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

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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 (twenty years ago)

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 (twenty years ago)

Bad Bad Leroy Brown.

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

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

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 (twenty years ago)

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 (twenty years ago)

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 (twenty years ago)

YDMAWJ

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

"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 (twenty years ago)

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

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

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 (twenty years ago)

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 (seven years ago)

You don't mess around with jim

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

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

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

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