Every morning at the mine you could see him arrive
He stood six foot six and weighed two forty five
Kinda broad at the shoulder and narrow at the hip
And everybody knew that he didn't give no lip to big John
Big John, big John, big bad John, big John

Nobody seem to know where John called home
He just drifted into town and stayed all alone
He didn't say much, he was kinda shy
And if you spoke at all you just said "hi" to big John
Big John, big John, big bad John, big John

Somebody said he came from New Orleans
Where he got in a fight over a Cajun queen
And a crashin' blow from a huge right hand
Sent a Louisiana fella to the Promised Land
Big John, big John, big bad John, big John

Then came the day at the bottom of the mine
When a timber cracked and men started cryin'
Miners were prayin' and hearts beat fast
And everybody thought that they'd breathed their last except John
Big John, big John, big bad John, big 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 saggin' timber and gave out with a groan
And like a giant oak tree stood there alone
Big John, big John, big bad John, big John

And with all of his strength he gave a mighty shove
Then a miner yelled out "there's a light above"
And twenty men scrambled from a would-be grave
And now there is only one left down there to save big John
Big John, big John, big bad John, big John

With jacks and timbers they started back down
Then came that rumble way down in the ground
Then smoke and gas belched out of that mine
Everyone knew it was the end of the line for big John
Big John, big John, big bad John, big 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