Big Bad John
Big John, big John...
Every morning at the mine you could see him arrive.
He stood six-foot-six and weighed twofortyfive.
Kinda broad at the shoulder
At naroow at the hip
And everybody knew you did'nt give no lip to Big John.
Big John, big John...
Big Bad John.
Big John, ooo...
Nobody seemed to know where John called home.
He just drifted into town and stayed all alone.
He did'nt say much, he kinda quiet and shy
And if you spoke at all you just said "hi" to Big John.
Somebody said he came from New Orleans
Where he got in a fight over a Cajun Queen
And a crashin' blow from a huge right hand
Sent a Louisiana fellow to the promised land. Big John.
Big John, big John...
Big Bad John.
Big John, ooo...
Then came the day at the bottom of the mine
When a timber cracked and the men started crayin'.
Miners were praying and hearts beat fast
And everybody thought that they'd breathed their last 'cept John.
Through the dust and smoke of this man made Hell
Walked a giant of a man that the miners knew well,
Grabbed a saggin' timber and gave out with a groan.
And like a giant oak tree, just stood there alone. Big John.
Big John, big John...
Big Bad John.
Big John, ooo...
And with all of his strength he gave a mighty shove,
And then a miner yelled out, "There's a light up above!"
And twenty men scrambled from a would-be grave
And now there's only one left down there to save... Big John.
With jacks and timbers they started back down
Then came that rumble way down in the ground
And smoke and gas belched out of that mine
Everybody knew it was the end of the line for Big John.
Big John, big John...
Big Bad John.
Big John, ooo...
Now they never reopened that worthless pit
They just placed a marble stand in front of it.
These few words are written on that stand:
"At the bottom of this mine lies one hell of a man... Big John"
Big John, big John...
Big Bad John.
Big John, big John...