I was asked to listen to Jim Croce - Operator (First Reaction)

[@rhiahlMT]

He was a master at this stuff. "I've Got a Name", "Time in a Bottle", "I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song", "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown", "Don't Mess Around with Jim", "Working at the Car Wash Blues". All great songs. I've always wondered what else he could have done. Great stuff. Vincent is a great song. Love it.

[@MrVvulf]

It breaks my heart that his son A.J. has had so much tragedy in his life. His father died when he was 2, so he has no direct memory of Jim. He was blinded from abuse by a boyfriend of his mother at age 4. Sometime later he regained sight in one eye. 5 years ago his wife died suddenly of a rare virus, leaving him to raise their two children.

[@rhiahlMT]

@@MrVvulf Yeah. AJ though has been coming out and doing some of his father's music. He's had a long journey for sure.

[@anna9072]

“Time in a Bottle” is one of my all time favorite songs.

[@rhiahlMT]

@@anna9072 Yeah, I always loved that one. My husband passed away when that song was playing, it was one of his favorites too.

[@dsusan17]

Don't forget "Walking In The Alabama Rain"

[@billstev100]

I’ll soon be 78 years old and I can still remember every word and sing along. Jim Croce was awesome and all of his music. Thanks brother 🙏

[@doctorteethomega]

My mother loved this song, but I hadn't listened to it in 30 years. As soon as he said the first line, I sang along "You see the number on the matchbook is old and faded.."

[@pamegan8735]

Me too ! I'm 68

[@jibbel-ff5sf]

hey pops, im 35 and croce is my solid number 4 singer-songwriter. behind bands, floyd, doors and zeppelin. we still love this music.

[@HeavyMetalBluegrass]

Props to Maury Muehleisen, Jim's friend and lead acoustic guitarist who at age 24 died with Jim on that fateful day in September of 1973.

[@BOOMNERD51]

Yeah, so sad discovering that years later thanks to KZbin videos Maury Muehlheiesen played amazing acoustic guitar with Jim Croce.

[@bigskyrambler]

Crushing news. I remember it well.

[@hackermusic3355]

They actually started out with Jim backing up Maury. I don't know how often it happens that people switch roles like that but I would guess not very often, for several reasons.

[@kellycate]

Thank you for sharing this💙

[@soniadenison1690]

Jim Croce was a gem! Beautiful voice taken from us too soon!

[@starhuman7]

Way too soon❤❤

[@heidiquint2691]

I agree

[@soniadenison1690]

Funny story, I was in Walmart and I hear a guy with earpods on singing this song out loud while he was shopping and I recognized the song and started singing along with him! 😂😂😂

[@IDontSuckAtLifeakaJanis3975]

I giggled out loud at this comment

[@sunshinyday8648]

I'm guilty of singing the songs playing in stores like I'm on stage at a concert

[@stevemcmaster4347]

@@sunshinyday8648yep me too 😊

[@sandymutter1929]

LOL, I would’ve done the same!

[@OsmenaAbas-gh9vo]

Jim Croce I like it folk song and super amazing introment guitar

[@christinebrady6842]

Ahhh, Jim Croche, man! ❤

[@michellefrank8116]

Jim Croce was a great story teller.

[@whoviating]

I love the lines "She's living in LA /With my best old ex-friend Ray" because they tell the whole story in 10 words.

[@btjackson7741]

He had an amazing ability to say a great deal in just a few words. Pure genius.

[@leisastalnaker3790]

This song breaks my heart. I remember when it came out. It still resonates with me. He was such a great singer/songwriter. What a loss, he died much too young. But his work still impacts.

[@coachmullen1]

You may not get tons of views for reacting to this, but if just a few people get introduced to this great song/artist because of you, then you've done a good thing!

[@matthewhoag2609]

Timeless music. He was one of my dad’s favorites. Time in a Bottle is his most famous and a must-listen if you haven’t heard it. I would also suggest I’ve Got a Name and Bad, Bad Leroy Brown. Cheers!

[@risailor20091]

As a guitarist, I remain spellbound by his ability to make it sound/look so easy. This is NOT an easy song. His son now tours.

[@lizzabbott]

I just saw his son in concert! Beyond amazing! You GOTTA see him ! Still on tour now. Road trip ? Worth it !

