Lyrics: Jimmy Dean
Music: Jimmy Dean
Every morning at the mine you could see him arrive
He stood six-foot-six and weighed two-forty-five
King of broad at the shoulder at narrow at the hip
And everybody knew you 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
He didn't say much a kind a 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 crashing 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)
Well then came the day at the bottom of the mine
When a timber cracked and the men started crying
Miners were praying and the hearts beat fast
And everybody thought they'd breathed their last 'cept John
(Big John)
(Big John)
Big Bad John
(Big John)
Through the dust and 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 John)
Big Bad John
And with all of his strength he gave a mighty shove
Then a miner yelled out there's a light up above
And its twenty men scrambled from a would be grave
There was only one left down there to save
Big John
Big John
With jacks and timbers they started back down
Then came that rumble way down in the ground
And the 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 stand 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 Bad John
Big John...
Big Bad John...