Big John, Big John
Every morning at the mine you could see him arrive
He stood six foot six and weighed two-forty-five
Kind of broad at the shoulder and narrow at the hip
And everybody knew he didn't give no lip to Big John
Big John, Big John
Big Bad John
Nobody seemed to know where John called home
He just drifted into town and stayed all alone
He didn't say much, he kind of 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 into a fight over a Cajun queen
And a crashing blow from a huge right hand
Sent a Louisiana fella to the promised land
Big John
Then came the day at the bottom of the mine
When a timber cracked and the men started crying
And miners were praying and hearts beat fast
And everybody thought that they'd breathed their last
Except John
Through the dust and the smoke of this man-made hell
Walked a giant of a man-made hell
That the miners knew well
He grabbed a sagging timber
And gave out with a groan
And like a giant old tree
He just stood there alone
Big John
Big John, Big John
Big Bad John
Big John
And with all of his strength
He gave a mighty shove
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 man left















There's only one left down there to save
Big John
With jacks and timbers they started back down
And then came that rumble way down in the ground
And smoke and gas belched out of that mine
And everybody knew it was the end of the line
For Big John
Big John
Big John
Big Bad John
Big 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 John
Big Bad John
Big John
Big John
Big John
Big Bad John