Every mornin' at the mine you could see him arrive
He stood six foot six and weighed 2-45
Kinda broad at the shoulder 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 just kinda quiet and shy
And if you spoke at all you just said hi to Big John
Somebody said he come from New Orleans
Where he got in a fight over a Cajun Queen
An' a crashin' blow from a huge right hand
Sent a Louisiana fellow 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 cryin'
And miners were prayin' and hearts beat fast
And everybody thought that they'd 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 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 twenty 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 way the end of the line for Big John
(Big John Big John) Big Bad John
They never reopened that worthless pit
They just put a marbled slab over it
These few words're 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
He stood six foot six and weighed 2-45
Kinda broad at the shoulder 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 just kinda quiet and shy
And if you spoke at all you just said hi to Big John
Somebody said he come from New Orleans
Where he got in a fight over a Cajun Queen
An' a crashin' blow from a huge right hand
Sent a Louisiana fellow 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 cryin'
And miners were prayin' and hearts beat fast
And everybody thought that they'd 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 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 twenty 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 way the end of the line for Big John
(Big John Big John) Big Bad John
They never reopened that worthless pit
They just put a marbled slab over it
These few words're 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