Complete List Of Jim Croce Songs From A to Z

Jim Croce built one of American songwriting’s most enduring catalogs by turning working-class characters, broken relationships, hard-earned humor, and the passage of time into vivid musical stories. This complete A-to-Z guide gathers his classic ABC recordings, early work with Ingrid Croce, songs from Facets, posthumous releases, home recordings, archival tracks, and alternate versions.

Feature Photo: ABC/Dunhill Records, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

James Joseph Croce’s journey from the streets of South Philadelphia to the heights of the music industry was fueled by determination, raw storytelling, and an unmistakable talent for crafting songs that resonated with everyday people. Born on January 10, 1943, Croce was raised in a working-class Italian-American family, absorbing a wide range of musical influences from folk to blues. He attended Villanova University, where he became deeply involved in campus music groups, forming bands and playing everything from rock to traditional folk. It was there that he met his future wife, Ingrid Jacobson, at a hootenanny contest, marking the beginning of both a personal and professional partnership that would shape his early career.

Croce’s first album, Facets, was independently released in 1966 and financed with a wedding gift from his parents. Their hope was that he would abandon music after its inevitable failure, but the album sold out, proving his potential. He and Ingrid released Jim & Ingrid Croce through Capitol Records in 1969, but despite relentless touring, commercial success remained elusive. Disillusioned, the couple moved to rural Pennsylvania, where Croce took odd jobs, including truck driving, construction work, and writing radio advertisements, to support his family while continuing to write songs. His music during this period was shaped by the people he encountered, giving birth to the colorful characters and blue-collar themes that would define his greatest work.

His fortunes changed in the early 1970s when he was introduced to guitarist Maury Muehleisen. Croce initially backed Muehleisen on guitar, but the two soon reversed roles, with Muehleisen’s intricate fingerpicking adding depth to Croce’s compositions. This collaboration led to a contract with ABC Records, and in 1972, Croce released You Don’t Mess Around with Jim. The album contained hit singles including the title track and “Operator (That’s Not the Way It Feels),” while “Time in a Bottle” later reached No. 1 following Croce’s death. His next album, Life and Times, produced “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown,” a raucous tale of a larger-than-life figure that became his first No. 1 hit during his lifetime.

At the peak of his career, Croce’s relentless touring schedule kept him on the road for months at a time, leaving him increasingly exhausted and homesick. By September 1973, he had completed the recordings that would appear on I Got a Name. On September 20, 1973, Croce, Muehleisen, and four others were killed in a plane crash after a concert in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Croce was only 30 years old. The music industry lost one of its most gifted storytellers, a songwriter whose words painted vivid portraits of life’s triumphs and struggles.

Despite his passing, Croce’s music continued to captivate audiences. Posthumous releases including I Got a Name, Photographs & Memories, and The Faces I’ve Been kept his voice alive on the airwaves. “Time in a Bottle,” with its haunting reflection on fleeting time, became his second No. 1 single. His songs have since appeared in films, television programs, and commercials, ensuring that new generations continue to discover his work. In 1990, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in recognition of his lasting impact on American music.

Outside of music, Croce’s legacy has been carefully preserved by his family. His widow, Ingrid, co-authored I Got a Name: The Jim Croce Story with Jimmy Rock, giving fans a deeper look into his life and career. Their son, A.J. Croce, followed in his father’s footsteps and built his own career as a singer-songwriter. Ingrid also opened Croce’s Restaurant & Jazz Bar in San Diego as a tribute to her late husband’s love of music and good company. Decades after his passing, his influence continues to ripple through the industry.

What made Croce so beloved was his ability to turn life’s simplest moments into poetry. Whether singing about heartbreak, bar fights, or fleeting time, his songs carried an honesty that connected deeply with listeners. He had a gift for storytelling that transformed ordinary experiences into unforgettable narratives, ensuring that his music remains timeless. His impact extends beyond chart success, and his songs have become part of the fabric of American music.

