Bad, Bad Leroy Brown

__NOTOC__"Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" was a #1 hit in 1973 for Jim Croce from his album "Life & Times".Infobox Single
Name = Bad, Bad Leroy Brown


Artist = Jim Croce
from Album = Life & Times
B-side = A Good Time Man Like Me Ain't Got No Business (Singin' The Blues)
Released = April 1973
Format = 45
Recorded = 1972
Genre = Folk
Length = 3:02
Label = ABC Records
Writer = Jim Croce
Producer =
Certification =
Chart position =
Last single =
This single =
Next single =

The song is about an apparent criminal from the south side of Chicago who, due to his size, harbors a reputation as the "baddest man in the whole damn town." One day, in a bar, he makes a pass at a pretty, married woman, whose husband proceeds to brutally beat Leroy in the ensuing bar fight.

His inspiration for the song was a friend he met in his brief time in the Army:

Croce explained the chorus reference to Leroy Brown being "meaner than a junkyard dog":

The song inspired Queen vocalist Freddie Mercury to write the song "Bring Back That Leroy Brown" for the band's third album, Sheer Heart Attack, released a year after Croce died.

Chart history

"Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" was released in April 1973 and peaked at number one on the American charts three months later. It was still on the charts on September 20 when Croce died in a plane crash in Natchitoches, Louisiana.

The song has been covered a number of times.

"Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" in popular culture

* In the August 29, 2007 episode of TBS's "House of Payne", the episode's title is "Sad, Sad Leroy Brown", referring to the fact that character Leroy Brown's house burned down and he had to move-in with the Payne family.
* In the movie "Home Alone 3" the parrot uses the phone to trick the antagonists, and sings this song for the answering machine.
* The song was featured by Fox Sports in 2005 during the Chicago White Sox's run to the 2005 World Series.
* The University of Georgia Redcoat Marching Band plays a rendition of the song after the Bulldogs make a sack or a play behind the line of scrimmage.
* In an episode of "Friends", Monica's boyfriend Richard plans to sing this song in the shower, but forgets if the song is "Fat, Fat Leroy Brown" or "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown". It also features in a later series when Phoebe is teaching Joey to play the guitar.
* ""Crocodile" Dundee II" featured Charles S. Dutton as "Leroy Brown", who pretended to have a bad reputation because of the song.
* In the "Dis-Lodged" episode of "Psych", Shawn's dad is seen listening to the song in his truck at a stoplight while he is supposed to be sick.
*Frank Sinatra recorded a cover version of the song, which reached chart number 83 in 1974.
* When Frank Sinatra sings "Mack the Knife" he mentions that Mack is "badder than ol' Leroy Brown."
* In the Season 1 episode "Sunny, Like Sunshine" of the NBC police drama "Third Watch", two characters (Tyrone Davis, Jr and John 'Sully' Sullivan) were looking for a suspect in a possible kidnapping and, after asking someone on the street who might've seen anything, the man says his name is "Leroy Brown". Shortly after the initial encounter, Sully and Davis sing this in the squad car.
* Kid Rock says "I'm an outlaw, Bad Leroy Brown" in his song "Don't Tell Me You Love Me."
* Common says "I'm as bad, bad, as Leroy Brown, Brown" in his song "Soul by the Pound" off his 1992 debut album "Can I Borrow A Dollar?"
* Southern Rock band Molly Hatchet's song "Junk Yard Dog" makes reference to the line "meaner than a junk yard dog."
*Ol' Dirty Bastard says "Bad, bad Leroy Brown, the baddest man in the whole damn town." in his song "Snakes" from his 1995 debut solo album "Return to the 36 Chambers."

References

External links

* [http://www.jimcroce.com Jim Croce official site]