Big Bad John Lyrics

Jimmy Cliff - Big Bad John Lyrics

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Big Bad John Lyrics

Big John. Big John.



Every morning at the mine you could see him arrive.

He stood six-foot-six and weighed twofortyfive.

King of broad at the shoulder

at naroow at the hip



and everybody knew you did'nt give no lip to Big John.



Somebody seemed to know where John called home.

He just drifted into town and stayed all alone.

He did'nt say much a kind a quiet and shy



and if you spoke at all

you just said "hi" to Big John.



Big John. Big John. Big John.



Big Bad John.



Nobody said he came 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.



Big John. Big John. Big John.



Big John.



Then came the day at the bottom of the mine



when a timber cracked and the men started craying.

Miners were praying and hearts beat fast



and everybody thought that they'd breathed their last 'cept John.



Through the dust and 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 grown



and like a giant oak tree

just stood there alone. Big John.



Big John. Big John. Big John.



Big John.



And with all of his strength

he gave a mighty shove;

then a miner yelled out

there's a light up above!

And twenty men scrambled from a would be grave



and 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 out of that mine



everybody knew

it was the end of the line for for Big John.



Big John. Big John. Big John.



Big Bad John.



Now they never reopened that worthless pit



they just placed a marble stand in front of it;

These few words are written on that stand:

At the bottom of this mine lies a big

big man; Big John.



Big John. Big John.



Big Bad John.



Big John. Big John. ...



Big Bad John ...