[@Lakeshore14]

Yes, that’s what us old folks did….call the operator!!! And the dime he referred to is what a pay phone required. If the call didn’t go through you got the dime back. Thanks so much for your great reaction to Jim. He was very special. Sadly, he died at the young age of 30, in a plane crash. Love your channel. 👏👏🇨🇦

[@daledodson1279]

Great song by Jim Croce! Nobody today knows what an operator is 😂!

[@angelamaryfussey3461]

Some of us old one's do. My teen and young adult years.

[@farmhome904]

Or a payphone that takes dimes.

[@hillbillydan4721]

​​@@farmhome904them 10 cent calls has been a few years ago !! I turned 60 this year and things like this just stand out !! LOL

[@JohnLennon99791]

Or a phone on the highway for emergencies😅

[@margl7793]

Here's what is sad. When I was a kid, the radio stations played all kinds of music. You'd here Jim Croce, then the Rolling Stones, then Hendrix, then Glen Campbell, Joan Baez, Crosby, Stills, and Nash. I love all kinds of music. Today is rock, rap, country, or hip hop, but they are never on the same station. That's made younger people snobs thinking one kind of music is better than another. That is sad.

[@bruceprosje9243]

Perhaps the most heart wrenching lyric ever. "There's something in my eyes. You know it happens every time - I think about the love that I thought would save me.

[@HRConsultant_Jeff]

In that same time we had Cat stevens, Jim Croce, Don McLean, Janice Ian, Paul Simon...all single artists with many hits they wrote and performed and if you played acoustic guitar, this was your golden era.

[@twwtjohns]

You're saying his name perfectly! Jim Croce always told a story. He seemed to be able to tell a story about anyone, anything or anywhere that he'd come across. Operator always gets me as you can imagine someone in this circumstance. One of my favorites of his is another one about love lost called Walking Back to Georgia.

[@bamknm90]

Funn,I listened to that just minutes ago.

[@theposhmaniac5169]

Jim Croce is a treasure! A voice from my past who was lost way too soon! Will always treasure my memories, which come flooding back to me whenever I hear his magnificent voice. RIP.

[@michaelfried3123]

I was a kid in the 70's and this song was everywhere back then. It is a bit of a shame music like this fell outta style, I still love it and vibe really takes me back to simpler times when music was MUCH MUCH better.

[@RoadDoug]

Weren’t the 70’s the best time to be young?

[@hummingbirdess8763]

The best and I am so thankful to be a teen at this time of music. The memories this time brings makes me so happy!

[@becksullivan4796]

This man had the most amazing gift for selecting the most perfect words to tell a story. I can’t imagine changing a single word.

[@babswren6799]

True story - this was the 1st piece of vinyl I purchased, with money I had saved up from babysitting. ❤ Jim Croce

[@BOOMNERD51]

I'm not only old enough to remember the operator but also when "You can keep the dime." used to be what A call cost❤

[@janbaker932]

This is the music that I listen to as a very young child I had parents that were kind of hippies and this song I knew word for word and also Buffalo Springfield Mr soul my stepfather played him on the acoustic guitar brings back a lot of memories for me love it

[@steveorr94]

Hell yeah

[@cherylbrowning3303]

Yes you got his number Jim is amazing one of my favorites lots of great songs ! Gone way too soon R. I. P. Jim

[@JUSTMAYOPINION]

The man just needed someone to listen, and the operator was the one who answered. ❤

[@eileenlaufman7318]

I never thought of him as a folk singer (but I guess he was), he blended so well into rock. I think his greatest hits was my the 4th album I owned (still own it actually).

[@reginafromtexas2314]

You are pronouncing his name correctly. Jim Croce is one of my favorite singers. His song "Photographs and Memories" holds a special place in my heart. Thanks for this reaction!

[@Jen-in-Texas]

Yes - such a good song!

[@johnbattles1002]

Yes, "Photographs and Memories" is an exquisitely beautiful tearjerker song! The only thing wrong with it is that it's not three times longer than it is! It's way too short. But there is no better voice that could fit that song than Jim's!

[@joem1480]

Jim Croce was the GOAT This probably got a lot more views than you expected. He is well loved and truly missed.

