Jimmy Dean — Big Bad John
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Length: 2:59
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(Big John)
(Big John)
Every mornin' at the mine you could see him arrive
He stood 6 foot 6 and weighed 245
Kinda broad at the shoulder and narrow at the hip
And everybody knew you didn't give no lip
To Big John
(Big John)
(Big John)
Big Bad John
(Big John)
Nobody seemed to know where John called home
He just drifted into town and stayed all alone
He didn't say much he's kinda quiet and shy
And if you spoke at all you just said "hi" to 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 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, 'cept 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 just stood there alone
Big John
(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 up above."
And 20 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 as smoke and gas belched out of that mine
Everybody 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)
(Big John)
Big Bad John
(Big John)
Every mornin' at the mine you could see him arrive
He stood 6 foot 6 and weighed 245
Kinda broad at the shoulder and narrow at the hip
And everybody knew you didn't give no lip
To Big John
(Big John)
(Big John)
Big Bad John
(Big John)
Nobody seemed to know where John called home
He just drifted into town and stayed all alone
He didn't say much he's kinda quiet and shy
And if you spoke at all you just said "hi" to 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 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, 'cept 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 just stood there alone
Big John
(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 up above."
And 20 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 as smoke and gas belched out of that mine
Everybody 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)
(Big John)
Big Bad John
Comments (37)add comment
Written back when it was an attribute to be a masculine MAN
ubuntourist wrote:
He came from the old Bar Mitzvah spread
Schlepping a salami and pumpernickel bread
He always followed his mother's wishes
Even on the range he used two sets of dishes
Irving
Big, fat Irving
Big sissy Irving
The hundred and forty-second fastest gun in the West
A hundred and forty-one could draw faster than he
But Irving was looking for one forty-three
Walked into Sol's Saloon like a man insane
And ordered three fingers of two cents plain
Irving
Big, fat Irving
Big sport Irving
The hundred and forty-second fastest gun in the West
The James Boys was comin' on a train at first sun
And the town said, "Irving, we need your gun"
When that train pulled in at the break of dawn
Irving's gun was there, but Irving was gone
Irving
Big, fat Irving
Big help, Irving
The hundred and forty-second fastest gun in the West
Well, finally Irving got three slugs in the belly
It was right outside the Frontier Deli
He was sittin' there twirlin' his gun around
And butterfingers Irving gunned himself down
Irving
Big, fat Irving
Big dum-dum Irving
Big dum-dum dead Irving
The hundred and forty-second fastest gun in the West
Really
This better be followed by the Ballad of Irving...
Exactly - The Ballad of Irving by Frank Gallop:
He was short and fat, and rode out of the West
With a Mogen David on his silver vest
He was mean and nasty right clear through
Which was kinda weird, 'cause he was yellow too
They called him Irving
Big Irving
Big, short Irving
Big, short, fat Irving
The hundred and forty-second fastest gun in the West
With a Mogen David on his silver vest
He was mean and nasty right clear through
Which was kinda weird, 'cause he was yellow too
They called him Irving
Big Irving
Big, short Irving
Big, short, fat Irving
The hundred and forty-second fastest gun in the West
He came from the old Bar Mitzvah spread
Schlepping a salami and pumpernickel bread
He always followed his mother's wishes
Even on the range he used two sets of dishes
Irving
Big, fat Irving
Big sissy Irving
The hundred and forty-second fastest gun in the West
A hundred and forty-one could draw faster than he
But Irving was looking for one forty-three
Walked into Sol's Saloon like a man insane
And ordered three fingers of two cents plain
Irving
Big, fat Irving
Big sport Irving
The hundred and forty-second fastest gun in the West
The James Boys was comin' on a train at first sun
And the town said, "Irving, we need your gun"
When that train pulled in at the break of dawn
Irving's gun was there, but Irving was gone
Irving
Big, fat Irving
Big help, Irving
The hundred and forty-second fastest gun in the West
Well, finally Irving got three slugs in the belly
It was right outside the Frontier Deli
He was sittin' there twirlin' his gun around
And butterfingers Irving gunned himself down
Irving
Big, fat Irving
Big dum-dum Irving
Big dum-dum dead Irving
The hundred and forty-second fastest gun in the West
Really
"Baja!? I don't have anything in Baja!"
