GF
Every moning at the mine you could see him arrive
GF
He stood six foot six and weighed 245
GF
Kinda broad at the shoulder and narrow at the hip
GFG
And everybody knew you didn't give no lip to Big John.
EmCDG
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)
G#F#
Then came one day at the bottom of the mine
G#F#
When a timber cracked and the men started crying
G#F#
Miners were paraying and their hearts beat fast
G#F#G#
And everybody thought they'd breathed their last 'cept John
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
FmC#D#G#
Big John, Big Jaw----won, Big Bad John
AG
With all of his strength he gave a mighty shove
AG
Then a miner yelled out "There's a light up above
AG
And 20 men scrambled from w would be grave
AGA
Now there's only one left down there to save Big John
AG
With jacks and timbers they started back down
AG
Then came that rumble way down in the ground
AG
And smoke and gas belched from outta that mine
AGA
Everybody knew it was the end of the line for Big John
F#mDEA
Big John, Big Jaw----won, Big Bad John.
Return to
G
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 :
This arrangement for the song is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the song. You may only use this for private study, scholarship, or research.