Big Bad John chords by Jimmy Dean

Tuning: Standard (E A D G B E)

F   G
(Big John)
F   G
(Big John)
(Mmmmmm)
G                                      F
Every moning at the mine you could see him arrive
         G                          F
He stood six foot six and weighed 245
      G                                       F
Kinda broad at the shoulder and narrow at the hip
    G                                 F          G
And everybody knew you didn't give no lip to Big John.
    Em        C      D             G
(Big John, Big Jo----ohn), Big Bad John.
                                   (Mmmmm)
 F   G
(Big John)
F

(MMm)

G                                      F
Nobody seemed to know where John called home
G                                           F
He just drifted into town and stayed all alone
G                                 F
Didn't say much a-kinda quiet and shy
G                                         F
And if you spoke at all you just said high to Big John

G                                      F
(Mmmmm)                                (Mmmm)

G                                          F
Somebody said he came down from New Orleans
G                                        F
Where he got in a fight over a Cajun Queen
G                                    F
And a crashin blow from a huge right hand
G                                           F
Sent a Louisiana fellow to the Promised Land Big John
(Chorus)
     Em        C      D             G
(Big John, Big Jo----ohn), Big Bad John.
                                   (Mmmmm)
 F   G
(Big John)
F
(MMm)
     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
And everybody thought they'd breathed their last 'cept
G       F
John   (Mmmmm)

            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

     Em        C      D             G
(Big John, Big Jo----ohn), Big Bad John.
                                   (Mmmmm)
 G   G#
(Big John)
F#
(MMm)
     G#                                   F#
With all of his strength he gave a mighty shove
      G#                                       F#
Then a miner yelled out "There's a light up above
     G#                             F#
And 20 men scrambled from w would be grave
      G#                                F#
Now there's only one left down there to save Big
G#        F#
John     (Mmmm)

     G#                                   F#
With jacks and timbers they started back down
     G#                                   F#
Then came that rumble way down in the ground
     G#                                   F#
And smoke and gas belched from outta that mine
     G#                                 F#       G#
Everybody knew it was the end of the line for Big John
     Fm        C#     D#            G#
(Big John, Big Jo----ohn), Big Bad John.
                                   (Mmmmm)
 F#   G#
(Big John)
F#
(Mmm)
         G#                                    F#
Now they never re-opened that worthless pit
  G#                                              F#
They just placed a marble stand in front of it
  G#                                            F#
These few lines are written on that stand
G#----Short
(mmm)

"At the bottom of this mine, lies a Big, Big man.--BIG JOHN".
     Fm        C#     D#--Short     G#
(Big John, Big Jo----ohn), Big Bad John.
                                   (Mmmmm)
 F#   G#
(Big John)
 F#   G#
 Big John