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 you didn't give no lip to Big John
Big John, Big John
Big Bad John
Big John
Nobody seemed to know where John called home
He just drifted into town and stayed all alone
Didn't say much, kind of quiet and shy
But if he spoke at all he 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 fella to the promised land
Big John
Big John
Big John
Big John
Big Bad John
Big John
Then came the day at the bottom of the mine
When the timber cracked and men started crying
Miners were praying and hearts beat fast
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
If the miners knew well
Grabbed a sagging timber
Gave out with a groan
And like a giant old tree
Just stood there alone
Big John
Big John
Big John
Big Bad John
Big John
With all his strength he gave a mighty shove
Then a miner yelled out
There's a light up above
And twenty men scrambled out of the mine
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
Then came that rumble way down on the ground
And the 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

Now they never reopened that worthless pit
They just placed a marble stand in front of it
These few words 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 Bad John

Big John