Rock, Folk

Bad Bad Leroy Brown Chords

Jim Croce Beginner Key of G 5 Chords 3 min read

Gtap to play

Atap to play

Btap to play

Ctap to play

Dtap to play

Key

G Major

Difficulty

Beginner

Capo

None

Chords

G · A · B · C · D

Jim Croce’s classic story-song about the toughest man in Chicago. Beginner difficulty in the key of G.

Folk Strum (4/4 Time)

↓↓↑↑↓↑

123456

Tip: Keep a bouncy, steady rhythm to match the storytelling feel.

Lyrics & Chords

Full Song

Verse 1

G C

Well, the South Side of Chicago is the baddest part of town

G

And if you go down there you better just beware

D G

Of a man named Leroy Brown

G C

Now Leroy, more than trouble, you see he stands ’bout six foot four

G

All the downtown ladies call him ”Treetop Lover”

D G

All the men just call him Sir Sir

Chorus

C G

And he’s bad, bad Leroy Brown

D G

Baddest man in the whole damn town

C G

Badder than old King Kong

D G

And meaner than a junkyard dog

Verse 2

G C

Well, on Friday ’bout a week ago, Leroy was at his door

G

Shootin’ dice with the boys and he had cleaned ’em out

D G

Then he said, “I’m goin’ downtown”

G C

He had a .32 gun in his pocket for fun

And a razor in his shoe

G

And he’s headed to the barber shop

D G

To get every hair in place

Chorus

C G

And he’s bad, bad Leroy Brown

D G

Baddest man in the whole damn town

C G

Badder than old King Kong

D G

And meaner than a junkyard dog

Verse 3

G C

Well, he rolled into the barber shop and he said, “Is my woman here?”

G

And the barber said, “Yeah, man, but your woman left just a minute ago

D G

With a cat named Doris and a man named Moe”

G C

Well, he grabbed his gun, he headed out for the street

And he shot at the man named Moe

G

He missed the man, but he didn’t miss Doris

D G

And she fell dead on the floor

Bridge

C G D

Well, the police found him hiding ‘neath a truck

G C G

But he wouldn’t come out so they called the SWAT team in

D G

And a whole lot of other folks with a whole lot of guns

C G

And they chopped him down, it took an hour or more

D G

To get the man up off the floor

Chorus

C G

And he’s bad, bad Leroy Brown

D G

Baddest man in the whole damn town

C G

Badder than old King Kong

D G

And meaner than a junkyard dog

Outro

G

Well, the bad, bad Leroy Brown

C

Baddest man in the whole damn town

G

Now the lesson of this story, children, is very plain to see

D G

Don’t mess around with Jim

C

Don’t mess around with Jim

G

Don’t mess around with Jim

Practice tip: The song uses only three chords (G, C, D). Practice switching between them smoothly before adding the lyrics to build muscle memory.

Gtap to play

Atap to play

Btap to play

Ctap to play

Dtap to play

Key

G Major

Difficulty

Beginner

Tuning

G-C-E-A

Chords

G · A · B · C · D

Jim Croce’s classic story-song about the toughest man in Chicago. Beginner difficulty in the key of G.

Folk Strum (4/4 Time)

↓↓↑↑↓↑

123456

Tip: Keep a bouncy, steady rhythm to match the storytelling feel.

Lyrics & Chords

Full Song

Verse 1

G C

Well, the South Side of Chicago is the baddest part of town

G

And if you go down there you better just beware

D G

Of a man named Leroy Brown

G C

Now Leroy, more than trouble, you see he stands ’bout six foot four

G

All the downtown ladies call him ”Treetop Lover”

D G

All the men just call him Sir Sir

Chorus

C G

And he’s bad, bad Leroy Brown

D G

Baddest man in the whole damn town

C G

Badder than old King Kong

D G

And meaner than a junkyard dog

Verse 2

G C

Well, on Friday ’bout a week ago, Leroy was at his door

G

Shootin’ dice with the boys and he had cleaned ’em out

D G

Then he said, “I’m goin’ downtown”

G C

He had a .32 gun in his pocket for fun

And a razor in his shoe

G

And he’s headed to the barber shop

D G

To get every hair in place

Chorus

C G

And he’s bad, bad Leroy Brown

D G

Baddest man in the whole damn town

C G

Badder than old King Kong

D G

And meaner than a junkyard dog

Verse 3

G C

Well, he rolled into the barber shop and he said, “Is my woman here?”

