Bad, Bad Leroy | Brown

: The famous "meaner than a junkyard dog" line came from Croce’s hobby of fixing up old cars; he noticed that every scrapyard he visited seemed to have a particularly nasty dog kept on a chain to deter intruders. A Classic Tale of Hubris

While the song is set in Chicago, the character of Leroy Brown was actually inspired by people Croce met during his time in the U.S. Army. Bad, Bad Leroy Brown

The narrative arc of the song follows a classic "bully gets his comeuppance" structure. Leroy's downfall begins when he makes the mistake of flirting with a woman named Doris in a local bar. Unfortunately for Leroy, Doris has a jealous husband who doesn't take kindly to the "Treetop Lover's" advances. The resulting fight leaves Leroy looking like "a jigsaw puzzle with a couple of pieces gone," proving that even the baddest man in town can meet his match. : The famous "meaner than a junkyard dog"