[@popculturista]

I always think of Jim Croce as a great American songwriter. When I listen to his music and his lyrics, I can't imagine his songs being written outside of the USA. He seemed so in touch with the ways and people of this country. His emotions and vulnerability were always at the forefront of so many of his songs. He's one of my favorites still.

[@ten211966]

Thanks for this! Jim Croce is one of my absolute favorite singer/songwriters! Please consider reacting to Time in a Bottle, Photographs and Memories, I Got a Name, I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song, Lover's Cross, Thursday, etc.

[@barbaraburton8914]

Lover's Cross is 1 of my favorites! ❤❤

[@notthatkaren7580]

Jim Croce sings to my heart. Thank you for doing all kinds of music.

[@davidanon1568]

This is a really great song even after listening to it for 50 years. The lyrics and so packed with subtle information which is one of the things that makes it great. ... "Living in LA, with my best old ex friend ray." Kinda tells you everything about what's going on in the song in a concise way, that the singers girl and his best friend ran off together . Great writing.

[@wrayvon121]

"A guy she said she knew well and sometimes hated." Makes it even worse.

[@DavidMiller-dt8mx]

Hey Polo. This is actually the first 'adult' song I ever learned all the words to. Jim Croche has a very special place in my memories, and I love his work. I've said for ages that my favorite love song is Time in a Bottle, and this is likely my favorite heartbreak song. And I'm a metalhead.

[@caw7007]

Jim Croce’s music always touched deep in my soul. Still one of my favorites.

[@terilynn162]

Polo you are saying his name correct. This music is nostalgic for me bcus it was a time of innocence. When we were a nation of interdependence still. Where the term it takes a village to raise a child was counted on. When neighbors actually cared about each other and helped out if one fell ill. A time of a United nation, not a divided nation. ❤

[@madonnapoco3881]

I grew up on this song. Jim Croce was always playing in our house and this song reminds me of Sunday afternoons hanging out with my Mom. Great song. The man was a storyteller.

[@vatiammatri2660]

One of my favorite artists, lost too soon. The whole album was dope. At the time we would have considered it acoustic not folk, in the same way Cat Stevens would be an acoustic rocker. What an era, blasting all day on the am 😊

[@LesleaRusso]

I started as a Telephone Operator in 1978. I was 19 years old. I played this to my family when I got hired. The stories I could tell. 😂 I love your reaction videos. There definitely is some great music from my youth. Thank you for always bringing a smile to my face, and digging up another memory for my heart. I appreciate your channel.

[@steve9199]

Croce/James Taylor/Harry Chapin weren't "Folk" music. They were "Singer/Songwriter". Songs that told a story...pure and simple.

[@142bobsim]

Agreed. The expression just doesn't do it justice.

[@jbs256]

Yes, Polo, you pronounced Jim’s name perfectly. Beautiful reaction and another artist gone way to soon because of a small plane. I remember when it happened and it was devastating. I remember seeing him and Murray on the Flip Wilson Show. I can’t remember but I believe that was posthumously shown. I went to film school in the late 70’s and for our final project my director was a huge Croce fan also and wrote a script about his before fame life, with Ingrid and working on road crews and playing in local clubs. He cast a guy who with just a little makeup was a ringer for Jim, he also played the guitar and sang. I was getting goosebumps when we shot it, I was the sound guy on the crew. It was up to me to capture his performance. We done did good. This song and Time In A Bottle just tear me apart. I saw a feature report on A.J. His son and his life and playing his dad’s music. But he’s had difficulties. ❤️🙏 Again, wonderful reaction, Polo.

[@tracysmith2130]

I lived in Natchitoches, LA when that happened. I was only a kid but my dad was a pilot and went to the accident scene. Very sad day

[@JanetGibbons-dl3yy]

Vincent is heartbreakingly beautiful. Jim Croce's Time in a Bottle is everyone's wedding song.

[@kmwwrench]

Jim Croce was a fabulous songwriter, taken much too soon. He's part of my young adult soundtrack. I never thought of him as folk, just great music.

[@farmhome904]

"Operator... Let's forget about this call.". has got to be one of the wisest lyrics ever sung.

[@sharonkempf1276]

Absolutely love Jim Croce! He's voice was amazing and beautiful! A legend taken too soon!

[@michaelcolemanjr66]

Have loved Jim Croce for over 40 years…one of the best!

