Big Bad John (Live)

Big
Big
Big
Big

Ev'ry mornin' at the mine you could see him arrive
He stood six foot six, weighed two forty-five
Kinda' broad at the shoulder and narrow at the hip
And everybody knew, ya' didn't give no lip to Big John
(You ready)

Big John
Big John
Big Bad John
(Big John)

Nobody seemed to know where John called home
He just drifted into town and stayed all alone
Didn't say much, he kinda quiet and shy
But 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 o'er a Cajun Queen
And a crashin' blow from a huge right hand
Sent a Louisiana fellow to the Promised Land, Big John
(Ya' ready)

Big John
Big John
Big Bad John
(Big John)

Then came the day at the bottom of the mine
When a timber cracked and men started cryin'
Miners were prayin' and hearts beat fast
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, gave out with a groan
And like a giant Oak tree, 'e just stood there alone, Big John

Big John
Big John
Big Bad John
(Big John)

With all of his strength he gave a mighty shove
Then a miner yelled out, "There's a light up above"
And twenty 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
Then came that rumble way down in the ground
And the smoke and gas belched out of that mine
Everybody knew it was the end of the line for Big John
(Here we go)
Big John
Big John
Big Bad John
(Big John)

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 a big, big man, Big John

Big John
Big John
Big Bad John
Big John

Big John
(that's fine) Big John
(Give yourselves a nice round of applause, you were wonderful)