Johnny Cash - Big Bad John

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 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
Fm C# D# G#
big john , big jaw – – – – won , big bad john
A G
with all of his strength he gave a mighty shove
A G
then a miner yelled out “there’s a light up above
A G
and 20 men scrambled from w would be grave
A G A
now there’s only one left down there to save big john
A G
with jacks and timbers they started back down
A G
then came that rumble way down in the ground
A G
and smoke and gas belched from outta that mine
A G A
everybody knew it was the end of the line for big john
F#m D E A
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 )