It was the third of June

Another sleepy dusty Delta day

I was out choppin' cotton

And my brother was balin' hay

At dinner time we stopped

Walked back to the house to eat

Mama hollered out the back door

"Y'all remember to wipe your feet"

Then she said "I got some news

This mornin' from Choctaw Ridge"

"Today Billy Joe Mac Allister

Jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge"

Papa said to Mama as he passed

Around the black eyed peas

"Well Billy Joe never had a lick of sense

Pass the biscuits please"

"There's five more