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