[@69fogdog]

Jim Croce was an amazing talent and put out so many great songs in such a short time before he lost his life. I saw him in concert two weeks before his death and he was so damn good. Hope you get into more of his catalog. I know you will enjoy him.

[@1996vivian]

David Crosby, of Crosby, Stills, and Nash, said that Jim was one of the greatest songwriters ever. High praise coming from him.

[@kermitandmisspiggyb]

Oh how this song brings back memories. I loved listening to him back in the day. I’m going to look up some of his music and bring back the sound of my younger years. Wonderful singer and songwriter. I was so sad when he left us. The world will never have another person like him.

[@jeffwarren4938]

Beautiful poetic songwriting! Genius!

[@mudbone01]

Many musicians can write music, and there are several who can write songs... But when you put them in the same person and then perform it and it touches your soul you know you have listened to something incredible... he was just a perfectionist in his ability to play out a story in a song

[@patriciawilliams4213]

He is one of my favorites.

[@patriciawilliams4213]

You have got to hear Time in a Bootle

[@patriciawilliams4213]

Time in a Bottle

[@patriciawilliams4213]

Leroy Brown is another song

[@debigiroux1811]

Great reaction. Jim Croce was so special RIP gone way too soon. ❤🎶

[@thaler6363]

This song brings back so many memories. I love it!!! ❤ His song "Time in a bottle" is also a great song. Cat Stevens is also great to listen too.

[@cindyknudson2715]

And Harry Chapin

[@gingers.5933]

I vote for Cat Stevens too, excellent song writer and story teller.

[@jupham112]

Yes, I forgot Cat Stevens. Loved his music. ❤

[@tracey6768]

I'm 60... grew up on Jim croce...i sang along like i was 12❤❤❤❤

[@steve4562]

Such good memories of listening to Jim on the radio back in the day. Thanks for reminding me.

[@shaneanigans440]

"you can keep the dime" is such a heavy line. Love this song.

[@LesleyDodson]

Vincent is one of the most beautiful and saddest songs ever. Thank you for reviewing this today - my day is better for hearing some Jim Croce - I don't think he ever recorded a bad song. Thank you!!

[@Hawk-ODA212]

You've got great taste in music. Jim Croce is right up toward the top of list as one of the best song writers ever. Thanks for the reaction.

[@kathiyow6801]

Love jim such a amazing artist. Every song always touches me. He died way to young 😢. What a treasure ❤

[@MarkChappell1]

How can anyone not love this, right? And Vincent is also on my daily playlist. Just beautiful songs.

[@Frank-pe9pk]

One of the best song writers ever and I’ve heard a lot in my long life!

[@amandamcquade1272]

🎶🎵💜 Dear Polo, Thank you for this. I hadn't heard Brother Jim Croce for ages, and my heart missed him. My face is wet with tears now, not just with nostalgia...but with feeling.😔🥲 As others have said, you're saying his name perfectly.😊🫡 But I would add that his songs were in more that wonderful, mostly 1970's tradition of a Ballad/Story song. Not so much Folk music, though perhaps the decades are blurring that line. Just a thought! My dear man, I hope that a bazillion old and young lovers of ballads (and good lyrics) come to hear this song. The times may have included currently incomprehensible things like Pay Phones, dialing O for a human Operator and interacting humanely with her (usually a woman, my Aunt and a Sister in Law were Phone Operators in the 50's, 60's and 70's) and placing an Operator-assisted long distance call for a dime...but the situation and emotional arc are timeless.😢 Again, as Jim Croce sang, "Thank you for your time. You've been so much more than kind..."💜😉🎶☎️🎙🎸

[@cbobwhite5768]

I can remember back in the 10th grade, first period, I would open the bundle of papers ever morning. I lifted the St. Louis Post Dispatch and on the front page, it said Jim Croce had died in a plane crash. My breath just caught in my throat. My teacher saw that I was stunned and asked me what was wrong. Fighting back tears, i showed her the paper. He was my favorite singer.

