F G F G
Big John Big John
F G F
Every morning at the mine you could see him arrive
G F
He stood six-foot-six and weighed two-forty-five
G F
Kind of broad at the shoulder and narrow at the hip
G F G
and everybody knew you didn # 17 t give no lip to Big John
Em C D G F G
Big John Big John Big Bad John Big John
F G F
Nobody seemed to know where John called home
G F
he just drifted into town and stayed all alone
G F
He didn # 17 t say much a kind a quiet and shy
G F G
and if you spoke at all you just said hi to Big John
F G F
Somebody said he came from New Orleans
G F
where he got in a fight over a Cajun Queen
G F
and a crashing blow from a huge right hand
G F G
sent a Louisiana fellow to the promised land Big John
Em C D G F G
Big John Big John Big Bad John Big John
F G F
Then came the day at the bottom of the mine
G F
when a timber cracked and the men started crying
G F
Miners were praying and hearts beat fast
G F G
and everybody thought that they'd breathed their last 'cept John
F G F
Through the dust and the smoke of this man made hell
G F
walked a giant of a man that the miners knew well
G F
grabbed a sagging timber and gave out with a groan
G F G
and like a giant oak tree just stood there alone Big John
Em C D G F G
Big John Big John Big Bad John Big John
F G F
And with all of his strength he gave a mighty shove
G F
then a miner yelled out # There's a light up above # 1
G F
And twenty men scrambled from a would be grave
G F G
and now there's only one left down there to save Big John
F G F
With jacks and timbers they started back down
G F
then came that rumble way down in the ground
G F
and smoke and gas belched out of that mine
G F G
everybody knew it was the end of the line for Big John
Em C D G F G
Big John Big John Big Bad John Big John
F G F
Now they never reopened that worthless pit
G F
they just placed a marble stand in front of it
G F G
These few words are written on that stand
# At the bottom of this mine lies a big big man Big John
Em C D G F G
Big John Big John Big Bad John Big John
F G F G
Big John Big John # 3