Lyrics Page
Jimmy The Broom
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Aug 6, 2026 updated
Verified editorial review
Song Meaning
Merle Haggard's "Jimmy the Broom" tells the story of a man known only by his nickname, who swept sidewalks in Reno's casinos while struggling with alcoholism after a heartbreak. The song reflects on his lonely life and death, with friends left to assume he wanted to be buried with that name. It is a narrative country ballad about loss and the inability to escape past pain, but it does not contain Christian themes or references to faith, God, or redemption.
Lyrics Verified by Editorial Team
Jimmy the Broom had the old shabby room next to mine
Every casino in the whole town of Reno knew Jimmy the Broom was on wine
With no last name at all his old friends were left to assume
That he meant to be buried with the nickname of Jimmy the Broom
He came to the city to forget a woman they say
Not even the havoc of the nightlife of Reno could keep her memory away
So he turned to the bottle and somehow it deafened her call
Ah, but Jimmy the Broom never lived to be free of it all
Jimmy the Broom left the sidewalks swept clean out in Reno
And every casino knew Jimmy the Broom
With no last name at all his old friends were left to assume
That he meant to be buried with the nickname of Jimmy the Broom
Jimmy the Broom left the sidewalks swept clean out in Reno
And every casino knew Jimmy the Broom
With no last name at all his old friends were left to assume
That he meant to be buried with the nickname of Jimmy the Broom