The Mystery of Leroy Brown

I decided to investigate a songwriting parallel that has mystified me for years.

In March 1973, Jim Croce released a boogie-woogie-ing single from his upcoming album Life & Times called “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown”. The song would soon top the Billboard Hot 100.

A little over a year later, Queen would release their album Sheer Heart Attack, which contained a bizarre song called “Bring Back That Leroy Brown”.

Given my love for both Jim Croce and Queen, I’d always wondered if the songs were related or if the titular overlap was pure coincidence. I decided to investigate.