He wrote the song based on observations while he was in the Army in the 60's, and he'd see the faces of his buddies either reading Dear John letters, then tearing up, or watching them talking to their girlfriends on the phone, and basically breaking up with their girfriends long distance, or getting news thye'd just had a baby, but the months didn't match up. Yeah, Operator is a tough song.
@@johnhanson6900 I used to watch a lot of late-nite westerns with my Dad. It was fun. One night, at the end of one movie, Cowboy Ronald Reagan (the hero) was riding off into the sunset with the heroine on horseback, side by side , off into the sunset as the credits were going up. My Dad--- no fan of then President Reagan--- piped up and said "Look, there's TWO horse's xxxxxx's on that one! (Reagan's) I still laugh when I think of that story. He and I would get up early on Saturday mornings to watch the Roadrunner cartoons. Dad would always lose it when the coyote overran the inevitable cliff, and we'd laugh all the way down till there was the "POOF" at the bottom. Good times.
Jim Croce was brilliant. He produced so many hit songs and tragically died young, along with his guitarist. Had he lived longer, it is a virtual certainty he would have produced many more hit songs. He's among the greatest folk singers ever.
@@garymaidman625 He was tired of the travel and the grind but I still believe he would have come back to music. He was just too good and people were starting to learn that.
On a very windy night in Natchitoches, Louisiana on the 20th September 1973, a small plane took off carrying 5 passengers. Jim Croce and his guitar partner Maury Muehleisen, were on board. The plane hardly lifted above the tree line at the end of the runway, before crashing and killing all 5 onboard. Jim was 30, and Maury was 24. It was a tragic ending to a gifted songwriter and a gifted guitarist. We lost one of the best songwriters that day. I have all his albums and love so many of his songs. RIP Jim and Maury
Love Jim. The guitar work by him and Maury are so spectacular. They blend so much they sound as one. Both Jim and Maury were killed in the crash as were others. Thanks Dani!
A true genius. Put feelings that we can all identify with into such poetry. R I P Jim. You are missed. Thank you Dani. We appreciate you also. Much love for what you do.
Jim could be hilarious in songs like Don't Mess Around with Jim, Bad Bad Leroy Brown, Workin' at the Car Wash Blues [hilarious], Roller Derby Queen, Speedball Tucker....then turn around and rip your heart out with Operator, These Dreams. It Doesn't Have to Be that Way and Time in a Bottle. Or inspire with someone else's song "I've Got a Name." Very few can match his intensity...he was so real, and in high school a lot of us cried when we heard the news of the plane crash on this day Sept 20, 1973, leaving behind a wife and small child. May his music never die.
I love the way his friend Maury looks at him. Those two great geniuses had a rare connection. What awesome talent. Jim didn't look at his guitar one single time. The best of the best. Jim and Maury, you are still missed 50 years later.
I can't listen to Croce without shedding a tear, he was the first artist I knew at a child, he influenced my appreciation for lyrics, his story is one of the saddest ever, and his heartfelt lyrics were some of the best ever written 50 years later.
Especially considering how young he died. I have to fight back tears when I hear it, knowing that he was a young married guy, with a child..This is his son A.J. doing a really great cover of his father's timeless tune...czcams.com/video/nlITVMC4qY8/video.html
Hey Dani. You look so chill Dani girl. Love this song. He was in a league of his own. I love the breakdown of the lyrics in this song. when this song comes on you can't just not stop and listen. Dani his life was too short. He had some other great hits. Time in a bottle, bad bad Leroy brown. Beautiful all around. Great.
I freaking love that line, it gives me the chills every time I hear it. "I've overcome the blow, learned to take it well, only wish I could convince myself." The way he slows it down the last time he says it in the recording version is so ominous.
Jim actually didn't pass away but was killed in a single engine plane on take pff with his singing partner Murray Mendelssohn. He struggled for years to make it big and was ready to quit at the time of his death. He never got to see the fame he achieved after his untimely tragedy. He left behind his wife and their very young son.
Dani, I know what you mean about this song seeming so outdated given the change in technology. LOL! Can you imagine a modernized version? "Hey Alexa! Won't you help me Google this search? The image that I just tried to scan is faded..." A truly talented singer songwriter that left us too soon. My favorite of his is "Time In A Bottle".
