Early life
Croce was born in South Philadelphia. He graduated from Upper Darby High School in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania in 1960 where in 1976, he was the first former student to be added to the high school's Wall of Fame. Then, while attending Villanova University (1965 graduate), Croce became interested in becoming a professional musician and met his future wife, Ingrid, at a hootenanny at Convention Hall in Philadelphia, where he was a judge for the contest.
Early career
During the early 1960s, Croce formed a number of college bands and performed at coffee houses and universities, and later with his wife Ingrid as a duo in the mid-1960s to early 1970s. At first their performances included songs by Ian and Sylvia, Gordon Lightfoot, Joan Baez, and Woody Guthrie, but in time they began writing their own music, such as "Age", "Hey Tomorrow", and "Spin, Spin Spin" which later led to Croce's hit songs in the early seventies.
At the same time, Croce got his first long-term gig at a rural bar and steak house in Lima, Pennsylvania, called the Riddle Paddock. There, over the next few years, Croce developed a very engaging rapport with tough audiences and built his musical repertoire to over 3,000 songs. His set list included every genre from blues to country, rock 'n roll to folk, with tender love songs and traditional Bawdy Ballads, always introduced with a story and an impish grin.
In 1968, Jim and Ingrid Croce were encouraged to move to New York City to record their first album with Capitol Records. For the next two years, they drove over 300,000 miles playing small clubs and concerts on the college concert circuit promoting their album Jim & Ingrid Croce.
Then, disillusioned by the music business and New York City, Croce sold all but one guitar to pay the rent, and they returned to the Pennsylvania countryside where Croce got a job driving trucks and doing construction to pay the bills. He called this his "Character Development Period" and spent a lot of his time sitting in the cab of a truck, composing songs about his buddies and the folks he enjoyed meeting at the local bars and truck stops.
Success
In 1970, Croce met classically trained pianist/guitarist, singer-songwriter Maury Muehleisen from Trenton, New Jersey. Initially, Croce backed Muehleisen on guitar at his gigs. But in time, their musical strengths led them each to new heights. Muehleisen's ethereal and inspired guitar leads became the perfect accompaniment to Croce's down-to-earth music.
In 1972, Croce signed to a three record deal with ABC Records releasing You Don't Mess Around with Jim and Life & Times in the same year. The singles "You Don't Mess Around with Jim", "Operator (That's Not The Way It Feels)" and "Time In A Bottle" (written for his newborn son, A. J. Croce) helped the former album reach #1 on the charts in 1974. Croce's biggest single "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown", hit number 1 on the US charts in the summer of 1973, selling two million copies.
Sudden death
Croce, 30, and Muehleisen, 24, died in a small commercial plane crash on September 20, 1973 in Natchitoches, Louisiana one day before releasing his third ABC album, I Got a Name. The posthumous release included three hits, "I Got A Name", "Workin' At The Car Wash Blues" and "I'll Have To Say I Love You In A Song."
Musical legacy
In 1990, Croce was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
In the late 1990s, Ingrid Croce, Croce's widow, and their son, A.J. Croce obtained the publishing rights for Croce's entire catalog of songs. Since then they have released Jim Croce Home Recordings, Facets, Jim Croce: Classic Hits, and the first-ever DVD of Jim's television performances on "Have You Heard – Jim Croce Live", with their most recent release in January 2006 of a CD of the same title. They also co-produced a PBS special, with archive footage from the Croce family collection, along with excerpts of their DVD Have You Heard – Jim Croce Live.
In 1985, Ingrid Croce opened "Croce's Restaurant & Jazz Bar", located in the historic Gaslamp District in San Diego, California, partially as a tribute to her late husband.
Quotes
His personal motto: "If you dig it, do it. If you really dig it, do it twice."
On his roots: "I never really thought of my neighborhood in South Philly as being a neighborhood, it was more a state of mind. For people who aren't familiar with those kind of places, it's a whole different thing. Like 42nd Street in New York City is a state of mind."
