"You Don't Mess Around With Jim" lyrics conundrum...

[lastlib]

When I saw the lyrics from Jim Croce's song, "You Don't Mess Around With Jim" on a website, I read this:

And you better believe
They sung a different kind of story
When big Jim hit the floor.

What I have been hearing for so many years was this:

And you better believe
A cub reporter got a story
When big Jim hit the floor.

To me, it doesn't sound anything like what the website gives. What do you all think?

[Hugh_Lebowski]

1. Lyrics websites can be wrong for sure ... but according to Spotify's karaoke mode ...

in this case it seems they're right

Listened to it 4 times ... my lady and I agree they're right.

Funny how we make up lyrics when we don't understand them. Done it 1000 times where I turned out to be wrong at least!

Especially with old REM

[lastlib]

2. well, okay.....but I like mine better!

It makes for a better story!

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

3. I think "therrrre's a bathroom on the right"!! 🚽

... "wrapped up like a douche"

[Whatthe_Firetruck]

4. You're talking about a 'mondegreen' .

So there was a Scottish ballad where a lord dies.

At one point is the verse:

Ye Highlands and ye Lawlands,
Oh where have you been?
They have slain the Earl o' Moray
And layd him on the green.

The last line was misheard as...
"And Lady Mondegreen",
thus inventing a second dead person where only one was intended.

Other examples can be googled. See:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mondegreen

[ProfessorGAC]

5. I Say The Website Is Correct

That's how I've always heard the lyric.