G

And the barber said, “Yeah, man, but your woman left just a minute ago

D G

With a cat named Doris and a man named Moe”

G C

Well, he grabbed his gun, he headed out for the street

And he shot at the man named Moe

G

He missed the man, but he didn’t miss Doris

D G

And she fell dead on the floor

Bridge

C G D

Well, the police found him hiding ‘neath a truck

G C G

But he wouldn’t come out so they called the SWAT team in

D G

And a whole lot of other folks with a whole lot of guns

C G

And they chopped him down, it took an hour or more

D G

To get the man up off the floor

Chorus

C G

And he’s bad, bad Leroy Brown

D G

Baddest man in the whole damn town

C G

Badder than old King Kong

D G

And meaner than a junkyard dog

Outro

G

Well, the bad, bad Leroy Brown

C

Baddest man in the whole damn town

G

Now the lesson of this story, children, is very plain to see

D G

Don’t mess around with Jim

C

Don’t mess around with Jim

G

Don’t mess around with Jim

Practice tip: The song uses only three chords (G, C, D). Practice switching between them smoothly before adding the lyrics to build muscle memory.

Gtap to play

Atap to play

Btap to play

Ctap to play

Dtap to play

Key

G Major

Difficulty

Beginner

Left Hand

Root notes

Chords

G · A · B · C · D

Jim Croce’s classic story-song about the toughest man in Chicago. Beginner difficulty in the key of G.

Folk Strum (4/4 Time)

↓↓↑↑↓↑

123456

Tip: Keep a bouncy, steady rhythm to match the storytelling feel.

Lyrics & Chords

Full Song

Verse 1

G C

Well, the South Side of Chicago is the baddest part of town

G

And if you go down there you better just beware

D G

Of a man named Leroy Brown

G C

Now Leroy, more than trouble, you see he stands ’bout six foot four

G

All the downtown ladies call him ”Treetop Lover”

D G

All the men just call him Sir Sir

Chorus

C G

And he’s bad, bad Leroy Brown

D G

Baddest man in the whole damn town

C G

Badder than old King Kong

D G

And meaner than a junkyard dog

Verse 2

G C

Well, on Friday ’bout a week ago, Leroy was at his door

G

Shootin’ dice with the boys and he had cleaned ’em out

D G

Then he said, “I’m goin’ downtown”

G C

He had a .32 gun in his pocket for fun

And a razor in his shoe

G

And he’s headed to the barber shop

D G

To get every hair in place

Chorus

C G

And he’s bad, bad Leroy Brown

D G

Baddest man in the whole damn town

C G

Badder than old King Kong

D G

And meaner than a junkyard dog

Verse 3

G C

Well, he rolled into the barber shop and he said, “Is my woman here?”

G

And the barber said, “Yeah, man, but your woman left just a minute ago

D G

With a cat named Doris and a man named Moe”

G C

Well, he grabbed his gun, he headed out for the street

And he shot at the man named Moe

G

He missed the man, but he didn’t miss Doris

D G

And she fell dead on the floor

Bridge

C G D

Well, the police found him hiding ‘neath a truck

G C G

But he wouldn’t come out so they called the SWAT team in

D G

And a whole lot of other folks with a whole lot of guns

C G

And they chopped him down, it took an hour or more

D G

To get the man up off the floor

Chorus

C G

And he’s bad, bad Leroy Brown

D G

Baddest man in the whole damn town

C G

Badder than old King Kong

D G

And meaner than a junkyard dog

Outro

G

Well, the bad, bad Leroy Brown

C

Baddest man in the whole damn town

G

Now the lesson of this story, children, is very plain to see

D G

Don’t mess around with Jim

C

Don’t mess around with Jim

G

Don’t mess around with Jim

Practice tip: The song uses only three chords (G, C, D). Practice switching between them smoothly before adding the lyrics to build muscle memory.