BAD
Jim Croce Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is the baddest part of town
And if you go down there
You better just beware
Of a man named Leroy Brown
Now Leroy more than trouble
You see he stand about six foot four
All the men just call him "Sir"
And it's bad, bad Leroy Brown
The baddest man in the whole damned town
Badder than old King Kong
And meaner than a junkyard dog
Now Leroy he a gambler
And he like his fancy clothes
And he like to wave his diamond rings
In front of everybody's nose
He got a custom Continental
He got a Eldorado too
He got a thirty two gun in his pocket for fun
He got a razor in his shoe
And it's bad, bad Leroy Brown
The baddest man in the whole damned town
Badder than old King Kong
And meaner than a junkyard dog
Well Friday 'bout a week ago
Leroy shootin' dice
And at the edge of the bar
Sat a girl named a Doris
And ooh that girl looked nice
Well he cast his eyes upon her
And the trouble soon began
And Leroy Brown he learned a lesson
'Bout messin' with the wife of a jealous man
And it's bad, bad Leroy Brown
The baddest man in the whole damned town
Badder than old King Kong
And meaner than a junkyard dog
Well the two men took to fighting
And when they pulled them from the floor
Leroy looked like a jigsaw puzzle
With a couple of pieces gone
And it's bad, bad Leroy Brown
The baddest man in the whole damned town
Badder than old King Kong
Meaner than a junkyard dog
And he's bad, bad Leroy Brown
The baddest man in the whole damned town
Badder than old King Kong
And meaner than a junkyard dog
Yeah, he was badder than old King Kong
Meaner than a junkyard dog
The song "Bad Bad Leroy Brown" by Jim Croce is a witty and playful portrayal of a larger-than-life character Leroy Brown who is known as the baddest man in the whole town. The song was released in 1973 as a part of Croce's album Life and Times. The song starts with the iconic line "Well the South side of Chicago is the baddest part of town / And if you go down there you better just beware" suggesting that the town has a notorious reputation for being unsafe. Leroy Brown is portrayed as a man of formidable strength, impressive height (6'4"), and style. He is a gambler who likes to wear fancy clothes and flash his diamond rings to everyone.
The song is narrated in the third person, with the singer describing Leroy as a mythical figure that everyone is aware of. The lyrics suggest that Leroy is not only feared by men but also adored by women who call him the "Treetop Lover." The chorus repeatedly reminds us that he is the baddest man in the whole damned town, badder than old King Kong, and meaner than a junkyard dog. The song's concluding verse tells the story of Leroy starting a fight with a jealous man after trying to flirt with his wife Doris, resulting in a gruesome brawl that leaves Leroy battered and bruised.
In conclusion, "Bad Bad Leroy Brown" is an amusing and catchy song that uses playful humor and clever wordplay to portray a colorful character full of charisma and unpredictability. The song was a massive commercial hit and has since become a classic that is still played on the radio today.
Line by Line Meaning
Well the South side of Chicago
The South side of Chicago is known for being dangerous
Is the baddest part of town
It's the most dangerous part of town
And if you go down there
If you visit the South side of Chicago
You better just beware
Be cautious and vigilant
Of a man named Leroy Brown
Beware of Leroy Brown
Now Leroy more than trouble
Leroy is more than just a problematic person
You see he stand about six foot four
Leroy is very tall, around six feet and four inches tall
All those downtown ladies call him "Treetop Lover"
Women in downtown Chicago refer to him as "Treetop Lover" because of his height
All the men just call him "Sir"
Men call him "Sir" out of respect or in fear
And it's bad, bad Leroy Brown
Leroy Brown is a really dangerous person
The baddest man in the whole damned town
The most dangerous person in the town
Badder than old King Kong
More dangerous than King Kong, who is also known for being violent and destructive
And meaner than a junkyard dog
Even more cruel and vicious than a stray dog in a junkyard
Now Leroy he a gambler
Leroy likes to gamble
And he like his fancy clothes
Leroy likes to wear expensive clothing
And he like to wave his diamond rings
Leroy likes to show off his expensive diamond rings
In front of everybody's nose
In front of everyone he meets
He got a custom Continental
Leroy has a custom-made Lincoln Continental car
He got a Eldorado too
He also has a Cadillac Eldorado car
He got a thirty two gun in his pocket for fun
Leroy carries a .32 caliber gun around for fun, showing how dangerous he is
He got a razor in his shoe
Leroy also carries a razor blade in his shoe, suggesting that he has violent tendencies
Well Friday 'bout a week ago
About a week ago, on a Friday
Leroy shootin' dice
Leroy is playing a gambling game called craps
And at the edge of the bar
In a bar they were in
Sat a girl named a Doris
A woman named Doris was sitting there
And ooh that girl looked nice
He found Doris attractive
Well he cast his eyes upon her
Leroy looked at her with desire
And the trouble soon began
This caused issues and conflict to occur
And Leroy Brown he learned a lesson
Leroy learned a valuable lesson
'Bout messin' with the wife of a jealous man
Do not mess with the wife of a possessive and jealous man, as it can lead to trouble
Well the two men took to fighting
The two men got into a physical altercation
And when they pulled them from the floor
When they separated the two men from fighting
Leroy looked like a jigsaw puzzle
Leroy was badly injured and his face was swollen and cut up
With a couple of pieces gone
Some parts of his face were missing or damaged
Yeah, he was badder than old King Kong
He was even more dangerous and destructive than King Kong
Meaner than a junkyard dog
Leroy was even more vicious and cruel than the animals living in junkyards
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: James Croce
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@kinkane5566
I used to date a girl that worked in a nursing home as part of her credits or training to become an RN - which she did eventually become. Most of the job she really hated, she would cry when it came time for her to go to work. I felt bad for her in this regard. As a man, I understand that work is just something we have to do in life, whether we like the job or not, but there was something different about this situation. She literally just hated going into that environment and being around people that were - as you said - a former shell of themselves. She mentioned to me so many cases where she was taking care of someone that no one EVER visited. It made me sad for those people. Like what could they have done in life to deserve the inattention of their relatives? That their relatives had stuffed them away into a nursing home...basically to die out of sight and out of mind was unacceptable to me. Even to this day it disturbs me and I've vowed that no one is going to a nursing home on my watch, meaning that I will FIND a way to take care of my parents no matter the cost to me or my lifestyle - time will tell if I can follow up with that promise.
