Posted on 06/03/2014 1:47:46 PM PDT by re_nortex
I remember hearing the song when it first came out. A classmate called attention to Pa's grammatical error. He should have said "there are five more acres," not "there's five more acres."
June 3rd is Jefferson Davis' birthday, but that was probably not something the songwriter thought of.
Thanks for the link - nice 3/4-size acoustic she’s got there.
Darn. No that one is NOT original, but I copied and pasted the other before I realized.
THIS is the original:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOr60MxIvvE
I always thought this was one of the strongest features of the song, although even my wife couldn't see it. Here is that girl being all torn up inside (even though we're not sure why), and all around her are people uttering mundanities, while ignoring her inner torture.
Wait a min...you ‘fired up the original’, lol. I love it;)
Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald condensed
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfHJ_G5V0M0
Here’s a quote from her, taken from her Wikipedia page.
“Fancy” is my strongest statement for women’s lib, if you really listen to it. I agree wholeheartedly with that movement and all the serious issues that they stand for — equality, equal pay, day care centers, and abortion rights.”
You know, that is a mighty fine performance. Thanks for posting that one.
A little bit of a personal note on this story:
I grew up in Bobbie Gentry’s hometown—Greenwood, Mississippi. My sister went to school with her at one time. I’ve met her father and had a very interesting conversation with him.
Not all of the places mentioned in the song actually exist, but the bridge over the Tallahatchie River was an actual bridge near Money, Mississippi. It is no longer standing. The year 1972, mentioned earlier, sounds right.
One “brush with greatness” moment: I was the last person to cross the bridge before it collapsed. Here is the story: I was working for a cotton entomologist during the summer. I was riding in the back of a pickup when we crossed the bridge. We then turned onto the Money Road and drove to the nearest store, perhaps a mile or so away if I’m remembering correctly. It could have been slightly more. As we arrived at the store and were getting out, someone drove up behind and said that the bridge had collapsed. It hadn’t been set on fire, as someone earlier on the thread suggested. It was just old and structurally deficient.
True story.
I think that’s what the song is really about. I think she’s challenging the listener. Whatever was thrown off the bridge is there to distract.
I’d love to know her story the past 40 years (not that it’s any of my business). She’s gotta be married to someone - living in LA. And no one can contact her. She’s a cool cucumber even at this age.
Well did it look like the picture in post 22?
Very cool you were the last one over that famed bridge, nice story.
To be honest, after more than forty years, memories have faded, and I can’t say for certain whether that is the bridge or not. I can say that it is reminiscent of what many older rural bridges in the Delta looked like. The note on the picture claims that it is the actual bridge. As far as whether it is or not, I can’t say.
If that's the case, why did they drop it together, why did no one ask where her baby was, or if she was pregnant?
DING DING DING.....We have a winner!!!!!!
Gilberto and Getz(who was having an affair with her about that time) Jazz Round Midnight. Best ever “After One of Those Days” albums.
Sort of a “brush with disaster” moment too.
On youtube there is a clip from a 1964 film of Astrid singing Girl from Ipanema. Hard to believe it’s fifty years now.
I think the movie was made by Max Baer, Jr. (AKA Jethro Bodine of Beverly Hillbillies fame). Last I heard of Max he had gotten busted with a few kilos of cocaine. He was the 70’s version of Tom Sizemore. Max had Billy Joe commit suicide because he was a homosexual. From what you have quoted about the kind of person Bobbie Gentry is, she was probably highly traumatized by having Max Baer, Jr. molest her song.
Completely forgot that this was Billy Joe McCallister day lol
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