconds. Fixing & serving it for friends & family really brings out the Southern Belle in me. 💙🤗🌿

[@RichardMcGrath]

Interesting fact ~ Bobbie was born and raised in her younger days one county over in Mississippi from where Elvis Presley grew up. In the song, she talks about her brother buying a store in Tupelo. Tupelo, MS is where Elvis was from!

[@StephenReynolds-jk7dv]

Bobby Gentry- one of the greats in my opinion. By the way how about another Lucy Thomas cover- support your fellow Brit! 🙂

[@TyAnn1958]

Apple pie is essential for any picnic, church potluck, Sunday dinner and holidays. Always a debate on who makes it best!!

[@jaccilowe3842]

This was such a huge hit in the UK I'm surprised you hadn't heard it. We would spend hours in the cafe arguing about what they chucked of the bridge. Great days!

[@paulapayne2853]

We always thought it was a baby…since they weren’t married.

[@gxl5892]

Brilliant just brilliant!!!!!!! She was teenage crush!!!!!!

[@827dusty]

Was it suicide, or was Billy Joe murdered? First he jumped off the Bridge, and now the story has changed to Two people (one that looked like her) throwing something off the Bridge. I'm 67 yrs. old, and remember in 1968 when this came out, (12 yrs. Old) that everyone was talking about this song. It was played on both soft rock AM radio, and Country Western AM Radio. It was such a huge hit song. Thanks Fellas

[@in8hope617]

Ever heard the saying......"American as Apple Pie"...... They are one of the same things! That is how much Apple Pie is associated with America. Great reaction and interesting to see you both listen to this song. Bobby Gentry was very ahead of her time, on producing and writing. Gentry is the same sound as JENTRY....so that is how you pronounce the G.

[@SouthernArtist77]

Apple pie recipe. Apples: Peel enough to fill a pie crust, add lemon, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon and flour then mix it all together with a large spoon. Buy a pillsbury ready made pie crust, mix everything up, put it in the pie crust, place another pie crust on top, bake at 400 degrees F until the crust is golden and the pie filling is bubbling, take out and cool a little before serving. I don’t measure my ingredients. I make it to my own taste. Don’t be afraid it’s easy.

[@psidvicious]

Beautiful, smooth, incredible story telling and tremendous job of painting a lyrical picture. [and what a hottie Bobbie was, eh?!]

[@BritPopsReact]

@psidvicious I will take your word on that cus I was of course not checking that out, being as Mrs. BP2 reads the comments too! Cheers

[@wallyllama2926]

Apple pie is literally my favorite food. It’s best served warm with some vanilla ice cream.

[@susanechevarria4320]

This song was made into a MOVIE in either the later 70s or early 80s. The actor Robby Benson played BILLY JOE.

[@douglasg.9271]

Wonderful song.

[@leeleemarch6718]

It's also about the apathy of the family. They eat and talk about the tragedy like it's part of the day.

[@CNFringer]

Bobbie Gentry was big when I was a baby in the 60s. There is a movie of this song title, as well. It goes more in depth in the story. Robbie Benson played Billy Joe. He was kinda getting to be a teen heart throb back then. It's a sad song and movie but it's good.

[@deannajones3849]

There was a movie based on this song starring Robby Benson and Sissy Spacek.

[@terrymigliorino8498]

Her name is pronounced Gentry like gentleman. There are as many versions of Apple Pie as there are people cooking them.

[@thecottagemouse2713]

Great reaction guys I give Bobby a 10!!! Just saying

[@BritPopsReact]

@the cottage mouse You are more than welcome to add your own score as you see fit, it's just for a little fun that we give a score and we are clueless to be honest. All the best

[@Polyphemus47]

@@BritPopsReact Clueless, yes...as evidenced by your flip reaction to this masterpiece, says I. (Forgive my 'attitude', but I. LOVE. Bobbie (not Bobby) Gentry (as in 'the landed gentry).

[@maryannanderson2213]

Whichever recipe you choose, serve it hot out of the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. HEAVEN!

[@stormyweather4898]

It is an American dessert, like you like your biscuit and tea. That is how loved the pie here to white America.

[@tlo3571]

This is sad is so sad and haunting. A boy committed suicide and it was just dinner conversation. The girl and the boy had a secret relationship.

[@joannevincent2035]

This song was a smash - everybody loved the deep, dark drama in her voice. Bobbie Gentry as in "Gentle On my Mind". Now there's another fantastic hit song!