I've been enjoying his music since the 70s, hearing it on the radio around those times I was driving a cab in Hawaii. I didn't know it was an anniversary. RIP.
Just found: "Croce, a popular singer and songwriter with a couple of Billboard #1 singles, was 30 years old. Along with Cortese and Croce, guitarist Maury Muehleisen; comedian George Stevens; Croce manager Dennis Rast, and pilot Robert N. Elliot were on the plane and died." Reminds me of Lynyrd Skynrd and Randy Rhoads...
Backing Jim up is the talented Maury Muehleisen. They had met and became great friends when Jim was asked to be a session musician on an album Maury was working on. When Croce's career took off, Maury recorded and toured with Jim, tragically dying in the same plane crash. We're so luck video recordings still exist like this, and Maury's album, Gingerbreadd, is available on CZcams: czcams.com/video/C4UK8Ra8TYA/video.html
Time In a Bottle and I Got a Name are other sweet ones from him. And he has great upbeat 'character' songs as well. Bad Bad Leroy Brown, You Don't Mess Around With Jim, Rapid Roy the Stock Car Boy, Roller Derby Queen. Jim was an enormous talent that is truly missed!
Oh Dani! I love this reaction, and the songs of Jim Croce! A beautiful story teller he was, as many of his songs was about people he met along the way.
Hey Dani-Uncle j-Man here. This brings me back to hanging out on the parkway in the Bronx listening to CBS FM 101.1 the oldies station. Which I had to fight my friends to listen to Keep on grinding I’ll see you on the next one ❤️❤️❤️
@DaniAtkinson- Jim Croce was great and one of my fav artists ever. A few songs of his that I recommend you check out are I'll have to say that I love you in a song, Bad bad Leroy brown, I got a name and New Yorks not my home.
Jim was a great singer story teller. Great songwriter with a smooth comforting voice. So sad he passed away at far too young an age. Great reaction Dani, you are looking terrific and I hope you are doing well.
Master lyricist, another great verse in this song is “Operator, oh, could you help me place this call? 'Cause I can' t read the number that you just gave me. There's something in my eyes, you know it happens every time I think about the love that I thought would save me”. The “something in my eyes” are tears and he can’t even see the phone number he just wrote down… pure genius gone too soon 😕🙏🏻
Jim Croce, along with guitarist Maury Muehleisen and three others died on September 20, 1973, after a concert in Natchitoches, Louisiana, the plane went past the runway, hit the tree, and spun around in the air before crashing. I had friends who had tickets to his next concert in Sherman, Texas, to play a concert at Austin College. They were offered a refund but refused and still have the tickets.
on the second chorus,,,my interpretation is that his eyes are like covered with tears,, but the tears is just not flowing,,like your holding your tears,,fighting emotions,,,but when i heard your version, its more deeper than that,,
Wonderful choice and a great reaction. i think you would enjoy another wonderful singer/songwriter named Don McLean. the song Vincent is a beautiful tribute to Vincent Van Gogh.
Another similar song would be Dr Hook, 'Silvias Mother Says,,,' . Totally enjoyed Croce back in my day. AM Radio was big. The Music back then was made to connect with people. Not so much today. It's good to get back to what was real at one time. Thanks for the play. I miss those days. Mine are almost done.
It's kind of funny watching you experience this song since you grew up in the age of cell phones, texting and the Internet. This song was from the time of coin operated pay phones and human operators. You dropped a dime in the coin slot to make your call. This is the meaning of the line "you can keep the dime," since dialing the operator was free. Croce received hundreds of letters from operators after this song was released.
Had his pilot been able to get 5 feet more of lift and not hit the only tree within a 2 mile radius of the Nachitoches Airport that night, he probably still be playing this song to his adoring audiences.
Love it Dani! "Operator, well, let's forget about this call . There's no one there I really wanted to talk to. Thank you for your time. Oh, you've been so much more than kind. You can keep the dime" about sums it up for a broken heart that just needed a friendly, kind, voice!
It's amazing that a lot of people here do not understand that, in before the 70s, 80s, and early 90s, you needed to have a dime in your pocket so you could make a call. I think if you have that experience you would be able to appreciate this song a thousand times more.