Gtap to play

Atap to play

Btap to play

Ctap to play

Dtap to play

Key

G Major

Difficulty

Beginner

Tuning

gDGBD (Open G)

Chords

G · A · B · C · D

Jim Croce’s classic story-song about the toughest man in Chicago. Beginner difficulty in the key of G.

Folk Strum (4/4 Time)

↓↓↑↑↓↑

123456

Tip: Keep a bouncy, steady rhythm to match the storytelling feel.

Lyrics & Chords

Full Song

Verse 1

G C

Well, the South Side of Chicago is the baddest part of town

G

And if you go down there you better just beware

D G

Of a man named Leroy Brown

G C

Now Leroy, more than trouble, you see he stands ’bout six foot four

G

All the downtown ladies call him ”Treetop Lover”

D G

All the men just call him Sir Sir

Chorus

C G

And he’s bad, bad Leroy Brown

D G

Baddest man in the whole damn town

C G

Badder than old King Kong

D G

And meaner than a junkyard dog

Verse 2

G C

Well, on Friday ’bout a week ago, Leroy was at his door

G

Shootin’ dice with the boys and he had cleaned ’em out

D G

Then he said, “I’m goin’ downtown”

G C

He had a .32 gun in his pocket for fun

And a razor in his shoe

G

And he’s headed to the barber shop

D G

To get every hair in place

Chorus

C G

And he’s bad, bad Leroy Brown

D G

Baddest man in the whole damn town

C G

Badder than old King Kong

D G

And meaner than a junkyard dog

Verse 3

G C

Well, he rolled into the barber shop and he said, “Is my woman here?”

G

And the barber said, “Yeah, man, but your woman left just a minute ago

D G

With a cat named Doris and a man named Moe”

G C

Well, he grabbed his gun, he headed out for the street

And he shot at the man named Moe

G

He missed the man, but he didn’t miss Doris

D G

And she fell dead on the floor

Bridge

C G D

Well, the police found him hiding ‘neath a truck

G C G

But he wouldn’t come out so they called the SWAT team in

D G

And a whole lot of other folks with a whole lot of guns

C G

And they chopped him down, it took an hour or more

D G

To get the man up off the floor

Chorus

C G

And he’s bad, bad Leroy Brown

D G

Baddest man in the whole damn town

C G

Badder than old King Kong

D G

And meaner than a junkyard dog

Outro

G

Well, the bad, bad Leroy Brown

C

Baddest man in the whole damn town

G

Now the lesson of this story, children, is very plain to see

D G

Don’t mess around with Jim

C

Don’t mess around with Jim

G

Don’t mess around with Jim

Practice tip: The song uses only three chords (G, C, D). Practice switching between them smoothly before adding the lyrics to build muscle memory.

Gtap to play

Atap to play

Btap to play

Ctap to play

Dtap to play

Key

G Major

Difficulty

Beginner

Tuning

G-D-A-E

Chords

G · A · B · C · D

Jim Croce’s classic story-song about the toughest man in Chicago. Beginner difficulty in the key of G.

Folk Strum (4/4 Time)

↓↓↑↑↓↑

123456

Tip: Keep a bouncy, steady rhythm to match the storytelling feel.

Lyrics & Chords

Full Song

Verse 1

G C

Well, the South Side of Chicago is the baddest part of town

G

And if you go down there you better just beware

D G

Of a man named Leroy Brown

G C

Now Leroy, more than trouble, you see he stands ’bout six foot four

G

All the downtown ladies call him ”Treetop Lover”

D G

All the men just call him Sir Sir

Chorus

C G

And he’s bad, bad Leroy Brown

D G

Baddest man in the whole damn town

C G

Badder than old King Kong

D G

And meaner than a junkyard dog

Verse 2

G C

Well, on Friday ’bout a week ago, Leroy was at his door

G

Shootin’ dice with the boys and he had cleaned ’em out

D G

Then he said, “I’m goin’ downtown”

G C

He had a .32 gun in his pocket for fun

And a razor in his shoe

G

And he’s headed to the barber shop

D G

To get every hair in place

Chorus

C G

And he’s bad, bad Leroy Brown

D G

Baddest man in the whole damn town

C G

Badder than old King Kong

D G

And meaner than a junkyard dog

Verse 3

G C

Well, he rolled into the barber shop and he said, “Is my woman here?”

