I was surprised that we didn’t hear a lot more from Bobbie Gentry in the early 70s. After “Ode To Billie Joe,” the success of her singles in America never really happened for her.
She was a very talented songwriter, better than she is given credit for. So, I decided to take a closer look at one of the very best Bobbie Gentry songs, so join me on my journey to find the meaning behind the song lyrics “Fancy” by Bobbie Gentry.
A New Kid On The Block
To a certain extent, that is what she was when she announced her arrival on the scene in 1967. She was doing what few other female singers were doing at the time – writing and recording her own songs.
“Ode To Billie Joe” was her second single and one that brought her international recognition. But, perhaps more to the point, it established her as a very good songwriter. She told a story in the song that twisted one way and then another. Intertwined with that were the behaviors of the family and those acting out the tragedy. Very clever songwriting and a well-put-together song.
The UK Audience
Whilst she found things hard in America at times, the UK seemed to appreciate her more. “Ode To Billie Joe” had reached #13 in the UK and had a Top 10 in five other countries. Bobbie was given her own TV show in 1968 on BBC London. She followed that up with a #1 in the UK with “I’ll Never Fall In Love Again“.
An Early Life That Had An Impact On The Song
Bobbie’s parents divorced when she was very young, and her mother sent her to live with her grandparents. Her mother was also a singer and moved to California to try and get work. Naturally, her grandparents did their best, but she lived on a farm with no plumbing and no electricity. She was stuck in a poverty trap, which would certainly influence her songwriting.
Her grandmother traded a cow for her first piano to give her a taste of music at home. She spent some time with her father as well, which is when she learned to play the guitar.
Another Early Influence
Bobbie was born with the surname Streeter but changed it to Gentry. She chose that name after she saw a film called Ruby Gentry. A tale about a poor but beautiful young farm girl who marries the town’s rich tycoon. It might be worth remembering that storyline for later.
Another Career?
She had gone to live with her mother, who had remarried. After high school, she enrolled at UCLA to study Psychology. Something she would continue after music. Bobbie also attended the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music. There she studied music theory, arranging, and composition. Not bad for a young girl who, a few years before, had lived without any electricity.
To pay for all this, she took singing jobs in local clubs. One night, Bobbie Gentry was seen by Bob Hope, who tried to convince her of her obvious talent and to work at her music. At this time, she was writing with the hope she could just write songs for others. But, events took a turn when she signed with Capitol in 1967. Bobbie Gentry’s first single, “Ode To Billie Joe,” brought instant success.
This brief outline of Bobbie Gentry’s background is important to comprehend. Some of the things going on almost certainly had an impact on Bobbie Gentry’s songwriting and subject matter. Especially with her song “Fancy“.
The Meaning Behind the Song Lyrics “Fancy” by Bobbie Gentry
Time now to take a look at the meaning of “Fancy” by Bobbie Gentry. She wrote the song, and it was included in her 1970 album, Fancy. Gentry’s version was released before the album in 1969, and it reached #31 in America. The song was also covered by American Country singer Reba McEntire.
Tragedy Or Necessity?
The story of Bobbie Gentry’s song “Fancy” is that of a young 18-year-old girl named Fancy from New Orleans. She is sent away to be a prostitute by her ailing and terminally ill mother. Then, Fancy is given a red satin dress and told this might be her only chance to get out of poverty.
It doesn’t seem to take her very long to realize what she must do to earn money. She decides that she isn’t going to do this just to survive. Instead, she is going to make a good life for herself.
Unlike so many in her situation, she gets lucky and is given a home by a wealthy man. She talks about how she charmed a king. Also a Congressman and an occasional aristocrat.
It would appear that she had learned how to succeed…
She talks about her “Georgia mansion” and a “New York Townhouse flat.” For some reading this, you might be aware that this is a life situation that even today is quite common. The sad truth is that in some countries, it is also a necessity to survive, just as it was for Fancy, quite an indictment on our alleged modern society.
So, is it a tragedy or a necessity? The answer is probably both. For some, it is a necessity, and that is the tragedy of the situation. Fancy, though, decides that she is not going to spend her life in shame.
The Locket
Her mother had given her a locket with a message inside telling her to be true to herself. As I read it, the mother knew she was dying and wanted something better for her daughter. And she knew how she could get it.
The red satin dress was the way she could achieve it. And the locket is a reminder about herself. The song ends with Fancy acknowledging it was her mother who had freed her from poverty. That, and a little help from a red satin dress.
Of course, there will always be self-righteous critics. Those who will put down Fancy and others like her. Most of those that do have very little reason to take their hypocritical moral stand. They are doing stuff that is probably worse.
Back To Ruby Gentry
I mentioned earlier that the film that gave her the professional name ‘Gentry’ had mirrored her own life in some ways. Like the character in the film, she had also grown up in the South in poverty. Her mother left her in the care of her grandparents, and she married early to a wealthy man, possibly searching for some financial security. That marriage was before she became known and ended less than a year later.
While Gentry never turned to prostitution, she would have been well aware of what hardship can do to you. And, of course, how hard it is to escape it.
The Message In The Song
There is a certain feeling of feminism in this song. It carries some very profound and powerful statements. Especially those that decry the hypocrisy surrounding what Fancy is having to do to survive.
It is just as important, though, that she survives it all and flourishes in life. Something her mother would have been very proud to see if she had lived.
Want To Learn The Meaning Behind More Famous Songs?
If so, check out our thoughts on the Meaning Of The Song “Vienna” By Billy Joel, The Meaning Behind “Daniel” by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, The Meaning Behind “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” By Tom Petty, The Meaning Behind “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond, and the Meaning Behind “In The Air Tonight” by Phil Collins for more excellent song analysis.
The Meaning Behind the Song Lyrics “Fancy” by Bobbie Gentry – Final Thoughts
In my opinion, “Ode To Billie Joe” was one of the great stories to come out of music in the 60s. “Fancy” is another one. I sense that we didn’t get to hear what Bobbie Gentry might have been capable of if she had put her mind to it.
Great songwriting storytellers are hard to come by. But she wanted other things in her life, and that is to be respected. She has left us with this song, though, and it is a classic of its genre with a big message.
Until next time, happy listening.
