Lorrie Morgan Revives the Classic “Ode to Billie Joe”

Lorrie Morgan recently celebrated her birthday and it’s a new chapter in her life as she turns 60 years old. Despite the changing times in life, there are some things Morgan kept good things preserved and one of which is her spectacular voice.

Lorrie Morgan Covers “Ode to Billie Joe”

In 2017, Morgan performed a live rendition of the classic Bobbie Gentry “Ode to Billie Joe.” Morgan coupled her twangy country style with her glittering pink guitar, and dangling earrings. She began by introducing the song, and how mysterious it was that up until today no one knows the secret of the song’s story. This classic single has also been rerecorded by Morgan for her 16th studio album Letting Go…Slow. She never released the song from her album as a single, hence, it was not able to enter the chart, but we guarantee that if it’s out as a single, it’ll be on the chart. Meanwhile, her album sat at the number 47 position of the Top Country Albums.

What do you think of Morgan’s rendition?

The Mystery of the Song

“Ode to Billie Joe” is one of those country songs that keeps its mystery alive up until now. The song narrates the story of a boy who committed suicide but didn’t further explain why. As you listen to the entire song, it’s been noticed that the narrator and Billy Joe (the character who committed suicide) threw something off the bridge, but it wasn’t mentioned what it was. This might be the reason that puts guilt on Billy Joe, hence, his tragic death.

The song’s mystery is not only why it became popular. Even Gentry’s distinctive voice adds up to the emotions of the song. It topped the Hot 100 charts, but only reached number 17 on the country chart. In addition, the song has five nominations and two wins in the 1967 Grammys.

The Grammy-award winning “Ode to Billie Joe” by Gentry.