Amen to your lyrics. RIP.
sunybuny wrote:
sunybuny wrote:
Funny that he is better known today for sausage than music.
An' By the way, you can buy my nice frozen breakfasts...
My oldest brother would put this 45 on the record player and walk around the room singing "Big bad John" over and over again. Happy memories. Thank you Bill.
This better be followed by the Ballad of Irving...
My Best friend's name was Big John, this was his ring tone on his phone. He passed away from cancer in 2009. Every time I hear this song, I think of him, thank you for playing it today! A 10 for me
Who's playing the spike?
Funny that he is better known today for sausage than music.
The era that had literal stories in their songs. 
My dad was called John. He was pretty big too, especially when you're 5 and listening to this on the radio. Great song!
Wow...I haven't heard this song since I was a kid, decades ago. Never thought I would hear this again--especially on RP!
jbuhl wrote:
Sound of an era
I wonder if producers intended for it to sound like he was singing from inside a mine shaft?
Sound of an era
I am amused
The first RAP song ever. Good stuff.
I wonder if producers intended for it to sound like he was singing from inside a mine shaft?
I'd pair this song with Ballad of John Henry by Joe Bonamasa, similar theme, but oh-so-different tune.
There you go, Redneck Rap
4th grade...1981...I guess this played on the radio and made me laugh!
Big Bad John!
Big Bad John!
Whoa flashback to my childhood in the early 70s! No Bad, Bad Leroy Brown?
Should follow this with Camoflouge
iconic and very sentimental to this miner's daughter!
Propayne wrote:
Yeah, even cool sounding to this day gems, I am talking to you CHER, THE BEAT GOES ON ON, there seemed to be a wide range of top 10 hit novelty songs.
"Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh (A Letter from Camp)" Of course THE TURTLES made meta-novelty songs out pop constructs, How Is the Weather, so happy together! I remember the words to those songs more completely to day from the 60s than I do what I did last month or last year, if ya catch my drift.
https://www.searchencrypt.com/videos?eq=vYm7liyI%2FHsliZAZumZQYw%3D%3D
This, Johnny Horton's "North to Alaska", "Snoopy Vs. The Red Baron" by the Royal Guardsmen, "Puff the Magic Dragon"...
Big part of my youth -
Big part of my youth -
Yeah, even cool sounding to this day gems, I am talking to you CHER, THE BEAT GOES ON ON, there seemed to be a wide range of top 10 hit novelty songs.
"Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh (A Letter from Camp)" Of course THE TURTLES made meta-novelty songs out pop constructs, How Is the Weather, so happy together! I remember the words to those songs more completely to day from the 60s than I do what I did last month or last year, if ya catch my drift.
https://www.searchencrypt.com/videos?eq=vYm7liyI%2FHsliZAZumZQYw%3D%3D
Haven't heard it in too long, thanks!
1961? Wow, thought it was '68.
I love that BillG unearths these curiosities for us.
This, Johnny Horton's "North to Alaska", "Snoopy Vs. The Red Baron" by the Royal Guardsmen, "Puff the Magic Dragon"...
Big part of my youth -
Big part of my youth -
Shmelo wrote:
Classy as always.
Yep, country music has always been stupid.
Classy as always.
Yep, country music has always been stupid.
Staple on the cassette player in the car on roadtrips in the summer....
Dumb song you just gotta love.
By the Prophet's beard, it must be fifty years since I've heard this! My father had this on a 45, I think ... small world, ain't it?
feeling like cooking up some eggs Jimmy..... Found him.
This song and then a famous sausage career.
Mmm, sausage