ballad of billy joe

Singer:grass roots, the

there was a girl called mary anne

mary anne was all the world to me

we planned to get married and we

set the date the wedding was to be

i went off to her house one night

and out there on the front porch they sat

and i swore they'd never get away with that

billy joe took mary anne

up to the dance hall one night

they didn't know that i was standin'

back there in the shadows out of sight

sat down at a table and she smiled as he gave her hand a pat

and i swore they'd never get away with that

i swore they would never get away with breakin' my heart

i knew that there was just one way to keep them apart

everybody says his mother

told him not to take his guns to town

he should have listened to her

she knew i was gonna shoot him down

now i'll be hung tomorrow just because i had to kill that little rat

and i swore they'd never get away with that

i swore they'd never get away with breakin' my heart

i knew that there was just one way to keep them apart

everybody says his mother

told him not to take his guns to town

he should have listened to her

she knew i was gonna shoot him down

now i'll be hung tomorrow just because i had to kill that little rat

and i swore they'd never get away with that

and billy joe didn't get away with that

well

he didn't get away - no

well

he didn't get away - no

well

he didn't get away - no

didn't get away

didn't get away

didn't get away

didn't get away

didn't get away

didn't get away.