[@micheled6111]

I agree this is a wonderful storyteller and Vincent is also a great song by Don McLean. My fav song of Jim Croce is operator but runner up is “I’d have to say I love you in a song”. Someone mentioned Cat Stevens is also a great story teller! Ultimately though Gordon Lightfoot who just passed is at the top of my heap as well with the Wreck of Edmund Fitzgerald, song for a snowy evening, Railway trilogy, Don Quixote. And on……

[@clarenancy77]

Yes, Cat Stevens, Gordon Lightfoot and Joni Mitchell should be in Polo's future.

[@ShannonFrederick-n5n]

Just came across your page. My Dad was a rock DJ in the late 60s/early 70s, and he LOVED Jim Croce. Master musician and lyricist. Such a beautiful voice. ❤❤

[@Jen-in-Texas]

Jim Croce is AMAZING. I think it’s more of soft rock or east listening than folk. He has such a beautiful voice. Check out “You Don’t Mess Around with Jim”. Such a cool song. And “Time in a Bottle”. Oh and “New York is not my home”.

[@sandyleewhite]

Jim Croce is one of those singers, that sings directly to your soul, and you can feel the lyrics to your very core 💓 RIP great one, sadly missed & gone way too soon 💓 Would love you to react to my favorite by Jim Croce, (Time in a Bottle)

[@jamierobson8825]

Fabulous song, thanks for the reaction! More of Jim, please! He has no bad songs. Great singer, song-writer & musician. Gone far, far too soon. RIP.

[@happymethehappyone8300]

Often overlooked or forgotten MUST HEAR classics,, Jim Croce "Photographs And Memories",, "Workin' At The Carwash Blues",, "New York's Not My Home",, "Rapid Roy",, "One Less Set Of Footprints",, "Lover's Cross",, "Roller Derby Queen" & "The Hard Way Every Time".

[@cdfdesantis699]

Yes, you're saying his name correctly. A true treasure, wonderful poet/songwriter. Thanks for your reaction.

[@gaylemitchell5881]

Folk music never gets old, it's beautiful.

[@herbiesnerd]

“My best old ex friend” …. what a great line.

[@terridostal1348]

This takes me back to high school. You are saying his name correctly. Had tickets to his concert but he had to cancel and then he was gone.

[@PolkaLuria]

That's so funny that you mentioned 'Vincent' by Don Mclean. I feel the same about that song, though the line where he sings "But I could have told you, Vincent, this world was never meant for one as beautiful as you" always make me get tears in my eyes, even if I have heard it so many times before, I just think he sings that line with such emotion.

[@IDontSuckAtLifeakaJanis3975]

American Pie was the first 33 I ever owned

[@michaelparsons5352]

If you like Vincent and great guitar playing Chet out Chet Atkins version of the song. No lyrics but played so beautifully that if you know the song you will hear the words anyway.😊

[@HeatherRose_]

I was an operator for 16 years. You wouldn't believe how many people would tell me their story.

[@marciaramirez3791]

I don't believe good music is ever really outdated just forgotten for awhile in all the hustle and bustle of our lives. So glad to see and hear these classics being revived today. Thank you.

[@DilganURikisNuni]

The first time I heard this was when I was cruising along in my 1977 Buick Century with an AM radio and a single speaker in the middle of the dashboard. I was 17. I still get "something in my eye" every time I hear that song.

[@cnealon817]

You can really feel his pain as he is singing! I’m a child of the 70’s and grew up with his incredible music. As a kid my favorite was Bad, Bad, Leroy Brown!!!

[@Tolemac7]

Hey Polo ~ I started playing guitar in '67 at the age of 8. I was into a lot of folk, rock and pop music of the day. When Jim first came on the radio I was mesmerized. I learned his entire set of music, which was tragically small, very quickly. He became, and still is, one of my all time favorite singer/songwriters. When they announced his & Maury's (his co-writer and stunningly great lead guitarist) deaths, I cried the whole day. Such brilliance, lost. Everything he did, he did with passion and joy. You'll enjoy all of his songs. =)

[@terriertz5134]

Yes I'm old enough to remember dial 0 for the operator and rotary dial phones. Folk music is a gem. Vincent is one of my favorite sad songs. Jim Croce had some great songs. I remember my dad listening to his music, so his songs will always be nostalgic to me.

[@MJ-we9vu]

You can find a few audio only recordings of Jim Croce along with Maury Muehleisen, his lead guitarist, doing shows at relatively small venues like junior colleges. They're great musically but Croce is so personable and tells some great stories between songs. It's worth checking out.

