Home | Songs By Year | Songs from 1971
You Don't Mess Around with Jim (song)
Buy You Don't Mess Around with Jim (song) now from AmazonFirst, read the Wikipedia article. Then, scroll down to see what other TopShelfReviews readers thought about the song. And once you've experienced the song, tell everyone what you thought about it.
Wikipedia article
"'You Don't Mess Around with Jim'" is a 1972 strophic story song by Jim Croce from his album of the same name.[ Billboard] artist profile It was Croce's debut single, released on ABC Records as ABC-11328. ABC Records promotion man Marty Kupps took it to KHJ 930 AM in Los Angeles, CA where it 1st aired. It made the KHJ "30" chart (at #27) that week of June 6, 1972. After spending 11 weeks on the 'Billboard' Hot 100 chart, the song peaked at No. 8 the week ending September 9. Croce performed the song on 'American Bandstand' on August 12, 1972. 'Billboard' ranked it as the No. 68 song for 1972.
Content
The lyrics are set around an underground pool hall on 42nd Street in New York City. "Big" Jim Walker, a pool hustler who is not too bright but is respected because of his tough reputation, his considerable strength and size, and his skill at pool, has formed a sort of gang of "bad folks" who regularly gather at night in the pool hall. Their recurring words of advice is as follows:[https://play.google.com/music/preview/Teqehpjj66cv4czcrnsi6q7rske?lyrics=1 Google Play Store: You Don't Mess around with Jim]
You don't tug on Superman's cape
You don't spit into the wind
You don't pull the mask off the old Lone Ranger
And you don't mess around with Jim
A fellow pool player named Willie "Slim" McCoy comes from south Alabama to the pool hall to get his money back from Jim after being hustled out of it the previous week. When Jim comes in, McCoy ambushes and kills him, stabbing him in "about a hundred places" (to the point where "the only part that wasn't bloody was the soles of the big man's feet") and shooting him "in a couple more". It is implied that McCoy now has his money back as well as the respect formerly granted to Jim, and the regulars at the pool hall have now changed their advice to strangers: "You don't mess around with 'Slim'".
The song is noted for its spoken recitation, which is heard following the third verse and chorus:
Yeah, Big Jim got his hat
Find out where it's at
And it's not hustlin' people strange to you
Even if you do got a two-piece custom-made pool cue
This is followed by the repeat of the Chorus and the repeated Coda before the song's fade.
Croce tells a similar story a much-feared tough guy who gets his comeuppance from someone even tougher in his later hit single "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown".
In popular culture
*On an episode of the ABC drama 'Eli Stone', Victor Garber performed this song in one of Eli's visions.[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1289974/ IMDB] Eli Stone (TV series 20082009): The Humanitarian
*The song was featured in an episode of 'The Greatest American Hero', "Don't Mess Around With Jim". It also inspired the episode title.[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0592578/ IMDB] The Greatest American Hero: Don't Mess Around with Jim
*The song is featured in Seasons 2 and 3 of 'Stranger Things' as a favorite song of Hawkins police chief Jim Hopper.
*Part the song's chorus is referenced in 'CNR' by Weird Al Yankovic from 'Alpocalypse'
Reception
'Cash Box' described it as being "perfectly polished and honed for super Top 40/ MOR/ FM impact" despite being Croce's first single.
Live performances
Live versions of the song have been released on both of Croce's live albums, 'Have You Heard: Jim Croce Live' and 'Jim Croce Live: The Final Tour'.
Track listing
'7" single (ABC-11328)'[http://www.discogs.com/Jim-Croce-You-Dont-Mess-Around-With-Jim-Photographs-And-Memories/release/1473988 Jim Croce - You Don't Mess Around With Jim / Photographs And Memories]
# "You Don't Mess Around with Jim" 3:00
# "Photographs and Memories" 2:03
Chart performance
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Poison Cover
American glam metal band Poison covered the song (under the name
Josh Turner Cover
Josh Turner covered "You Don't Mess Around with Jim" on his 2003 'Long Black Train' LP.
See also
* Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1972
References
Category:1971 songs
Category:1972 debut singles
Category:Jim Croce songs
Category:Songs written by Jim Croce
Category:ABC Records singles
Category:Songs about fictional male characters
Category:Songs about New York City
Buy You Don't Mess Around with Jim (song) now from Amazon
<-- Return to songs from 1971