Talk:Harper Valley PTA

Jeannie Riley, awards, and miniskirts

I wonder if anyone can find a published source to cite for this ... I saw a PBS special once on women in country music, and Jeannie Riley told a story about an awards show in which she was nominated. Her record company had insisted that she wear a mini-skirt for the many promotional events related to PR for the song, and as the awards show approached, she was excited about the chance finally to wear an elegant, long gown as was her preference. She went out and bought a pricy gown, only to find that at the last minute, people from the record company took it upon themselves to cut the gown's skirt short to make a mini-skirt of it. This would be an interesting anecdote to add to the article, but I'm not sure where to find a reliable source to cite. Lawikitejana (talk) 05:44, 7 May 2008 (UTC)

Melody?

Who in their wisdom wrote the line about this song having the same melody as "Ode To Billy Joe?" This is simply not true, and not only that but the assertion isn't backed up with any reference. If you only hum the two songs in your head you'll note they have nether the same key, tempo, chord progression nor melody; with "Ode" having a minor bluesy feel, but "Harper" is breezy and pop-ish in its feel, resolving stanzas in key. Story telling is perhaps the only similarity. Come to WP with some facts before making these statements. I'm going to flag the sentence but not erase it. 2602:306:320A:AF0:4492:6025:4438:A489 (talk) 02:55, 9 October 2015 (UTC)

I carefully listened to the songs in question and find a similarity, even though key and the chords are different. Changing both melodies to the key of A you maybe will find the answer of the question:"How close to each other"? I found only one reference on the internet: "The country singer Margie Singleton asked Tom T. Hall to write her a song similar to "Ode To Billie Joe," which she had covered the previous year. After driving past a school called Harpeth Valley Elementary School in Bellevue, Tennessee, he noted the name and wrote "Harper Valley P.T.A." about a fictional confrontation between a young widow Stella Johnson and a local PTA group who objected to her manner of dress, social drinking, and friendliness with town's men folk. Jeannie C. Riley, who was working as a secretary in Nashville for Jerry Chesnut, got to hear the song and recorded it herself and it became a massive hit for her." So whoever wrote the passage, he/she might not be totally wrong on the subject. But I guess there's too little proof and try carefully to state this doubt in the article.-- Ramloser 18:34, 20 October 2015 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Ramloser (talk • contribs)

References

copyright info

Added copyright info to article, which focuses heavily on the song writing

Harper Valley PTA (Later That Same Day);

w & m Tom T. Hall, 1 p. Appl states

prev. reg. 26Dec67, no.30104. NM; new lyrics.

© Newkeys Music, Inc.; 280ct68; EU80542.

Date of publication as given in the application

NM= new matter

p= page(s)

https://archive.org/details/catalogofco1968322512libr

Tillywilly17 (talk) 01:07, 9 February 2023 (UTC)

What exactly makes this song "country"?

It sounds exactly the same as every song on Dylan's Bringing it all back home. Is that a country album? 80.89.77.174 (talk) 04:00, 23 December 2024 (UTC)

Bob who? Martinevans123 (talk) 10:24, 23 December 2024 (UTC)

Secretary leaves this town

At that time young women would “leave town” and often stay in a “home for unwed mothers” until the baby was born, often putting it up for adoption. Otherwise “leave this town” doesn’t seem that applicable for an abortion ~2025-40404-47 (talk) 18:15, 13 December 2025 (UTC)

You are right. Whatever the reason the song does not suggest abortion. I've made the edit which felt familiar. Maybe this has been raised before. OrewaTel (talk) 03:01, 23 December 2025 (UTC)