Other arrangements of You Don't Mess Around With Jim
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(E)Up town got its hus tlers,
the Bow ’ry got its bums.
For ty sec ond Street got big Jim Walk er; he a pool shoot in’ son of a gun
Yeah, (E7)he big and dumb as a man can come but he (A)strong er than a (D)coun try hoss.
And when the (B7)bad folks all get to (A7)geth er at night, you know they (B7)all call big Jim “Boss”
just be cause.
And they say, “You don’t (A7)tug on Su per man’s (E)cape, you don’t (A7)spit in to the (E7)wind, you don’t (A7)pull the mask off the old Lone Rang er, and you (B7)don’t mess a round with Jim.”
Well, out a (E)south Al a bam a come a coun try boy.
He said, “I’m look in’ for a man named Jim.
I am a pool shoot in’ boy, my name is Wil lie Mc Coy, but down home they call me “Slim.”
Yeah, (E7)I’m look in’ for the (D)king of For ty (A7)sec ond Street, he (D)driv in’ a drop top (D)Cad il lac.
(D)Last week he took all my mon ey and it (A7)may sound fun ny but I (B7)come to get my mon ey back.” And ev ’ry bod y (E)say, “Jack, don’t you (E7)know that you don’t
Well, a hush fell o ver the pool room, Jim my come bop pin’ in off the street.
And when the cut tin’ were done the on ly part that was n’t blood y was the soles of the big man’s feet.
Yeah, (E7)he were (A)cut in ’bout a (D)hun dred plac es, and he were (A7)shot in a (D)cou ple more.
And you (B7)bet ter be lieve they sung a (A7)dif f’rent kind of sto ry when a (B7)big Jim hit the floor, oh.
Now they say you don’t (A7)tug on Su per man’s (E)cape, you don’t (A7)spit in to the (E7)wind, you don’t (A7)pull the mask off the old Lone Rang ger and you (B7)don’t mess a round with “Slim.”
You Don't Mess Around With Jim — Piano Lead Sheet
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"You Don't Mess Around With Jim" lead sheet with chords, melody, and lyrics. Play the melody while following chord symbols above. Perfect for sing-along or accompaniment. Key of E, 145 BPM.
This arrangement is a great workout for your left hand — that octave bass pattern at 145 BPM demands steady, relaxed wrist motion, so if you tense up you'll fatigue fast.
Start hands-separate at around 100 BPM and build speed only once your left hand can lock into the groove without looking down.
Your right hand cycles through six chords, mostly in the E–A–B7 family, but watch the shifts to D and the dominant sevenths — A to A7 and E to E7 are just one-finger changes, so anticipate them rather than reacting late.
The trickiest transition is B7 to D because it reshapes your whole hand; loop that two-chord change until it feels automatic.
Syncopation drives this song's energy, so lean on the off-beats in your right hand while keeping your left-hand octaves metronomically even — that push-pull tension is what makes it feel like rock.
Once you've got this down, you'll have real confidence handling quick chord changes over a driving bass at tempo, which transfers to dozens of other up-tempo rock tunes.
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About “You Don't Mess Around With Jim”
- Where are the chord symbols for "You Don't Mess Around With Jim" displayed?
- Lead Sheet shows chord symbols (like Am, G7, C) above the melody line with lyrics below. Every chord change highlights in real time as the song plays, so you can play the melody with the right hand and follow chord shapes with the left. "You Don't Mess Around With Jim" is in E.
- What key is "You Don't Mess Around With Jim" by Jim Croce played in?
- You Don't Mess Around With Jim is arranged in the key of E on Super Simple Piano. You can transpose to any other key live in the player.
- What's the tempo (BPM) of "You Don't Mess Around With Jim"?
- The arrangement plays at 145 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
- Is "You Don't Mess Around With Jim" easy to play on piano?
- This is a medium-difficulty arrangement. Most players can learn it within a few practice sessions using the speed control.
- Can I download sheet music for "You Don't Mess Around With Jim"?
- Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
- Who composed "You Don't Mess Around With Jim"?
- "You Don't Mess Around With Jim" was originally performed by Jim Croce. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
- What chords are used in "You Don't Mess Around With Jim"?
- This arrangement uses 6 chords: A, A7, B7, D, E, E7.
- What other songs by Jim Croce can I play here?
- Try "WORKIN' AT THE CAR WASH BLUES", "I'LL HAVE TO SAY I LOVE YOU IN A SONG", "LOVER'S CROSS". All are in our player with color-coded notes; pick the one matching your level.
- Does "You Don't Mess Around With Jim" have chords and lyrics?
- Yes! The Lead Sheet shows the melody with chord symbols (like Am, G, C) and full lyrics. Perfect for singing along or playing with a band. "You Don't Mess Around With Jim" is in the key of E at 145 BPM.
- What chords are in "You Don't Mess Around With Jim"?
- Open the Lead Sheet to see all chord symbols displayed above the melody line. The song is in the key of E, so you'll find chords common to that key. Each chord highlights in real time as the song plays.
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