Big Bad John

Every 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

(Big John) Big John
Big Bad John (Big John)

Well nobody seemed to know where John called home
He just drifted into town and stayed all alone
Didn't say much, kinda quiet and shy
And if he spoke at all, he just said hi, the Big John

Somebody said he came from New Orleans
Where he got into 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, come on

(Big John, Big John)
Big Bad John (Big John)

Well 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
And everybody thought that they'd breathed their last, 'cept John

(Big John) Big John, yeah (Big, Big John)
(Big John) Big Bad John (Big John)

Through the dust and the 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 he just stood there alone, Big John

(Big John, Big John)
Big Bad John

Whoa, and with all of his strength he gave a mighty shove
Then a miner yelled out ("There's a light up above!")
And as twenty men scrambled from a would-be grave
There's only one left down there to save

(Big John, Big John, Big John)
Big John (Big John)
Big John

With jacks and timbers they started back down
Then came that rumble way down in the ground
And then smoke and gas belched out of that mine
Everybody knew it was the end of the line for John

Now, they never reopened that worthless pit
They just placed a marble slab in front of it
And these few words are written on that stand
"At the bottom of this mine lies a big, big man"

Big John
Big John
Big (Big) Bad (Bad) John (Big John)
Big John, (Big, Big John) yeah
(Big John) Big Bad John
Big John (Big John)
Big John
Big Bad John (John)