G

And the barber said, “Yeah, man, but your woman left just a minute ago

D G

With a cat named Doris and a man named Moe”

G C

Well, he grabbed his gun, he headed out for the street

And he shot at the man named Moe

G

He missed the man, but he didn’t miss Doris

D G

And she fell dead on the floor

Bridge

C G D

Well, the police found him hiding ‘neath a truck

G C G

But he wouldn’t come out so they called the SWAT team in

D G

And a whole lot of other folks with a whole lot of guns

C G

And they chopped him down, it took an hour or more

D G

To get the man up off the floor

Chorus

C G

And he’s bad, bad Leroy Brown

D G

Baddest man in the whole damn town

C G

Badder than old King Kong

D G

And meaner than a junkyard dog

Outro

G

Well, the bad, bad Leroy Brown

C

Baddest man in the whole damn town

G

Now the lesson of this story, children, is very plain to see

D G

Don’t mess around with Jim

C

Don’t mess around with Jim

G

Don’t mess around with Jim

Practice tip: The song uses only three chords (G, C, D). Practice switching between them smoothly before adding the lyrics to build muscle memory.

Gtap to play

Atap to play

Btap to play

Ctap to play

Dtap to play

Key

G Major

Difficulty

Beginner

Harp Key

C Diatonic

Chords

G · A · B · C · D

Jim Croce’s classic story-song about the toughest man in Chicago. Beginner difficulty in the key of G.

Folk Strum (4/4 Time)

↓↓↑↑↓↑

123456

Tip: Keep a bouncy, steady rhythm to match the storytelling feel.

Lyrics & Chords

Full Song

Verse 1

G C

Well, the South Side of Chicago is the baddest part of town

G

And if you go down there you better just beware

D G

Of a man named Leroy Brown

G C

Now Leroy, more than trouble, you see he stands ’bout six foot four

G

All the downtown ladies call him ”Treetop Lover”

D G

All the men just call him Sir Sir

Chorus

C G

And he’s bad, bad Leroy Brown

D G

Baddest man in the whole damn town

C G

Badder than old King Kong

D G

And meaner than a junkyard dog

Verse 2

G C

Well, on Friday ’bout a week ago, Leroy was at his door

G

Shootin’ dice with the boys and he had cleaned ’em out

D G

Then he said, “I’m goin’ downtown”

G C

He had a .32 gun in his pocket for fun

And a razor in his shoe

G

And he’s headed to the barber shop

D G

To get every hair in place

Chorus

C G

And he’s bad, bad Leroy Brown

D G

Baddest man in the whole damn town

C G

Badder than old King Kong

D G

And meaner than a junkyard dog

Verse 3

G C

Well, he rolled into the barber shop and he said, “Is my woman here?”

G

And the barber said, “Yeah, man, but your woman left just a minute ago

D G

With a cat named Doris and a man named Moe”

G C

Well, he grabbed his gun, he headed out for the street

And he shot at the man named Moe

G

He missed the man, but he didn’t miss Doris

D G

And she fell dead on the floor

Bridge

C G D

Well, the police found him hiding ‘neath a truck

G C G

But he wouldn’t come out so they called the SWAT team in

D G

And a whole lot of other folks with a whole lot of guns

C G

And they chopped him down, it took an hour or more

D G

To get the man up off the floor

Chorus

C G

And he’s bad, bad Leroy Brown

D G

Baddest man in the whole damn town

C G

Badder than old King Kong

D G

And meaner than a junkyard dog

Outro

G

Well, the bad, bad Leroy Brown

C

Baddest man in the whole damn town

G

Now the lesson of this story, children, is very plain to see

D G

Don’t mess around with Jim

C

Don’t mess around with Jim

G

Don’t mess around with Jim

Practice tip: The song uses only three chords (G, C, D). Practice switching between them smoothly before adding the lyrics to build muscle memory.