Complete List Of Jim Croce Songs From A to Z

A–E

1. “A Good Time Man Like Me Ain’t Got No Business (Singin’ the Blues)” – Life and Times – 1973
2. “A Long Time Ago” – You Don’t Mess Around with Jim – 1972
3. “A Rose and a Baby Ruth” – The Faces I’ve Been – 1975
4. “Age” – Jim & Ingrid Croce – 1969; I Got a Name – 1973
5. “Alabama Rain” – Life and Times – 1973
6. “(And) I Remember Her” – You Don’t Mess Around with Jim (2006 edition – Disc 2) – 2006
7. “Another Day, Another Town” – Jim & Ingrid Croce – 1969
8. “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown” – Life and Times – 1973
9. “Big Fat Woman” – Facets – 1966; The Faces I’ve Been – 1975
10. “Big Wheel” – Jim & Ingrid Croce – 1969
11. “Box No. 10” – You Don’t Mess Around with Jim – 1972
12. “Can’t Wait (featuring Ingrid Croce)” – You Don’t Mess Around with Jim (2006 edition – Disc 2) – 2006
13. “Careful Man” – Life and Times – 1973
14. “Carnival of Pride (featuring Ingrid Croce)” – You Don’t Mess Around with Jim (2006 edition – Disc 2) – 2006
15. “Chain Gang Medley” – The Faces I’ve Been – 1975; You Don’t Mess Around with Jim (2006 edition – Disc 1) – 2006
16. “Charley Green, Play That Slide Trombone” – Facets – 1966; The Faces I’ve Been – 1975
17. “Child of Midnight” – Facets (2004 reissue) – 2004; You Don’t Mess Around with Jim (2006 edition – Disc 2) – 2006
18. “Cigarettes, Whiskey and Wild Wild Women” – Home Recordings: Americana – 2003
19. “Circle of Style (featuring Ingrid Croce)” – You Don’t Mess Around with Jim (2006 edition – Disc 2) – 2006
20. “Coal Tattoo” – Facets – 1966
21. “Cotton Mouth River” – You Don’t Mess Around with Jim (2006 edition – Disc 2) – 2006
22. “Country Girl” – The Faces I’ve Been – 1975; You Don’t Mess Around with Jim (2006 edition – Disc 1) – 2006
23. “Dreamin’ Again” – Life and Times – 1973

F–J

24. “Five Short Minutes” – I Got a Name – 1973
25. “Greenback Dollar” – The Faces I’ve Been – 1975
26. “Gunga Din” – The Faces I’ve Been – 1975
27. “Hard Hearted Hannah (The Vamp of Savannah)” – Facets – 1966
28. “Hard Time Losin’ Man” – You Don’t Mess Around with Jim – 1972
29. “Hard Times Be Over” – Facets (2004 reissue) – 2004
30. “Hey Tomorrow” – You Don’t Mess Around with Jim – 1972
31. “I Am Who I Am” – Jim & Ingrid Croce – 1969
32. “I Got a Name” – I Got a Name – 1973
33. “I Got Mine” – Home Recordings: Americana – 2003
34. “I Remember Mary” – The Faces I’ve Been – 1975
35. “I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate” – Home Recordings: Americana – 2003
36. “I’ll Have to Say I Love You in a Song” – I Got a Name – 1973
37. “If the Back Door Could Talk” – Home Recordings: Americana – 2003
38. “In the Jailhouse Now” – Home Recordings: Americana – 2003
39. “It Doesn’t Have to Be That Way” – Life and Times – 1973
40. “It’s All Over, Mary Ann” – Facets (2004 reissue) – 2004
41. “Just Another Day” – Jim & Ingrid Croce – 1969

K–O

42. “King’s Song” – The Faces I’ve Been – 1975; You Don’t Mess Around with Jim (2006 edition – Disc 1) – 2006
43. “Living with the Blues” – Home Recordings: Americana – 2003
44. “Lover’s Cross” – I Got a Name – 1973
45. “Mama Tried” – Home Recordings: Americana – 2003
46. “Maybe Tomorrow” – The Faces I’ve Been – 1975; Facets (2004 reissue) – 2004; You Don’t Mess Around with Jim (2006 edition – Disc 2) – 2006
47. “Mississippi Lady” – The Faces I’ve Been – 1975; You Don’t Mess Around with Jim (2006 edition – Disc 1) – 2006
48. “Mom and Dad’s Waltz” – Home Recordings: Americana – 2003
49. “More Than That Tomorrow” – You Don’t Mess Around with Jim (2006 edition – Disc 2) – 2006
50. “New York’s Not My Home” – You Don’t Mess Around with Jim – 1972
51. “Next Time, This Time” – Life and Times – 1973
52. “Nobody Loves a Fat Girl” – The Faces I’ve Been – 1975; Home Recordings: Americana – 2003
53. “Ol’ Man River” – The Faces I’ve Been – 1975; You Don’t Mess Around with Jim (2006 edition – Disc 1) – 2006
54. “One Less Set of Footsteps” – Life and Times – 1973
55. “Operator (That’s Not the Way It Feels)” – You Don’t Mess Around with Jim – 1972

