Big Bad John chords

Jimmy Cliff

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  			(Big John), (Big John) 
 
(Spoken) G Ever' mornin' the mine you could see him arrive 
He stood C six-foot six and weighed two forty-five 
Kinda D broad at the shoulders and narrow at the hip 
Ever'-{G} body knew you didn't D give no "lip", to Big G John; 
 
(Big C John), (Big D John), Big Bad G John, D (Big G 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 
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 Louisana fellow to the promised land, Big John; 
 
(Big C John), (Big D John), Big Bad G John, D (Big G 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 ever'body tho't that they'd breathed their last, 'cept John; 
 
Thru the dust and the smoke of this man made hell 
Walked a giant of a man that the miners knew well 
Grabbed a sagging timber and gave out with a groan 
And like a giant Oak tree just stood there alone, Big John; 
 
(Big C John), (Big D John), Big Bad G John, D (Big G John). 
 
CHANGE TO A:  
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 
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 smoke and gas belched out of that mine 
And ever'body knew it was the end of the line, for Big John; 
 
(Big C John), (Big D John), Big Bad G John, D (Big G 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 likes a big, big man, Big John; 
 
(Big John), (Big John), Big Bad John, (Big John), (fade) (Big John). 
 
ambChile