I have been strolling through some of your reactions to songs that comprise the soundtrack of my youth. It is nice to see/hear my old favorite through a fresh set of eyes. I am not sure if you come back and look at some of these old comments but I do have another artist in the same genre. Harry Chapin, like so many great artists, died way to early in his career from a car crash. I would like to introduce you to one of his two most popular songs, "Taxi." and if you like that, "Cats in The Cradle." I wish you all the best from the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. By the way, you have an amazing singing voice yourself.
Something in my eyes, how well that feeling fits love gone wrong. As usual your reaction adds to the whole experience of the song. Thank you so much Dani
Jim’s compatriot Maury, who is playing with him, was a classically trained musician and could play about anything. From what I understand, his trained talent was pretty off the charts. Those two guys together really were one heck of a team.
Lovely reaction, Dani .. This is such a beautifully written and performed song, and as you say, Jim makes it so totally believable and relatable .. You can just feel every bit of sadness and loss that the subject of the song is experiencing .. Jim has many more classics .. "Lovers Cross" and "Time In A Bottle" are my top 2 suggestions .. Cheers, Wayne
Well, you started at the perfect spot for Jim Croce. He has lots of great stuff so you're in for a treat. "You Don't Mess Around With Jim" would be good to react to because it's a totally different type of song but from the same album.
The night before the plane crash that took his life he played in a high school gym for a small group of fans until the sun came up. His music is amazing and timeless.
Hey Dani, you should do " Fanny " their song " Chairity Ball " or anything from their appearance on "The Beat Club " . They were the First All FEMALE Rock Band that toured and made albums.
Technology might be a little dated now but it was relevant all the way up until 2007. It is sad that there's no good way to modernize this song, but the emotions and the feelings behind it our Universal and Timeless and will outlive that technology as long as humans are around
He wrote the song based on observations while he was in the Army in the 60's, and he'd see the faces of his buddies either reading Dear John letters, then tearing up, or watching them talking to their girlfriends on the phone, and basically breaking up with their girfriends long distance, or getting news thye'd just had a baby, but the months didn't match up. Yeah, Operator is a tough song.
I didn't know that was the basis for this song. Thank you for sharing that background info.
@@johnhanson6900 No, but I'm very familiar with Margaritaville, if that helps.
@@johnhanson6900 I used to watch a lot of late-nite westerns with my Dad. It was fun. One night, at the end of one movie, Cowboy Ronald Reagan (the hero) was riding off into the sunset with the heroine on horseback, side by side , off into the sunset as the credits were going up. My Dad--- no fan of then President Reagan--- piped up and said "Look, there's TWO horse's xxxxxx's on that one! (Reagan's) I still laugh when I think of that story. He and I would get up early on Saturday mornings to watch the Roadrunner cartoons. Dad would always lose it when the coyote overran the inevitable cliff, and we'd laugh all the way down till there was the "POOF" at the bottom. Good times.
"I can't read the number that you just gave me, there's something in my eye". Yes. Tears. He's crying!!!
Jim Croce was brilliant. He produced so many hit songs and tragically died young, along with his guitarist. Had he lived longer, it is a virtual certainty he would have produced many more hit songs. He's among the greatest folk singers ever.
Actually, he was on his farewell tour when he died. He was going to become a screenwriter for movies.
@@garymaidman625 He was tired of the travel and the grind but I still believe he would have come back to music. He was just too good and people were starting to learn that.
@@aaronhamlett maybe, maybe not. We'll never know now. What we do know is that he was on what he called his farewell tour. It's tragic either way.
@@garymaidman625 Very true, but I can dream.
Arguably the best singer songwriter storyteller there ever was...
"You can keep the dime" is delivered so perfectly. What a master he was. Legendary talent.
On a very windy night in Natchitoches, Louisiana on the 20th September 1973, a small plane took off carrying 5 passengers. Jim Croce and his guitar partner Maury Muehleisen, were on board. The plane hardly lifted above the tree line at the end of the runway, before crashing and killing all 5 onboard. Jim was 30, and Maury was 24. It was a tragic ending to a gifted songwriter and a gifted guitarist. We lost one of the best songwriters that day. I have all his albums and love so many of his songs. RIP Jim and Maury
Jim Croce was a great storyteller! He left an indelible mark on everyone who heard his music in the 70's.
