YOU DON'T MESS AROUND WITH JIM
(Jim Croce)

Jim Croce - 1972
Donna Fargo - 1972
The Ventures - 1974
Lena Andersson (Titled "När Karl Jonas Är I Stan) - 1977
Jerry Reed - 1979
Joe Dassin (Titled "Faut Pas Faire De La Peine À John") - 1979
Ty Herndon - 1995
Josh Turner - 2003

Also recorded by: Poison; Me And Cassity;






As recorded by JIM CROCE:

Uptown got its hustlers
The Bowry's got its bums
Forty-Second Street got Big Jim Walker
He's a pool-shootin' son of a gun

Yeah, he's big and dumb as a man can come
But he's stronger than a country hoss
And when the bad folks all get together at night
You know they all call Big Jim "boss", just because

And they say you don't tug on Superman's cape
You don't spit into the wind
You don't pull the mask of that old Lone Ranger
And you don't mess around with Jim

(Ah-doot-an-doot-an-da-dee-deet-an-dee-dee)

Well, outta South Alabama come a country boy
Said, "I'm lookin' for a man named Jim
I am a pool-shootin' boy, my name is Willie McCoy
But down home they call me Slim"

"Yeah, I'm lookin' for the king of Forty-Second Street
He drive an old drop-top Cadillac
Last week he took all my money and it may sound funny
But I come to get my money back
Everybody say, "Jack, don't'cha know that

You don't tug on Superman's cape
You don't spit into the wind
You don't pull the mask of that old Lone Ranger
And you don't mess around with Jim

(Ah-doot-an-doot-an-da-dee-deet-an-dee-dee)

Well a hush fell over the pool room
When Jimmy come boppin' in off o' the street
And when the cuttin' were done, the only part that wasn't bloody
Was the soles of the big man's feet

Woa! Yeah, he was cut in 'bout a hundred places
And he was shot in a couple more
And you better believe they sung a different kind of story
When Big Jim hit the floor, oh-oh-oh

Well, they say you don't tug on Superman's cape
You don't spit into the wind
You don't pull the mask of that old Lone Ranger
And you don't mess around with Slim

Um-um-um-um-umm-umm-umm-umm
Yeah, Big Jim got his hat
Find out where it's at and not hustlin' people strange to you
Even if you do got a two-piece custom made pool cue

Yeah, you don't tug on Superman's cape
You don't spit into the wind
You don't pull the mask of that old Lone Ranger
And you don't mess around with Slim

Um-um-um-um-umm-umm-umm-umm.........FADE


********************


As recorded by JERRY REED:

Well now, Uptown's got its hustlers
The Bowery's done got its bums
Forty-Second Street's got Big Jim Walker
He's a pool-shootin' son of a gun

Yeah, he's big and dumb as a man can come
But he's stronger than a country hoss
And when the bad folks all get together at night
You know they all call Big Jim "Boss"
Just because, and they say .....

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

(Uh-hah-huh-huh-huh-hah-huh-huh-huh-huh)

Well, out of South Alabama come a country boy
He said, "I'm lookin' for a man named Jim
I'm a pool-shootin' boy, my name is Willie McCoy
But down home they call me Slim"

"And I'm lookin' for the king o' Forty-Second Street
He drive a drop-top Cadillac
Last week he took all my money and it may sound funny
But I come to get my money back"
And everybody said, "Hey Jack, don't you know that....."

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

(Uh-hah-huh-huh-huh-hah-huh-huh-huh-huh)

Well a hush fell over that pool room
When Jimmy come boppin' in off the street
And when the cuttin' was done, the only part that wasn't bloody
Was the soles of the big man's feet

He was cut in 'bout a hundred places
And he was shot in a couple or more
And you better believe they sung a different kind of story
When Big Jim hit the floor
And now they say.....

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 Slim

Yeah, you got it, brother
That Big Jim, he done got what left o' his hat
And put it on what left o' his head
And he hit the street

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 Slim

Not if you got a lick o' sense you don't
You see what that little skinny fellah do to Jim
He beat his brains out
I mean mostly out o' his head
Say, where'd Jim go anyway
Aw, Jim left and went and got in his drop-top Cadillac
Shoo, Skinny done dunked his top


(Transcribed by Mel Priddle - March 2013)