[Verse 1]
It was the third of June
Another sleepy, dusty, delta day
I was out choppin' cotton
And my brother was balin' hay, yeah
And at dinner time
We stopped and walked back to the house to eat, yeah
And mama hollered out the back door
"Y'all, remember to wipe them dirty feet!", yeah
And then she said "I got some news this mornin'", hmm
"From Choctaw Ridge", yeah
"This morning Billie Joe MacAllister jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge"

[Verse 2]
Well, papa said to Mama
As he passed around them black-eyed peas
That's soul food, you know what I'm talkin' about
Said "Ol' Billie Joe ain't never had a lick of sense in his life", huh
"Woman, pass me them biscuits, please"
Some more soul food
Said "'Cause there's five more acres in the lower forty
Me and my mule have got to plow", yeah
And mama said it was shame about poor Billie Joe
Anyhow, yeah-yeah
She said "Seem like nothin' ever comes to no good", huh
"To nothin' on Choctaw Ridge", no
"And now this Billie Joe MacAllister's jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge"
[Verse 3]
Oh, my brother recollected, huh
When he and Tom and Billie Joe
Put a bullfrog down my back
At the Carroll County picture show
"And wasn't I talkin' to him after church", huh
"Just last Sunday night", yeah
"I'll have some more of that apple cobbler, mama"
"You know it don't seem right", mmm-mmm-mm, huh
"Saw him yesterday at the sawmill", huh
"Standin' way up on Choctaw Ridge", y'all
"And now you tell me Billie's act a fool
And jumped the Tallahatchie Bridge"
Huh, oh!

[Verse 4]
My mama said "Son", huh
"What's happened to your appetite?"
Said "I've been standin' over this hot stove, cookin'", huh
"And you haven't touched a single bite", no
She said "That fine little daughter of Brother Taylor's
Dropped by the house today", yeah
"Said she'd be pleased to have dinner with us on Sunday", huh
"Oh son, by the way
She said she thinks she saw a boy, looks like you", huh
"Standin' on Choctaw Ridge", yeah
"And he and Billie Joe was throwin' something
Off the Tallahatchie Bridge", woo-hoo-hoo, woo
[Verse 5]
Well, the years come and gone
Since we heard the news about Billie Joe
Brother got married to Becky Thompson
And they bought 'em a little old country store down in Tupelo
There was a virus goin' around, papa caught it
And he died last spring, sorry 'bout that
Now mama sits around and doesn't seem
To wanna do much of anything, no-no-no, no
Me, I've spent a lot of time, huh
Eatin' me a cold watermelon on Choctaw Ridge, yeah
And I spit the seeds into the muddy water
Off the Tallahatchie Bridge
Huh, woo!

[Outro]
Billie Joe, huh
Why did you do that?
Huh, Billie Joe, heh
Why did you do that?
Why did you jump off the Tallahatchie Bridge for?
Billie Joe