Bring Back That Leroy Brown

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Bring Back That Leroy Brown
Artist Queen
Published 1974-11-08
Composer Freddie Mercury
Genre Tin pan alley
Themes Narrative
Rating Rating-8.svg

Bring Back That Leroy Brown is a Tin Pan Alley style song by Queen. The song was recorded between July and September in 1974 at AIR, Rockfield, Trident, and Wessex Sound studios and was first released as track B5 on Sheer Heart Attack on 1974-11-09. The song was never released as a single, but there was an a cappella mix released on the 2011 deluxe edition of Sheer Heart Attack which was made from the original masters with the bulk of the instrumentation removed.

The song and lyrics were composed by Freddie Mercury who mentioned that the Pointer Sisters were an influence for the song, and the title, no doubt, comes from Jim Croce's Bad Bad Leroy Brown. The song is sung by Freddie Mercury and he also plays jangle piano and sings backup vocals. Brian May plays guitar and ukelele-banjo and sings backup vocals. Roger Taylor plays drums and sings backup vocals. John Deacon plays bass and double bass. The song was produced by Queen and Roy Thomas Baker.

Personal

I first heard this song in the mid-1990s after buying Sheer Heart Attack. Initially, I thought the song was a bit too silly sounding, not nearly the rock anthem that I expected from Queen, however, after several listens through the album, I began to like this song more and more. Now, it's one of my favorites because it's so silly. This has also become one of my daughters favorite songs as well and they often ask me to sing it to them before bed each night.

Lyrics

Bring back, bring back, bring back that Leroy Brown (yeah)
Bring back, bring back, gotta bring back Leroy Brown (back)

Bet your bottom dollar bill you're a playboy (yeah, yeah)
Daddy Cool with a ninety dollar smile (woo, woo, woo, woo, yeah)
Took my money out of gratitude
And he git right out of town (well)
Well I gotta getty up, steady up, shoot him down
Gotta hit that latitude (babe)

Bring back, bring back, bring back that Leroy Brown (yeah)
Bring back, bring back, gotta bring back Leroy Brown (back)

Big bad Leroy Brown he got no common sense (no no)
He got no brains, but he sure gotta lot of style
Can't stand no more in this here jail
I gotta rid myself of this sentence
Gotta get out the heat, step into the shade
I gotta get me there dead or alive (babe)

(Wooh wooh) Big bad Leroy (wooh wooh)
(Wooh wooh) Big bad Leroy, Brown

(Well)

Bring back, bring back, bring back that Leroy Brown
Bring back, bring back, gotta bring back Leroy Brown (back)

Big Mama Lulu Belle she had a nervous breakdown (she had a nervous breakdown)
Leroy's taken her honey chile away (waaaaay)
But she met him down at the station (woo woo)
Put a shotgun to his head
And unless I be mistaken (ooo mistaken)
This is what she said (ooo ooo)

"Big bad big boy, big bad Leroy Brown
I'm gonna get that cutie pie."

Bring back, bring back, bring back that Leroy Brown (yeah)
Big bad caused a mighty fine sensation (yeah yeah)
Gone and got himself elected President (we want Leroy for President)

Next time (you gotta hit a bitty baddy weather)
This time (like a shimmy shammy leather)
He's a big boy, bad boy, Leroy
Don't care where you get him from (from)
(Doobidiba, doobidiba, doobidia)
Bring that big bad Leroy back
Want him back

Videos

Album version.
A capella version.
Live at Earl's Court, 1977.

Links

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