I remember driving north on Hwy 22 in Mississippi heading to Memphis to visit family, and there was a sign indicating the road was passing over the LittleTallahatchie River. This was a hwy bridge and not THE Tallahatchie Bridge which is in LeFlore County but I had no idea the song was referencing real life places.

Another early misconception on my part was that Bobbie Gentry was African American, judging from the texture of her voice and the phrasing of various words and sentences. I had only heard the song on radio, but later got to see Bobby on TV.

A fantastic song which I play in open F#7 on the guitar.