This song tells a story about Billie Joe McAllister jumping of the Tallahatchie Bridge and how the town of Choctaw reacted to that suicide. I honestly do not know if this is a true story, but Bobbie Gentry makes it sound as if it is a true story. This is the only hit by her that I know of and I still like it. The story is sad, though, and I have no idea what she and  Billie Joe McAllister threw off the Tallahatchie Bridge or why Billie Joe jumped. Maybe I missed part of the story.