Other arrangements of Ode To Billy Joe
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It was the (F7)third of June, an oth er (Cm7)sleep y, dust y del ta day,
I was (F7)out chop pin’ cot ton and my (Cm7)broth er was bail in’ hay:
And at (Bb7)din ner time we stopped and walked back to the house
to eat,
And Ma ma (F7)hol lered at the back door, “Y’all re (Cm7)mem ber to wipe your feet”.
Then she (Bb7)said, “I got some news this morn in’ from Choc taw Ridge,
To day (F7)Bil ly Joe Mc Al lis ter jumped (Eb7)off the Tal la hat chee Bridge.“
(F7)third of June, an oth er (Cm7)sleep y, dust y del ta day,
I was (F7)out chop pin’ cot ton and my (Cm7)broth er was bail in’ hay:
And at (Bb7)din ner time we stopped and walked back to the house to eat,
And Ma ma (F7)hol lered at the back door, “Y’all re (Cm7)mem ber to wipe your feet”.
Then she (Bb7)said, “I got some news this morn in’ from Choc taw Ridge,
To day (F7)Bil ly Joe Mc Al lis ter jumped (Eb7)off the Tal la hat chee Bridge.“
Ode To Billy Joe — Karaoke: Lyrics & Chords to Sing & Play Along
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Free karaoke for "Ode To Billy Joe" by Bobbie Gentry: lyrics on screen with the chords above each line and a bouncing ball that lands on every word in time. Sing along, or play along on guitar or piano from the chord chart. Change the key to fit your voice, slow the tempo down. Key of Bb, 100 BPM.
Tip: Start at 50% speed to get comfortable with the fingering, then work your way up to full tempo.
Try other practice modes:
About “Ode To Billy Joe”
- What key is "Ode To Billy Joe" by Bobbie Gentry played in?
- Ode To Billy Joe is arranged in the key of Bb on Super Simple Piano. You can transpose to any other key live in the player.
- What's the tempo (BPM) of "Ode To Billy Joe"?
- The arrangement plays at 100 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
- Is "Ode To Billy Joe" easy to play on piano?
- Yes — this is one of our beginner-friendly arrangements with simplified chords and color-coded notes.
- Can I download sheet music for "Ode To Billy Joe"?
- Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
- Who composed "Ode To Billy Joe"?
- "Ode To Billy Joe" was originally performed by Bobbie Gentry. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
- What chords are used in "Ode To Billy Joe"?
- This arrangement uses 4 chords: Bb7, Cm7, Eb7, F7. Only a handful of chords — beginner-friendly.
- Is there a karaoke version of "Ode To Billy Joe" with lyrics?
- Yes — this is a free karaoke slide for "Ode To Billy Joe" by Bobbie Gentry. The lyrics appear on screen a line at a time and each word lights up exactly when it's sung, with a bouncing ball leading you word to word. A backing plays underneath so you can just sing.
- Does it show chords so I can play along on guitar or piano?
- It does — a chord symbol sits on a thin row just above the lyric it changes on, so the same screen doubles as a lyrics-and-chords chart. Guitarists can strum the changes and pianists can comp while singing; the chords are colour-coded and move with the live transpose if you change key.
- Can I change the key of "Ode To Billy Joe" to match my voice or capo?
- Yes. The original is in Bb, but the live transpose control shifts the whole song up or down semitones until the melody sits in your range (or maps to an easier guitar shape / capo position) — the on-screen chords and the backing move with it.
- Can I slow "Ode To Billy Joe" down to learn the words and chords?
- Yes — the tempo control lets you take it as slow as you need while the lyrics still light up in time and the ball keeps you on the beat. Speed it back up once you can sing and play it through.