Bad, Bad Leroy Brown was written by Jim Croce and inspired by a military friend he met named Leroy Brown. The song portrays Leroy as the toughest man in town, with a touch of humor and exaggeration. Croce mentioned that the real inspiration came from his days in the army, where he encountered colorful and unique characters like Leroy.
Key: G
Introduction:
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Well, the south side of Chicago
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Is the baddest part of town.
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And if you go down there
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You better just beware of a man name of Leroy Brown.
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Now, Leroy more than trouble,
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You see he stand about 'bout six foot four.
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All the downtown ladies call him "treetop lover."
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All the men just call him "sir."
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And he's bad, bad, Leroy Brown,
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The baddest man in the whole damn town.
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Badder than old King Kong
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And meaner than a junkyard dog.
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Now, Leroy, he a gambler,
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and he like his fancy clothes.
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And he like to wave diamond rings
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in front of everybody's nose
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He got a custom Continental.
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He got an Eldorado too.
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He got a thirty-two gun in his pocket for fun.
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He got a razor in his shoe.
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And he's bad, bad, Leroy Brown,
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The baddest man in the whole damn town.
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Badder than old King Kong
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And meaner than a junkyard dog.
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Well, Friday 'bout a week ago,
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Leroy's shootin' dice.
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And at the edge of the bar sat a girl name of Doris
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and oh, that girl look nice
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Well, he cast his eyes upon her
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and the trouble soon began.
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And Leroy Brown, he learned a lesson 'bout messin'
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with the wife of a jealous man
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And he's bad, bad, Leroy Brown,
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The baddest man in the whole damn town.
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Badder than old King Kong
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And meaner than a junkyard dog.
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Well, the two men took to fightin'
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And when they pulled them from the floor,
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Leroy looked like a jigsaw puzzle with a couple of pieces gone.