Jimmy Dean - Big Bad John

Big John, big John

Every morning at the mine you could see him arrive
He stood six foot six and weighed twofortyfive
Kinda broad at the shoulder
At naroow at the hip
And everybody knew you did'nt give no lip to Big John

Big John, big John
Big Bad John
Big John, ooo

Nobody seemed to know where John called home
He just drifted into town and stayed all alone
He did'nt say much, he 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 Louisiana fellow to the promised land Big John

Big John, big John
Big Bad John
Big John, ooo

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

Big John, big John
Big Bad John
Big John, ooo

And with all of his strength he gave a mighty shove
And 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
Everybody knew it was the end of the line for Big John

Big John, big John
Big Bad John
Big John, ooo

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 one hell of a man Big John

Big John, big John
Big Bad John
Big John, big John