Big Bad John

(Big John), (Big John) (Spoken) Ever' mornin' the mine you could see him arrive He stood six-foot six and weighed two forty-five Kinda broad at the shoulders and narrow at the hip Ever'-body knew you didn't give no "lip", to Big John; (Big John), (Big Joh-n), Big Bad John, (Big John). Nobody seemed to know where John called home He just drifted into town and stayed all alone He didn't say much, 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 Louisana fellow to the promised land, Big John; (Big John), (Big Joh-n), 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 And ever'body tho't that they'd breathed their last, 'cept John; Thru the dust and the smoke 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 just stood there alone, Big John; (Big John), (Big Joh-n), Big Bad John, (Big John). CHANGE TO G#: 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 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 And ever'body knew it was the end of the line, for Big John; (Big John), (Big Joh-n), 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 likes a big, big man, Big John; (Big John), (Big Joh-n), Big Bad John, (Big John) (Big John) (to fade)