P–T

56. “Pa (Song for a Grandfather)” – Facets (2004 reissue) – 2004
57. “Photographs and Memories” – You Don’t Mess Around with Jim – 1972
58. “Pig’s Song” – The Faces I’ve Been – 1975
59. “Railroad Song” – The Faces I’ve Been – 1975; Facets (2004 reissue) – 2004
60. “Railroad Song (featuring Ingrid Croce)” – You Don’t Mess Around with Jim (2006 edition – Disc 2) – 2006
61. “Railroads and Riverboats” – The Faces I’ve Been – 1975; Facets (2004 reissue) – 2004; You Don’t Mess Around with Jim (2006 edition – Disc 2) – 2006
62. “Rapid Roy (The Stock Car Boy)” – You Don’t Mess Around with Jim – 1972
63. “Recently” – I Got a Name – 1973
64. “Roller Derby Queen” – Life and Times – 1973
65. “Running Maggie” – Facets – 1966
66. “Sadie Green (The Vamp of New Orleans)” – Home Recordings: Americana – 2003
67. “Salon and Saloon” – I Got a Name – 1973; The Faces I’ve Been – 1975
68. “Six Days on the Road” – Home Recordings: Americana – 2003
69. “Speedball Tucker” – Life and Times – 1973
70. “Spin, Spin, Spin” – Jim & Ingrid Croce – 1969
71. “Steel Rail Blues” – Facets – 1966
72. “Stone Walls” – The Faces I’ve Been – 1975; You Don’t Mess Around with Jim (2006 edition – Disc 2) – 2006
73. “Sun Come Up” – Facets – 1966; The Faces I’ve Been – 1975
74. “Texas Rodeo” – Facets – 1966
75. “The Army” – The Faces I’ve Been – 1975
76. “The Ballad of Gunga Din” – Facets – 1966
77. “The Blizzard” – Facets – 1966
78. “The Edges of Your Day” – The Faces I’ve Been – 1975
79. “The Hard Way Every Time” – I Got a Name – 1973
80. “The Man That Is Me” – Jim & Ingrid Croce – 1969
81. “The Migrant Worker (featuring Ingrid Croce)” – You Don’t Mess Around with Jim (2006 edition – Disc 2) – 2006
82. “The Next Man That I Marry” – Jim & Ingrid Croce – 1969
83. “The Wall” – Home Recordings: Americana – 2003
84. “The Way We Used to Be” – The Faces I’ve Been – 1975; You Don’t Mess Around with Jim (2006 edition – Disc 2) – 2006
85. “These Dreams” – Life and Times – 1973
86. “Things ‘Bout Goin’ My Way” – Home Recordings: Americana – 2003
87. “This Land Is Your Land” – The Faces I’ve Been – 1975
88. “Thursday” – I Got a Name – 1973
89. “Time in a Bottle” – You Don’t Mess Around with Jim – 1972
90. “Tomorrow’s Gonna Be a Brighter Day” – You Don’t Mess Around with Jim – 1972
91. “Top Hat Bar and Grille” – I Got a Name – 1973

U–Z

92. “Until It’s Time for Me to Go” – Facets – 1966
93. “Vespers” – Jim & Ingrid Croce – 1969
94. “Walkin’ Back to Georgia” – You Don’t Mess Around with Jim – 1972
95. “Wear Out the Turnpike” – The Faces I’ve Been – 1975
96. “Wear Out the Turnpike (featuring Ingrid Croce)” – You Don’t Mess Around with Jim (2006 edition – Disc 2) – 2006
97. “What Do People Do” – Jim & Ingrid Croce – 1969
98. “What the Hell” – Jim & Ingrid Croce – 1969
99. “Which Way Are You Goin'” – The Faces I’ve Been – 1975; You Don’t Mess Around with Jim (2006 edition – Disc 1) – 2006
100. “Who Will Buy the Wine” – Home Recordings: Americana – 2003
101. “Workin’ at the Car Wash Blues” – I Got a Name – 1973
102. “You Don’t Mess Around with Jim” – You Don’t Mess Around with Jim – 1972
103. “You Oughta See Pickles Now” – Home Recordings: Americana – 2003

Jim Croce Albums and Archival Releases Included

Facets (1966)

Jim & Ingrid Croce (1969)

You Don’t Mess Around with Jim (1972)

Life and Times (1973)

I Got a Name (1973)

The Faces I’ve Been (1975)

Home Recordings: Americana (2003)

Facets expanded reissue (2004)

You Don’t Mess Around with Jim expanded edition (2006)

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Updated July 21, 2026.

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