You Don't Mess Around With Jim
Jim Croce & Don McLean Lyrics

Uptown got it's hustlers
The uptown district has people who make a living by questionable means.

The bowery got it's bums
The Bowery district has a lot of homeless, poor people.

42nd street got big Jim Walker
42nd street has a notorious man, Jim Walker.

He's a pool shootin' son of a gun
Jim Walker is someone who is a master at playing pool.

Yeah, he big and dumb as a man can come
Jim Walker might not be the brightest of people, but he is very strong.

But he stronger than a country hoss
Jim Walker is physically stronger than an average person.

And when the bad folks all get together at night
At night, when the bad people of the city gather, Jim Walker is their leader.

You know they all call big Jim boss, just because
All the bad people of the city refer Jim Walker as their boss.

And they say

You don't tug on Superman's cape
You should not mess with someone or something that is powerful and well-known.

You don't spit into the wind
You should not do something that is foolish or will backfire on you.

You don't pull the mask off the old Lone Ranger
You should not expose the identity of someone or something that is a symbol of justice, morality, and righteousness.

And you don't mess around with Jim
You should not mess with Jim Walker because he is dangerous.

Well outta south Alabama came a country boy
A country boy from southern Alabama came to the city.

He say I'm lookin' for a man named Jim
The country boy is looking for Jim Walker.

I am a pool shootin' boy
The country boy is good at playing pool.

My name Willie McCoy
The country boy's name is Willie McCoy.

But down home they call me slim
Back home, Willie McCoy is known as Slim.

Yeah I'm lookin' for the king of 42nd street
Willie McCoy is looking for Jim Walker, who is the kingpin of 42nd street.

He drivin' a drop top cadillac
Jim Walker drives a fancy convertible Cadillac.

Last week he took all my money
Jim Walker won all of Willie McCoy's money last week in a pool game.

And it may sound funny
It might be amusing or strange to hear, but it is true.

But I come to get my money back
Willie McCoy has come to get his money back from Jim Walker.

And everybody say Jack don't you know
Everyone tells Willie McCoy that he should not mess with Jim Walker.

Well a hush fell over the pool room
The pool room became silent when Jim Walker arrived.

Jimmy come boppin' in off the street
Jim Walker entered the room casually.

And when the cuttin' were done
After everything was settled.

The only part that wasn't bloody
The only place that was not injured or hurt.

Was the soles of the big man's feet
The only part of Jim Walker that was not hurt was the soles of his feet.

Yeah he were cut in bout a hundred places
Jim Walker was injured in several places.

And he were shot in a couple more
Jim Walker was shot in a few places as well.

And you better believe

They sung a different kind of story
People started saying something different about Jim Walker.

When big Jim hit the floor now they say
After Jim Walker was defeated, people started saying something else about him.

Yeah big Jim got his hat
Jim Walker got his hat back.

Find out where it's at
To locate where the hat is and how to get it.

And it's not hustlin' people strange to you
One should not take advantage of strangers.

Even if you do got a two piece custom made pool cue
Having an expensive pool cue does not make one invincible.

Yeah you don't tug on Superman's cape
You should not mess with someone or something that is powerful and well-known.

You don't spit into the wind
You should not do something that is foolish or will backfire on you.

You don't pull the mask off the old Lone Ranger
You should not expose the identity of someone or something that is a symbol of justice, morality, and righteousness.

And you don't mess around with Slim
You should not mess with Willie McCoy because he is tough.