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Big Bad John Tab

by Johnny Cash


                                        
Every moning at the mine you could see him arrive 
                                    
He stood six foot six and weighed 245 
                                               
Kinda broad at the shoulder and narrow at the hip 
                                                
And everybody knew you didn't give no lip to Big John. 
                               
Big John, Big Jaw----won, Big Bad John.  

Nobody seemed to know where John called home 

He just drifted into town and stayed all alone 

Didn't say much a-kinda quiet and shy 

And if you spoke at all you just said high to Big John 

Somebody said he came down 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 fellow to the Promised Land Big John 
 
(Chorus) 
                                      
Then came one day at the bottom of the mine 
                                         
When a timber cracked and the men started crying 
                                          
Miners were paraying and their hearts beat fast 
                                                    
And everybody thought they'd breathed their last 'cept John 
                                               
Through the dust and the smoke 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 Jaw----won, Big Bad John  
                                          
With all of his strength he gave a mighty shove 
                                             
Then a miner yelled out "There's a light up above 
                                     
And 20 men scrambled from w 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 in the ground 
                                          
And smoke and gas belched from outta that mine 
                                                            
Everybody knew it was the end of the line for Big John 
                              
Big John, Big Jaw----won, Big Bad John.  

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Now they never re-opened that worthless pit 
They just placed a marble stand in front of it 
These few lines are written on that stand 
"At the bottom of this mine, lies one Helluva man.--BIG JOHN". 
 
(Chorus)