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Diamond Jim Lyrics by Merle Hazard

Tough Market

2011

[Hook]
Oh-oh oh, oh-oh oh
Diamond Jim
[Verse 1]
I was visiting Charlotte, a town I knew well
The sunset was scarlet, I fell under its spell
At the hotel bar in the back of the place
I saw a strangely familiar face
Diamond Jim (Diamond Jim, oh oh oh)
I knew Diamond Jim from accounts in the press
He ran a New York bank with skill and finesse
They say he had brains but lacked a heart
J.P. Morgan himself was only half as smart as Diamond Jim
[Hook]
Diamond Jim, Diamond Jim
Oh-oh oh, oh-oh oh
Diamond Jim
[Verse 2]
Diamond Jim raised a toast, in a bankerly way
To his massively outsized wall street pay
"Our game is dis-economy of scale
The key is to be too big to fail!" said Diamond Jim
He mocked risk control, called it a sham
He said there's no need when you have uncle sam
I thought back to my days at the FDIC
And I knew I'd need to confront this SOB, Diamond Jim
So I said "Diamond Jim, there's a problem to prevent
Banks aren't safe with capital of just a few percent
They need more like thirty percent or higher
That's what Simon Johnson has said they require, Diamond Jim"
[Hook]
Diamond Jim, Diamond Jim
Oh-oh oh, oh-oh oh
Diamond Jim
[Verse 3]
Diamond Jim said "Son, do you know who I am?"
I said "You're Diamond Jim and you know what's a scam?
The crime's not what's criminal, the crime is what's legal
You'd be buying fewer diamonds if we still had Glass-Steagall, Diamond Jim"
"Low blow" he cried, "You're naive and a fool
You've thrown down the gauntlet, okay, let's duel
There're weapons to use in these banking law cases—
Securities lawyers at thirty paces!" said Diamond Jim
So at noon the next day, hired guns at our side
We met and let our corporate lawyers collide
They fired their mouths off a few times at least
My council fell down, desisted, deceased
Because of Diamond Jim
[Hook]
Diamond Jim, Diamond Jim
Oh-oh oh, oh-oh oh
Diamond Jim
[Verse 4]
"You lose!" Diamond Jim said, "You could never win it"
With a scoff he road off in a New York minute
Well at least I tried, yet still my heart sank
I started to wonder, am I really a better man than Diamond Jim?
Maybe not. Because I'd come to Charlotte to meet with investors, and to try to start up, what I hoped, deep down
Would some day be my very own high-paying, too-big-to-fail bank
Oh curse you Diamond Jim!
[Hook]
Diamond Jim, Diamond Jim
Oh-oh oh, oh-oh oh
Diamond Jim (Diamond Jim)
Diamond Jim, Diamond Jim
Credits
Merle Hazard

Merle Hazard

About “Diamond Jim” by Merle Hazard

Read the complete lyrics to "Diamond Jim" by Merle Hazard from the album "Tough Market" in 2011. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Country.

"Diamond Jim" is performed by Merle Hazard. from the album "Tough Market" in 2011 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Diamond Jim", explore more songs by Merle Hazard using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Diamond Jim" is credited to Merle Hazard. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Diamond Jim" appears on "Tough Market" in 2011.

Visit the Merle Hazard artist page at /artist/merle-hazard for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.