The Brilliance of Jim Croce

Every ten years or so I will ask my friends if they have been listening to Jim Croce, and its amazing how many people haven't the faintest idea of Jim Croce. To be fair he was dead even before I started to listen to music. To me, his talent with melodies structure, exceptionally honest lyrics gave us very well honed classics that can endure the test of time. His soothing voice was such a wonderful tonic as well, though he was certainly no looker.



Photographs and memories
Christmas cards you sent to me
All that I have are these


To remember you


Memories that come at night
Take me to another time
Back to a happier day
When I called you mine


But we sure had a good time
When we started way back when
Morning walks and bedroom talks
Oh how I loved you then




January 10, 1943 – September 20, 1973 ... and he passed away relatively young too. His musical career was less than 7 years in length but Jim managed to churn out enough classics for 10 artists' careers. On September 20, 1973, the day that his ABC single "I Got a Name" was released, Croce, Muehleisen, and four others were killed in the crash of a chartered Beechcraft E18S upon takeoff from the Natchitoches Regional Airport in Natchitoches, Louisiana.



Like the pine trees lining the winding road
I've got a name
I've got a name
Like the singing bird and the croaking toad
I've got a name
I've got a name
And I carry it with me like my daddy did
But I'm living the dream that he kept hid






Many can recall his most popular song "I'll Have To Say I Love You In A Song". That is a special song for me as me and 3 friends sang that for a YMCA singing competition, came in second dang! The other song that got a lot of airply was "Time In A Bottle". But the songs by Jim Croce that I really loved were: Alabama Rain and Photographs & Memories, I guess besides the enchanting melodies were the very honest lyrics.



Lazy days in mid-July
Country Sunday mornin's
Dusty haze on summer highways
Sweet magnolia callin'


But now and then I find myself
Thinkin' of the days
That (when) we were walking in
The Alabama rain


Drive-in movies, Friday nights
Drinkin' beer and laughin'
Somehow things were always right
I just don't know what happened