Love Jim. The guitar work by him and Maury are so spectacular. They blend so much they sound as one. Both Jim and Maury were killed in the crash as were others. Thanks Dani!
A true genius. Put feelings that we can all identify with into such poetry. R I P Jim. You are missed.
Thank you Dani. We appreciate you also. Much love for what you do.
Jim could be hilarious in songs like Don't Mess Around with Jim, Bad Bad Leroy Brown, Workin' at the Car Wash Blues [hilarious], Roller Derby Queen, Speedball Tucker....then turn around and rip your heart out with Operator, These Dreams. It Doesn't Have to Be that Way and Time in a Bottle. Or inspire with someone else's song "I've Got a Name." Very few can match his intensity...he was so real, and in high school a lot of us cried when we heard the news of the plane crash on this day Sept 20, 1973, leaving behind a wife and small child. May his music never die.
I love the way his friend Maury looks at him. Those two great geniuses had a rare connection. What awesome talent. Jim didn't look at his guitar one single time. The best of the best. Jim and Maury, you are still missed 50 years later.
I can't listen to Croce without shedding a tear, he was the first artist I knew at a child, he influenced my appreciation for lyrics, his story is one of the saddest ever, and his heartfelt lyrics were some of the best ever written 50 years later.
One of my favorites, found him way after he had passed but man can this dude perform!
Time in a Bottle is a good and touching song from Croce.
Brilliant song
Especially considering how young he died. I have to fight back tears when I hear it, knowing that he was a young married guy, with a child..This is his son A.J. doing a really great cover of his father's timeless tune...czcams.com/video/nlITVMC4qY8/video.html
Well... "I got a name", too.
He passed at 30, good thing he wrote this song when he did. Can't call the operator from pay phones today.
Hey Dani. You look so chill Dani girl. Love this song. He was in a league of his own. I love the breakdown of the lyrics in this song. when this song comes on you can't just not stop and listen. Dani his life was too short. He had some other great hits. Time in a bottle, bad bad Leroy brown. Beautiful all around. Great.
Time in a Bottle is a beautiful song
I freaking love that line, it gives me the chills every time I hear it. "I've overcome the blow, learned to take it well, only wish I could convince myself." The way he slows it down the last time he says it in the recording version is so ominous.
"There's something in my eye" yes. a tear. He is crying! But can't say that to the operator.
Jim actually didn't pass away but was killed in a single engine plane on take pff with his singing partner Murray Mendelssohn. He struggled for years to make it big and was ready to quit at the time of his death. He never got to see the fame he achieved after his untimely tragedy. He left behind his wife and their very young son.
If you are killed in a plane crash then you pass away.
Dani, I know what you mean about this song seeming so outdated given the change in technology. LOL! Can you imagine a modernized version? "Hey Alexa! Won't you help me Google this search? The image that I just tried to scan is faded..."
A truly talented singer songwriter that left us too soon. My favorite of his is "Time In A Bottle".
I've been enjoying his music since the 70s, hearing it on the radio around those times I was driving a cab in Hawaii. I didn't know it was an anniversary. RIP.
Jim's catalog of music is simply chock full of masterpiece songs. Maury, the other musician in the video, also passed with Jim on that plane.
Jim's great hits are mostly duets with Maury Muehleisen, his talented musical partner who died with him in the plane in 1973.
Thank you for mentioning this! Both were fantastically talented.
Just found:
"Croce, a popular singer and songwriter with a couple of Billboard #1 singles, was 30 years old. Along with Cortese and Croce, guitarist Maury Muehleisen; comedian George Stevens; Croce manager Dennis Rast, and pilot Robert N. Elliot were on the plane and died." Reminds me of Lynyrd Skynrd and Randy Rhoads...
Backing Jim up is the talented Maury Muehleisen. They had met and became great friends when Jim was asked to be a session musician on an album Maury was working on. When Croce's career took off, Maury recorded and toured with Jim, tragically dying in the same plane crash. We're so luck video recordings still exist like this, and Maury's album, Gingerbreadd, is available on CZcams: czcams.com/video/C4UK8Ra8TYA/video.html
Time In a Bottle and I Got a Name are other sweet ones from him. And he has great upbeat 'character' songs as well. Bad Bad Leroy Brown, You Don't Mess Around With Jim, Rapid Roy the Stock Car Boy, Roller Derby Queen. Jim was an enormous talent that is truly missed!