[@markwilliams6394]

There's a video of some of his songs live off of the old variety tv show. His wife and son put it out about 20 yrs ago. You should look it up, it's pretty good. He tells funny stories about the songs before playing them.

[@mattyoufat1000]

Hearing just those 2 live is insanely good. Wish we had better recordings because to me, I just want those 2 and their guitars.

[@Able-Man]

A storyteller, indeed! (I can remember this song, from the early or mid 1970's, while in Highschool,! ... Another one of his, you might enjoy = "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown"!! (Talk about a STORY!)

[@johnfleming6236]

Saw him in concert a few days before he died. Great concert. 😮

[@leightnite3056]

Glad you found him! Everything he did is a gem. You should try out America's "Ventura Highway" same era of majestic early 70s folk rock!

[@noelleparris9451]

Singing along because this is a classic. Jim Croce was such a talent and like too many, he died far too soon. Glad you are listening to him!!! And enjoying the experience!

[@laurabuer4714]

Oh. This song is so beautiful. I'm getting a bit ahead of the curve, but you can never go wrong with Jim. Edit; Vincent I was able to see play live by Don in the 90's. - Love, A Metal Head

[@paulinesmith6553]

My favorite when I was 13. My heart broke when he died.

[@sallyatticum]

Me, too! To make matters worse, he died ON my birthday I was devastated! And I have an annual reminder.....

[@preachervideo]

Guy Clark is the Ernest Hemingway of songwriters. All his songs are first class. Some of my favorites are Dublin Blues, Old Friends, Magnolia Wind, Homegrown Tomatoes, etc, etc.

[@chawk678]

Love your stuff, Polo. I hope you keep sharing the old head music like this to a new generation. Very much appreciate you.

[@Zelig2Cents]

Thanks for the reaction Polo. Putting songs like "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" aside, Jim's mellower songs like "Operator" and "Time In A Bottle" showcase the very special vocal quality that is uniquely Croce. He tells you a story about emotional pain that he has gone through, but between the pithiness and clear message of the lyrics and his voice, you could swear it was an experience that YOU went through and Jim is just there to give you a hug and tell you it's OK. If there is the musical equivalent to a hug, it's Jim's voice and I'm forever grateful to him for that.

[@girl_overthinx]

I would add "Lover's Cross" to that list, too. ❤

[@jettechdonatkins]

I started listening to Jim in 1972,had to buy all of his albums after hearing him.I was more of a rocker,but many like me who are into rock also loved Jim's music.There are some great live videos of Jim and Maurey playing together.Please do more of Jim,and thank you for is.

[@flash1660]

Jim was a master storyteller and singer and songwriter what a masterpiece

[@lg9732]

I just started watching your reaction videos and as a child of the 70s, I watch with anticipation that you will live what you are about to hear, e.g., with this gem, Yes, Roundabout, etc. Too many greats to name. Looking forward to more content! Thanks.

[@j.n.jacksonjr.170]

Hey Polo, Glad you can appreciate Jim Croce, awesome singer songwriter sadly taken from us way too soon! Love Vincent by Don Maclean as well!You should listen to Gordon Lightfoot’s T he Wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald! You will appreciate the mood and sadness and loss that the words and music create! Keep up the great work.

[@Mike80528]

Great story telling, excellent melody, and so emotive. Jim was my first favorite artist many, many years ago. Feels like it was a different lifetime...

[@jimwhite3882]

I grew up on Jim Croce and his music always brings me back to those early days. Recommend you check out I’ve Got a Name. This was my anthem through my teens and twenties. Love your reactions!

[@luther1546]

My mother listened to Jim when I was a kid. I can still remember his voice in our house and my mom singing along. What a legend he was. Gone too soon.

[@BucketOfFail]

Jim Croche is amazing and you should listen to some of Harry Chapin's music. He was also a storytelling genius. Corey's Coming, The Mayor of Candor Lied, and A Better Place to Be are some of my favorites.

[@JohnLennon99791]

Harry Chapin's "Taxi"

[@5150crazyfun]

Jim Croce is one of my favorite singers. Guy could tell a story and had such a unique voice. This song in particular is so amazing. Such a great singer and songwriter.