Thursday, April 17, 2014

O is for...

Operator...Jim Croce, 1972.

A Serenade of Seventies songs, from the soundtrack of my life, is my theme for the A-Z challenge this year.


I so loved this song when I was a kid. In fact, I pretty much did my own concerts with the entire You Don't Mess Around With Jim album. 



The way this song unfolds, with Jim's conflicted thoughts on making the phonecall, intrigued me. Of course I believed the story to be true, as I did with all storyteller songs. I could actually picture Jim and his glorious mustache standing at a payphone conversing with the operator.

Isn't that the way they say it goes?
But let's forget all that
And give me the number if you can find it
So I can call just to tell 'em
I'm fine and to show 
I've overcome the blow
I've learned to take it well
I only wish my words could just convince myself
That is just wasn't real
But that's not the way it feels

I usually imagined it raining too, just to add to the dreariness of the situation.

Operator
Oh can you help me place this call?
'Cause I can't read the number
That you just gave me
There's something in my eye
You know it happens every time

24 comments:

  1. Oh, I just noticed these are songs! Love the 70's but some songs were so sad! Wonderful idea to go through the alphabet! Can't wait to get to Z!

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  2. Wow, I haven't heard that song in forever! And honestly had no idea that that was what the song was about. I guess I was never a big Jim Croce fan. But it definitely evokes a time and a place, huh? Also, that mustache. Soooo 70s.

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  3. I did my own concerts with Olivia Newton-John music. I'd pretend I was her and lip sync away. I sounded great! Haha.

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  4. I love Jim Croce. When I was a kid I belonged to a dance studio (ballet, tap, gymnastics)... and there was a tap routine to You Don't Mess Around With Jim. I remember being thrilled when I was "advanced" enough to learn it. I just loved loved loved it.

    As an adult, I love to karaoke and I WISH I could sing his songs. Even raising the key most of them are just too low for me, though I have done this one (though not in a long time). I sing it best when I am kinda sick and my voice drops into the basement. ha!

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  5. Oh the pornstache! Love JC (Jim Croce too). Of course, Time in a Bottle is my all-time fave.

    -adni

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  6. I love Jim Croce, and I wish he hadn't died so young. That whole album is awesome!

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  7. I love when songs tell a story like that--not easy to do in so few words.

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  8. I have heard this song before but honestly, never really paid enough attention to think what it was about. See, I always learn something here :)

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  9. That was well-used vinyl in my house when I was a kid.

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  10. Man, Croce. He was a helluva storyteller. I love Bad, Bad Leroy Brown. So much so that the pool shark mentor of my pool hustling heroine is named Slim Jim Walker. ;)

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    1. Love Leroy Brown, but meant Don't mess around with Jim. Sigh, my brain is going 800 different ways right now.

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  11. Jim Croce, oh gee, I wish he had been able to live longer. It would've been something to see and hear how he might've evolved in his songs.
    The View from the Top of the Ladder

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  12. I love his music. I was so sad when he died.

    Love,
    Janie

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  13. O is for Oh my goodness, are we at O already??? What a talent that Jim Croce was.

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  14. They just don't make mustaches like that anymore.

    And I want his orange shirt.

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  15. OH, I remember that song! I wasn't sure I did until the video started to play...then BAM! I knew! Awesome! ♥

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  16. I liked all his songs; such a shame he died so young.

    betty

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  17. I love how you are introducing me to so much new music! Thank you!

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  18. He died just way, way too young. I seem to recall a real basic music video type animation for Bad Bad Leroy Brown that was shown on Sonny & Cher.

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  19. Oh, I remember the Sonny & Cher show! (as per JoJo's comment) and love this song. GREAT choice.
    Tina @ Life is Good
    A to Z Team @ Blogging From A to Z April Challenge 2014

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  20. I love me some Jim Croce. What is it about the seventies and so many young talents dying???? :/

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  21. Well, now I've found myself trolling through your list, when I should be finishing that query letter. I guess I'll finish it in 3 minutes bursts between viewing/listening to your list!

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  22. I loved Jim Croce as well. I love any songwriter who tells stories and he told them in the best of ways. "Time in a Bottle" (mentioned earlier) and "Bad, Bad, Leroy Brown" were two of my favorites.

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  23. Dude. You didn't pick Bad Bad Leroy Brown from CHICAGO???

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