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