You Don't Mess Around With Jim
Jim Croce

<E>Uptown's got its hustlers
The Bowry's got its bums
Forty-second street's got Big Jim Walker
He's a <E7>pool-shootin' son of a gun
Well he's <A7>big and dumb as a man can come
But he's stronger than a country hoss
And when the <B7>bad folks all get <A7>together at night
You know they <B7>all call Big Jim <A7>"boss"
(Just be<E>cause ...)
(They say ...)
CHORUS:
You don't <A7>tug on Superman's <E7>cape
You don't <A7>spit into the <E7>wind
You don't <A7>pull the mask of the old Lone Ranger
And you <B7>don't mess around with <E7>Jim
(Ba-doo-da-doo-doo <A7>doo-doo-doo-doo <B7>doot)
Well out of South Alabama come a country boy
He said I'm lookin' for a man named Jim
I am a pool-shootin' boy, my name is Willie McCoy
But back home they call me Slim
He said I'm lookin' for the king of forty-second street
He's drivin' a drop-top Cadillac
And last week he took all my money, and it may sound funny
But I come to get my money back
(And everybody say, Jack -- don't you know that...)
(CHORUS)
Well a hush fell over the 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 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 of the old Lone Ranger
And you don't mess around with Slim
From: steve.johnson@his.com
You Don't Mess Around With Jim
(Jim Croce) c 1971
Uptown got its hustlers, [G]
Bowery got its bums [G]
42nd street got Big Jim Walker; [G]
he a pool-shootin' son-of-a-gun [G7]
Yeah, he big and dumb as a man can come [C F C F]
and meaner than a country hoss [C F C]
And when the bad folks all get together at night [D C]
You know they all call Big Jim "Boss"  [D C] 
just because-- and they say... [G C G]
[Chorus]
You don't tug on Superman's cape [C7 G]
You don't spit into the wind [C7 G]
You don't pull the mask off the old Lone Ranger [C7] 
and you don't mess around with Jim  [D7  G C7 G C7]
Well outa South Alabama come a country [G]
He 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" [G7]
Yeah, I'm lookin' for the king of 42nd street [C F C F]
He drivin' a drop-top Cadillac [C F C]
Last week he took all my money and it may sound funny [D C]
but I come to get my money back [D C]
and everybody say, "Hey Jack... don't you know..." [G C G]
[repeat Chorus]
Well a hush feel over the pool room [G]
Jimmy come a-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 [G7]
Yeah, he were cut in 'bout a hundred places [C F C F]
and he were shot in a couple more [C F C]
And you better believe they sung a different kind of story [D C]
when Big Jim hit the floor [D C]
Whoa... now they say... [G C G]
You don't tug on Superman's cape [C7 G]
You don't spit into the wind [C7 G]
You don't pull the mask off the old Lone Ranger [C7] 
and you don't mess around with "Slim"  [D7  G C7 G C7]
[Spoken, use G-C progression] 
"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."
[repeat "Slim" Chorus]





From: Todd & Sharon Peach <tpeach@gte.net>