Oh Dani! I love this reaction, and the songs of Jim Croce! A beautiful story teller he was, as many of his songs was about people he met along the way.
Hey Dani-Uncle j-Man here. This brings me back to hanging out on the parkway in the Bronx listening to CBS FM 101.1 the oldies station. Which I had to fight my friends to listen to
Keep on grinding I’ll see you on the next one
❤️❤️❤️
Mosholu Parkway?
@DaniAtkinson- Jim Croce was great and one of my fav artists ever. A few songs of his that I recommend you check out are I'll have to say that I love you in a song, Bad bad Leroy brown, I got a name and New Yorks not my home.
Always loved this song. There's nobody there I really wanted to talk to......
He was tearing up. That's why he couldn't read the number. Happens every time
Croce’s music was so so good! Showing my age, I had all his music back in the day........amazing talent!
Jim was a great singer story teller. Great songwriter with a smooth comforting voice. So sad he passed away at far too young an age. Great reaction Dani, you are looking terrific and I hope you are doing well.
Thank you Yes, an incredible story teller!
Master lyricist, another great verse in this song is “Operator, oh, could you help me place this call?
'Cause I can' t read the number that you just gave me. There's something in my eyes, you know it happens every time I think about the love that I thought would save me”. The “something in my eyes” are tears and he can’t even see the phone number he just wrote down… pure genius gone too soon 😕🙏🏻
Jim was such a huge talent! Loved him. Gone far too soon. 🎼🎶🎵🇨🇦
I love jim croce. I think you'd really enjoy "time in a bottle"
He is the Greatest of all!😍
Jim Croce, along with guitarist Maury Muehleisen and three others died on September 20, 1973, after a concert in Natchitoches, Louisiana, the plane went past the runway, hit the tree, and spun around in the air before crashing. I had friends who had tickets to his next concert in Sherman, Texas, to play a concert at Austin College. They were offered a refund but refused and still have the tickets.
on the second chorus,,,my interpretation is that his eyes are like covered with tears,, but the tears is just not flowing,,like your holding your tears,,fighting emotions,,,but when i heard your version, its more deeper than that,,
I think it's nice that such a young lady is appreciating what these two great musicians created so many years ago.
This is a beautiful song , Jim was such a talent !
Wonderful choice and a great reaction. i think you would enjoy another wonderful singer/songwriter named Don McLean. the song Vincent is a beautiful tribute to Vincent Van Gogh.
Another similar song would be Dr Hook, 'Silvias Mother Says,,,' . Totally enjoyed Croce back in my day. AM Radio was big. The Music back then was made to connect with people. Not so much today. It's good to get back to what was real at one time. Thanks for the play. I miss those days. Mine are almost done.
Jim was a master story teller. A great song writer. Those lyrics get me everytime. " she is living in LA with my old best friend Ray" ouch.
It's kind of funny watching you experience this song since you grew up in the age of cell phones, texting and the Internet. This song was from the time of coin operated pay phones and human operators. You dropped a dime in the coin slot to make your call. This is the meaning of the line "you can keep the dime," since dialing the operator was free.
Croce received hundreds of letters from operators after this song was released.
The melancholy, "You can keep the dime" gets me
Timing of this reaction video was awesome! 😇
you young folk have the whole 40 year span of the best music ever. theres nothing not cool about going back and taking it all in
Had his pilot been able to get 5 feet more of lift and not hit the only tree within a 2 mile radius of the Nachitoches Airport that night, he probably still be playing this song to his adoring audiences.
You would enjoy Time in a Bottle.......sweet lyrics without being sappy.......but that's Croce.....still love how sincere you are
He is one of the greats . Love him
"Hard Way Every Time" gets me...every time
Dani Thanks for reacting to this Song. It brought back a lot of great memories hearing it as a kid!
I've always loved his songs! Thank you! He has many more. ROCK ON!! Jeff
Love it Dani! "Operator, well, let's forget about this call
. There's no one there I really wanted to talk to. Thank you for your time. Oh, you've been so much more than kind. You can keep the dime" about sums it up for a broken heart that just needed a friendly, kind, voice!
