It’s All Because of Jim

Written December 22nd, 1982
Keywords: Love Song, Comedy, Semantics

Story Behind the Song -

I wrote this song in response to the Big Band Era song, “Jim,” sung by Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Rosemary Clooney, and others. (Nelson A. Shawn, Caesar Petrillo, Edward Ross and Milton Samuels wrote it.) In that song, Jim is depicted as a loafing, good-for-nothing, insensitive heartbreaker. And the singer is portrayed as being hopelessly in love with the scoundrel. I thought their song gives guys named Jim a bad name. So, in this song, I made him out to be a subject of this singer’s envy. Of course, it wasn’t written about me, even though the guy’s name is Jim. Yep, jes’ a coincidence.

Song Lyrics -

All her friends are worrying about her:
They say this time she’s gone out on a limb.
All I know is she’s been singing love songs.
And if you ask her why, it’s all because of Jim.

Jim treats her nice and sends her flowers.
She don’t have time for no one else but him.
I just wish that she could be my sweetheart,
But she can’t ‘cause she belongs to Jim.

Oh, how I wish I could be in Jim’s shoes.
Oh, how I wish that she were mine.
Oh, how I wish I could be in Jim’s shoes —
I’d be happy all the time.

All her friends have told her she’s a dreamer.
They told her that his future’s looking dim.
But she don’t hear a single word they’re saying,
And if you ask her why, it’s all because of Jim.

There’s a very good chance she’ll end up with her heart broke,
And cry a thousand tears over him.
But she says she’s in love and she believes it,
And if you ask her why, it’s all because of Jim.