(Big John)
I was born and raised in an eastern town,
I was just a lily livered boy,
When I tried to get a job in a pub way out back,
I succeeded and my heart leapt for joy.
The boss said, "Son, oh, you'll be alright,
If you just remember what I say,
"If somebody yells "Big John's a-comin'
Run 'cause you just got to get away."
Big John's a-comin', get set to run,
He's a madman with a stockwhip and a killer with a gun,
Big John's a-comin', better clear the streets,
Big John will fight anyone he meets.
The job went well for a week or so,
Then a worn out man burst through the door,
Oh, Big John's a-comin' he let out with a yell,
An' collapsed an' died on the floor.
Oh, everybody ran, was a real stampede,
In a second there was no-one there but me,
So I stood behind the bar with a bottle in my hand,
For this is what I come out back to see.
Big John's a-comin', get set to run,
He's a madman with a stockwhip and a killer with a gun,
Big John's a-comin', better clear the streets,
Big John will fight anyone he meets.
I looked out the window, then up the street,
I couldn't believe my eyes told me so,
He was eight feet tall and he was four foot wide,
An' he sat astride a giant buffalo.
His hair was long and matted, his clothes were made of iron,
A crocodile followed on a leash,
As he reached the hitching rail, he the punched the buffalo to the ground,
And the crocodile cringed out of his reach.
Oh, Big John's a-comin', get set to run,
He's a madman with a stockwhip and a killer with a gun,
Big John's a-comin', better clear the streets,
Big John will fight anyone he meets.
Well he busted down the store as he crashed into the room,
I pushed a dozen bottles across the bar,
As he grabbed one up an' as he drank it down,
I was wishin' I was home with my ma.
Well he polished off the dozen an' he smashed them to the floor,
An' his blood shot eyes were big and bright,
I grabbed another carton an' said, "Here mate, help yourself."
Then he spoke to me an' I turned ghostly white.
"No thanks" he said, "I haven't got the time,
I have to continue my runnin'
An' you'd better run too, if you know what's good for you,
Don't you know that Big John is a comin'."
Ooh, Big John's a-comin', get set to run,
He's a madman with a stockwhip and a killer with a gun,
Big John's a-comin', better clear the streets,
Big John will fight anyone he meets.
Oh, Big John will fight anyone he meets.
-----------------------------------------
From his album: "Songs From the Land I Love"
I was born and raised in an eastern town,
I was just a lily livered boy,
When I tried to get a job in a pub way out back,
I succeeded and my heart leapt for joy.
The boss said, "Son, oh, you'll be alright,
If you just remember what I say,
"If somebody yells "Big John's a-comin'
Run 'cause you just got to get away."
Big John's a-comin', get set to run,
He's a madman with a stockwhip and a killer with a gun,
Big John's a-comin', better clear the streets,
Big John will fight anyone he meets.
The job went well for a week or so,
Then a worn out man burst through the door,
Oh, Big John's a-comin' he let out with a yell,
An' collapsed an' died on the floor.
Oh, everybody ran, was a real stampede,
In a second there was no-one there but me,
So I stood behind the bar with a bottle in my hand,
For this is what I come out back to see.
Big John's a-comin', get set to run,
He's a madman with a stockwhip and a killer with a gun,
Big John's a-comin', better clear the streets,
Big John will fight anyone he meets.
I looked out the window, then up the street,
I couldn't believe my eyes told me so,
He was eight feet tall and he was four foot wide,
An' he sat astride a giant buffalo.
His hair was long and matted, his clothes were made of iron,
A crocodile followed on a leash,
As he reached the hitching rail, he the punched the buffalo to the ground,
And the crocodile cringed out of his reach.
Oh, Big John's a-comin', get set to run,
He's a madman with a stockwhip and a killer with a gun,
Big John's a-comin', better clear the streets,
Big John will fight anyone he meets.
Well he busted down the store as he crashed into the room,
I pushed a dozen bottles across the bar,
As he grabbed one up an' as he drank it down,
I was wishin' I was home with my ma.
Well he polished off the dozen an' he smashed them to the floor,
An' his blood shot eyes were big and bright,
I grabbed another carton an' said, "Here mate, help yourself."
Then he spoke to me an' I turned ghostly white.
"No thanks" he said, "I haven't got the time,
I have to continue my runnin'
An' you'd better run too, if you know what's good for you,
Don't you know that Big John is a comin'."
Ooh, Big John's a-comin', get set to run,
He's a madman with a stockwhip and a killer with a gun,
Big John's a-comin', better clear the streets,
Big John will fight anyone he meets.
Oh, Big John will fight anyone he meets.
-----------------------------------------
From his album: "Songs From the Land I Love"