The one case that sticks out in my mind however was a dude she was taking care of who had pictures of himself in the military as the decorated hero that he had been at that time (and still was actually). She had said THIS dude....was handsome as hell in those pictures and you could tell he was a SOMEbody in his day and age. She hated that he'd degenerated to the point and position in life that she was taking care of him begrudgingly just as part of her school credit requirements when this man was undoubtedly a BAD ASS in life decades ago - and most certainly a heart breaker of girls as well.
Every man deserves to leave this life at his due time instead of because of something like a shooting or car accident (my heart and respect goes out to all of our soldiers that have died horrible deaths on battlefields far from home), and this man in particular deserved more. Eventually one day she came to work and his room was empty and the bed made nice and neatly. She thought he'd been moved to another room but after inquiring about him it was revealed to her that he had passed away since her last shift....this girl was tougher than I am for sure, and I could never be a doctor or nurse just due to the sheer morbidness of it all - whether natural or acquired. She was used to this kind of thing happening. It had happened dozens of times in her tenure at that place. But in this case she broke down into tears and could not work that shift. It was simply just too much of a shock that this dude had just been alive, but now he was dead, and she was neither there for it nor was anyone from his family that had abandoned him. Your story reminds me of his case, and I think it serves as a lesson to all of us that we should not abandon each other during old ages, and that no matter how old you are, there a piece of that fighting tiger that you once were that continues to reside within, and that should be respected.
Remember, a tiger is most fierce when it's near the end, when it knows nothing is left but degeneration and deterioration. Time and death is coming for me. It's coming for you. No one can stop it. But by God we can maintain honor and reverence for each other until death comes for us and we can respect and treat better those who are close to it in order to send them into the next life with respect, dignity, and with proper ceremony. We should be approaching death standing tall, with no regrets, and a with mouth full of saliva ready to spit into it's damn face. It will eventually be coming for you.....
@halfaday1
Well the South side of Chicago
Is the baddest part of town
And if you go down there
You better just beware
Of a man named Leroy Brown
Now Leroy more than trouble
You see he stand 'bout six foot four
All the downtown ladies call him "Treetop Lover"
All the men just call him "Sir"
And it's bad, bad Leroy Brown
The baddest man in the whole damned town
Badder than old King Kong
And meaner than a junkyard dog
Now Leroy he a gambler
And he like his fancy clothes
And he like to wave his diamond rings
In front of everybody's nose
He got a custom Continental
He got an Eldorado too
He got a thirty two gun in his pocket for fun
He got a razor in his shoe
And it's bad, bad Leroy Brown
The baddest man in the whole damned town
Badder than old King Kong
And meaner than a junkyard dog
Now Friday 'bout a week ago
Leroy shootin' dice
And at the edge of the bar
Sat a girl named Doris
And oo that girl looked nice
Well he cast his eyes upon her
And the trouble soon began
And Leroy Brown learned a lesson
'Bout messin' with the wife of a jealous man
And it's bad, bad Leroy Brown
The baddest man in the whole damned town
Badder than old King Kong
And meaner than a junkyard dog
Well the two men took to fighting
And when they pulled them off the floor
Leroy looked like a jigsaw puzzle
With a couple of pieces gone
And it's bad, bad Leroy Brown
The baddest man in the whole damned town
Badder than old King Kong
And meaner than a junkyard dog
And it's bad, bad Leroy Brown
The baddest man in the whole damned town
Badder than old King Kong
And meaner than a junkyard dog
Badder than old King Kong
And meaner than a junkyard dog
@_arpheus
This wasn't recommended, you searched for it
@dianapatrick4482
Wtf!!!!!?
@aarongrillo4385
Damn straight
@kingcolt8526
Very original
@joelsmith4913
💯, I sing it to the gf daily
@aidenbuchler4202
Dang straight I searched for it, and if you got here from a recommendation than you aren't cultured IMO.
@_zeyrox_6779
Everybody who is listening in 2020 is a absolute legend
@purplecloudz538
Everybody with a pepe pfp is a legend
@_zeyrox_6779
Purple Cloudz True😂🐸
@steviewonder1513
39 legends