Big Bad John

Every morning at the mine, you could see him arrive
He stood 6 foot 6 and weighed 245
Kind of broad at the shoulders and narrow at the hip
And everybody knew you didn't give no lip to Big John

Nobody knew where John called home
He just drifted into town and stayed all alone
Didn't say much, he's kinda quiet and shy
And if you spoke at all, you'd just said "Hi" to Big John

Somebody said he'd come from New Orleans
Where he got into a fight over a Cajun queen
And a crash and blow from a huge right hand
Sent a Louisiana fella to the promised land, Big John

Big John, Big John
Big bad John

Then there came that day, way down in the mine
When a timber cracked and men started crying
And miners were praying and hearts beating fast
And everybody thought they done breathed their last, cept' John

Through the smoke and the dust of this man-made hell
Walked a giant of a man that the miners knew well
Grabbed a sagging timber and gave out with a groan
And like a giant oak tree he just stood there alone, Big John

Big John, Big John
Big Bad John

With all of his strength, he gave a mighty shove
And a miner hollered out, "There's a light up above"
And as 20 men scrambled from a would be grave
Now there's only one left down there to save, Big John

With jacks and timbers, they started back down
And then they heard a rumble way down in the ground
And as 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

They never re-opened that worthless pit
They just put a marble slab over 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 John, Big John
Big Bad John
Big Bad John