3 Jim Croce Lyrics That Modern-Day Songwriters Should Take Notes On

Jim Croce is still, in my opinion, one of the most underrated talents to younger generations. Before his tragic death at the age of 30 in 1973, he released five precious albums. Here are some of the lyrics that long outlive the folk songwriter. I think they can teach everyone a thing or two about good songwriting.

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“Time In A Bottle”

“If I could save time in a bottle / The first thing that I’d like to do / Is to save every day / ‘Til eternity passes away / Just to spend them with you.”

“Time In A Bottle” was written after Jim Croce learned that his wife, Ingrid, was pregnant with their son. That son would grow up to be A.J. Croce, who has now penned several songs of his own.

On the Songfacts Podcast, A.J. commented on his father’s ability to remain honest in his music.

“There’s a difference between being precious and being sincere. There are times when we’re so cautious about how we’re writing that it becomes a precious piece of music instead of something that’s honest and sincere,” he explained. “Being aware of that line and how to make it understandable is something I think my father was really good at as a storyteller and songwriter.”

This song, in particular, is a great example of Croce’s authentic approach to songwriting.

“Operator(That’s Not The Way It Feels)”

“I only wish my words could just convince myself / That it just wasn’t real / But that’s not the way it feels.”

If you listen to “Operator(That’s Not The Way It Feels)”, you know the lyrics tell the story of a man who’s trying to find the phone number of his ex-lover, who has moved away. The catch is that this man, who’s singing to the operator on the other end, wants to talk to his ex and her new lover (his best friend), and convince them he’s fine. At the end of each chorus, he sings these lyrics, which hit like a knife to the heart.

The beautiful thing about this song is that it almost makes you feel like you’re the operator, in a way. It’s hard not to feel bad for Croce’s character, who later thanks the operator for their time and says, “Ah, you’ve been so much more than kind / You can keep the dime.”

“The Hard Way Every Time”

“Yeah, I’ve had my share of broken dreams / And more than a couple of falls / And in chasin’ what I thought were moonbeams / I have run into a couple of walls.”

“The Hard Way Every Time”, which appears on 1973’s I’ve Got A Name, is truly one of the hidden gems in Croce’s catalog. The songwriter goes back and forth between admitting the mistakes he’s made by doing things the hard way and the places he’s seen and the lessons he’s learned. The song puts a positive spin on life’s inevitable teaching moments, and Croce later admits he has no regrets about going through them. At the end, he substitutes the “hard way” line for the “any other way” line , which works perfectly.

“I would sure be the first one to say /When I look at myself today / Wouldn’t have done it any other way.”

Photo by: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images