Big Bad John

Every moning at the mine you could see him arrive   He stood six foot six and weighed 245   Kinda broad at the shoulder and narrow at the hip   And everybody knew you didn't give no lip to Big John.   Big John, Big Jaw--won, Big Bad John.   Nobody seemed to know where John called home   He just drifted into town and stayed all alone   Didn't say much a-kinda quiet and shy   And if you spoke at all you just said high to Big John   Somebody said he came down from New Orleans   Where he got in a fight over a Cajun Queen   And a crashing blow from a huge right hand   Sent a Louisiana fellow to the Promised Land Big John   Refrain   Then came one day at the bottom of the mine   When a timber cracked and the men started crying Miners were paraying and their hearts beat fast   And everybody thought they'd breathed their last 'cept 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 sagging timber and gave out with a groan   And like a giant oak tree just stood there alone Big John   Big John, Big Jaw--won, Big Bad John   With all of his strength he gave a mighty shove   Then a miner yelled out "There's a light up above   And 20 men scrambled from w 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 smoke and gas belched from outta that mine Everybody knew it was the end of the line for Big John   Big John, Big Jaw--won, Big Bad John.     Now they never re-opened that worthless pit   They just placed a marble stand in front of it   These few lines are written on that stand   "At the bottom of this mine, lies one Helluva man.--BIG JOHN".   Refrain