Bad, Bad Leroy Brown
Jim Croce
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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
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11 facts about this song
Song Facts"Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" was Jim Croce's first single to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in July 1973.
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InspirationThe song was inspired by a character Croce met while in the United States Army. Leroy Brown was a guy from the South Side of Chicago, who got into trouble with the law.
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Popularity"Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" has been used in numerous films and TV shows, including "The Secret Life of Pets", "Invincible", and "Supernatural".
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AwardsThe song was nominated for two Grammys in 1974: "Best Male Pop Vocal Performance" and "Record of the Year".
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Cover versionsMany well-known artists have covered the song, including Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr.
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GenereThe song falls under folk-pop genre, but it also slightly deviates into soul and rhythm and blues due to its engaging, narrative elements.
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CommercialsIn addition to appearing in films and TV shows, "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" has been utilized in commercials for companies like Bridgestone and Budweiser.
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Posthumous SuccessTragically, Jim Croce died in a plane crash on September 20, 1973, two months after his song "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" reached the top of the charts.
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Music CompositionThe song contains an upbeat rhythm, despite the storyline about a tough and ill-fated character, thus creating a juxtaposition that listeners often find appealing.
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Cultural Impact"Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" is considered a classic of American pop culture. The phrase "Meaner than a junkyard dog", as used in the song, has since been widely adopted in various contexts to describe a formidable person or obstacle.
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Live PerformancesDespite its popularity, Jim Croce had only a few opportunities to perform "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" live due to his untimely death shortly after the song reached peak popularity.
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Citation
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"Bad, Bad Leroy Brown Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 26 Sep. 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/8188689/Jim+Croce/Bad%2C+Bad+Leroy+Brown>.
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