TS: Jim Croce's "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" vs "You Don't Mess Around with Jim"

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

They're both good songs, but irritatingly similar (chorus that changes in the last iteration, rough guys who get their comeuppance). I go with You Don't Mess Around with Jim because I think the rhymes are slicker.

― WillS, Monday, 22 August 2005 03:41 (eighteen years ago) link

The backing vocals are more fun on "Leroy Brown," so I'll take that one. Plus, it was the one I got to know first, one of the first songs I can recall ever hearing.

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Monday, 22 August 2005 03:44 (eighteen years ago) link

Bad Bad Leroy Brown.

The chords (A7-B7-C#7-D7-E7) are uplifting and fun.

― James R., Monday, 22 August 2005 04:04 (eighteen years ago) link

Can't explain it - I like "Y.D.M.A.W.J." because it's bluesier.

By comparison, "Bad Bad Leroy Brown" sounds like a campfire singalong, and he's obviously trying to do a "Don't Mess With Jim - Part 2"-kinda thing. Lightning only strikes once in the same place.

― Rev. Hoodoo (Rev. Hoodoo), Monday, 22 August 2005 04:13 (eighteen years ago) link

Leroy Brown is a kickass campfire tune.Went to Prince George
(Canada) once, and everyone (drunk or not) joined in and
we did a 20 minute screaming tone-deaf version... it was
ridiculous !

― James R., Monday, 22 August 2005 04:32 (eighteen years ago) link

Absolutely true: I teach a kid named Leroy Brown. The week he arrived at our school last year, I had him in for a detention (running in the hall, I think--hey, I'm a grade-school teacher, cut me some slack). Me, smiling: "So you're Leroy Brown?" Leroy, not smiling: "Yeah." It was quite magical.

― merritt ranew (merritt), Monday, 22 August 2005 06:04 (eighteen years ago) link

YDMAWJ

― j blount (papa la bas), Monday, 22 August 2005 06:05 (eighteen years ago) link

"Jim." But the one I really dig at this point is "Workin' at the Car Wash Blues."

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Monday, 22 August 2005 06:07 (eighteen years ago) link

"Jim" - hard to remember, but I think the vocals are more pleasing.

― Susan Douglas (Susan Douglas), Monday, 22 August 2005 06:23 (eighteen years ago) link

neither of these are terribly good songs, but I'll go with "Jim"

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Monday, 22 August 2005 06:27 (eighteen years ago) link

thirteen years pass...

That's me above, 14 years ago, merritt ranew...Forgot I posted that; I came on to basically say the same thing. In 21 years of full-time teaching, I've taught one or two Jameses, but no one who ever answered to Jim. But I have taught a Leroy Brown. (What does "YDMAWJ" mean?)

― clemenza, Saturday, 20 April 2019 19:42 (five years ago) link

You don't mess around with jim

― findom haddie (jim in vancouver), Saturday, 20 April 2019 20:07 (five years ago) link

Thanks. Follow-up: what's a keyboard shortcut for "I feel awfully fucking stupid at the moment"?

― clemenza, Saturday, 20 April 2019 21:39 (five years ago) link

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.