BIG BAD JOHN
is a country song originally performed by
Jimmy Dean and composed by Dean and Roy
Acuff. Released in September 1961, by the
beginning of November it went to number one
on the Billboard Hot 100 and won Dean the
1962 Grammy Award for Best Country &
Western Recording.
* The Jordainares sing backup on this song.
* Floyd Cramer was to play piano backup but suggested that a hammer hitting steel would be better! Floyd has no ego problem. Everyone wanted this to be a big hit for Jimmy, one he badly needed.
Visit SongFacts for some interesting tidbits about the song:
http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=1804
Other artists that covered Big Bad John:
(source: Wikipedia)
Johnny Cash
Jim Ed Brown
Henson Cargill
Charlie Daniels
Sammy Davis, Jr.
Deadbolt
Tex Williams
Tennessee Ernie Ford
--LYRICS--
Big John
Big John
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
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, kinda quiet and shy
If ya spoke at all, ya just said hi to Big John
Somebody said he came from New Orleans
Where he got in a fight o'er a cajun queen
And a crashin' blow from a huge right hand
Sent a Lousianna 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 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 the 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 twenty men scrambled from a would-be grave
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
As smoke and gas belched outta the 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 re-opened 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 one Hell of a man, Big John
Big John
Big John
Big Bad John
Big John
Big John
Big Bad John
Big John
The song and its sequel tell a story typical of American folklore, reminiscent of Paul Bunyan or John Henry.
Big Bad John was also the title of a 1990 television movie starring Dean.
Tags: jimmy dean big bad john country western pop
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