Uptown got its hustlers
The Bowery got its bums
42nd Street got big Jim Walker
He a pool-shootin' son of a gun
Yeah, he big and dumb as a man can come
But he 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 that old Lone Ranger
And you don't mess around with Jim"

Well, outta south Alabama came 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 down at home they call me Slim
Yeah, I'm lookin' for the king of 42nd Street
He drivin' 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 say, "Jack, ooh, don't you know

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

Well, a hush fell over the pool room
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, woo
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
There's a sayin'

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

Yeah, big Jim got his hat
Find out where it's at
It's 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 off that old Lone Ranger
And you don't mess around with Slim


Lyrics submitted by kevin, edited by SlowestRunner

You Don't Mess Around With Jim Lyrics as written by James Croce

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management

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You Don't Mess Around With Jim song meanings
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5 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment

    I always liked hearing this....about a bully getting put in his place. There's always someone bigger than you out there so you shouldn't get cocky about yourself.

    thinkitbeiton July 22, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    lol jimmy rocks my worldd

    r0ck0ut247on March 30, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    great song great song

    clark97on April 02, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Steve Leonard in "Cirque Du Freak" was just like Jim Walker, as Darren said that you don't mess with Steve, even if you are older and bigger than he is. Darren found that out the hard way.

    seeingon March 10, 2016   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I never understood how big Jim could get his hat after being cut in a hundred places and shot in a couple more...guess he WAS quite the badass!

    syrinx2012on February 20, 2018   Link

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