Gifted storyteller, musician and singer. I still can't believe his little son AJ is now already so much older than Jim was.
Jim Croce it's great, beautiful songs he's write
It's amazing that a lot of people here do not understand that, in before the 70s, 80s, and early 90s, you needed to have a dime in your pocket so you could make a call. I think if you have that experience you would be able to appreciate this song a thousand times more.
There is so much character in his face and so much charisma in his face.
You really should do more Jim Croce. Try I’ll have to say I love you, lover’s cross, Alabama Rain. A lot to choose from.
Beautiful song. Beautiful memory. Thank you for bringing it back to life.
I have been strolling through some of your reactions to songs that comprise the soundtrack of my youth. It is nice to see/hear my old favorite through a fresh set of eyes. I am not sure if you come back and look at some of these old comments but I do have another artist in the same genre. Harry Chapin, like so many great artists, died way to early in his career from a car crash. I would like to introduce you to one of his two most popular songs, "Taxi." and if you like that, "Cats in The Cradle." I wish you all the best from the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. By the way, you have an amazing singing voice yourself.
Something in my eyes, how well that feeling fits love gone wrong.
As usual your reaction adds to the whole experience of the song.
Thank you so much Dani
awesome song choice
Jim’s compatriot Maury, who is playing with him, was a classically trained musician and could play about anything. From what I understand, his trained talent was pretty off the charts. Those two guys together really were one heck of a team.
1 of the greatest folk song writers ever! Love all his stuff.
Another beautiful, timeless (imo) song from Jim Croce...superb writing...he left us way too soon...
you should check out some songs from Bread. They were around the same time as Jim Croce.
Now you know a song that really aches. I can imagine the operator thinking about that call when it finishes.
I wore that album out.......it was soooo good ! ❤😎👌
Jim only had three studio albums. his song Time In A Bottle went to number one shortly after his death.
I love how much you notice you’re very observant :)
I always find myself lost in the guitar work in this song.
Ah, yes, Him was one of the great ones! Love his music! He is so greatly missed!
One of my Best song a classic.
I really like your reactions...high level...you do a great job.
hes one of the greatest singer song wrighters in historey
"Jim Croce? Man, he was tuned into something that the rest of us just can't see." --Jerry Reed
Too soon gone. Such a fabulous story teller.
Jim Croce and After he formed a partnership with songwriter and guitarist Maury Muehleisen both dead in the plane
He is still one of the greatest songwriters of all time he tells a story that you can close your eyes and he paints you a picture
Lovely reaction, Dani .. This is such a beautifully written and performed song, and as you say, Jim makes it so totally believable and relatable .. You can just feel every bit of sadness and loss that the subject of the song is experiencing .. Jim has many more classics .. "Lovers Cross" and "Time In A Bottle" are my top 2 suggestions .. Cheers, Wayne
Dani, Operator by Jim Groce is one of famous. Thanks for reacts to its.
"Life is done through texts now and not phone calls." What a damning indictment of technological societ.
Well, you started at the perfect spot for Jim Croce. He has lots of great stuff so you're in for a treat.
"You Don't Mess Around With Jim" would be good to react to because it's a totally different type of song but from the same album.
Try reacting to Jim Croce's "Time In A Bottle" another great song by Jim!
No words..a genius 😅😅
The night before the plane crash that took his life he played in a high school gym for a small group of fans until the sun came up. His music is amazing and timeless.
Wow what a story
09/20/1973. The plane didn't gain enough altitude after take off and it clipped the top of a tree.
Rapid Roy That Stockcar Boy !!!!
This is a perfect song to me
Something in my eyes are tears that's it
Love Croce.
Such a beautifully heartbreaking song.
I hope you react to more Jim Croce.
Reliving an experience
Hey Dani, you should do " Fanny " their song " Chairity Ball " or anything from their appearance on "The Beat Club " . They were the First All FEMALE Rock Band that toured and made albums.
Im not crying 😢😢
Technology might be a little dated now but it was relevant all the way up until 2007. It is sad that there's no good way to modernize this song, but the emotions and the feelings behind it our Universal and Timeless and will outlive that technology as long as humans are around
please react to ( Jackson Browne The Load Out and Stay Live BBC 1978) thanks