Big Bad John Chords by Jimmy Dean

Tempo:
87.05 bpm
Chords used:

F

G

Gm

Ab

Gb

Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
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Big Bad John chords
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[F] [G] Big John, [F] [Gm] Big John
Every [F] [Gm] morning at the mine you could [F] see him arrive.
[Gm] He stood six foot six and weighed [F] [Gm] 245,
kind of broad at his shoulder and [F] narrow at the hip.
[Gm] And everybody knew you didn't give [F] no lip [G] to Big John.
[C] Big John, Big John
[D] [G] Big Bad John
[F] [G] Big John
[F] Nobody [Gm] seemed to know where [F] John called [Gm] home.
He just drifted into town and stayed [F] all alone.
[G] He didn't say much, he was kind of [F] quiet and [Gm] shy.
And if you spoke at all, you just [F] said hi [G] to Big John.
[Cm]
[F] [Eb] Somebody said he came from New [F] Orleans
[G] where he'd gotten a fight [Gm] over a Cajun queen
and a crashing blow from a huge right hand
sent a Louisiana fella to the promised land, [G] Big John.
[C]
[N] Big John
Big Bad John
[C] Big John
[F] [G] Then came the day at [F] the bottom of the mine
[Gm] when a timber cracked and men [F] started [Gm] crying.
Miners were praying and hearts [G] beat fast
and everybody thought that they'd breathed [F] their last [G] except John.
[F] [G] Through the dust and the smoke of this man [F]-made hell
[G] walked a giant of a man that the miners [F] knew well,
[Gm] grabbed a sagging timber and gave out [Fm] with a groan
[G] and like a giant oak tree just stood [F] there alone, [G] Big John.
[C] Big John, Big John
[G] Big Bad John
[Ab] Big John
And [Gb] [Ab] with [Gm] all of his strength he gave a mighty shove
[Ab] then a miner yelled out, there's a light up above
and twenty [Abm] men scrambled from a would-be grave
and now there's only one left [Gbm] down there to save, Big John.
[Abm] With jacks and timbers they [Gb] started back [Ab] down
then came that rumble way down in the ground
and the smoke and gas belched [Gb] out of that mine
and by that time everybody knew it was the end of the line for Big [Ab] John.
[Fm] Big John,
[Db] Big John
[Ab] Big Bad [Gb] John
[Abm] Big John
[Gb] Now [Ab] they never reopened that [Gbm] worthless pit
[Ab] they just placed a marble stand [Gb] in front [Ab] of it.
These few words are written [Ebm] on that [Ab] stand
At the bottom of this mine lies a big, big man, Big John.
[G] Big [Ab] Bad John
[E] [Gb] Big [Bb] John
Key:  
F
134211111
G
2131
Gm
123111113
Ab
134211114
Gb
134211112
F
134211111
G
2131
Gm
123111113
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Chords
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To start learning Jimmy Dean - Big Bad John chords, build your understanding on these basic chords - F, Gm, F, G and F in sequence. To master the tempo, it's wise to start at 43 BPM before aiming for the song's 87 BPM. Align the capo with your vocal depth and chord choice, bearing in mind the song's original key: D Minor.

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[F] [G] Big John, _ [F] [Gm] Big John
Every [F] _ [Gm] morning at the mine you could [F] see him arrive.
[Gm] He stood six foot six and weighed [F] [Gm] 245,
kind of broad at his shoulder and [F] narrow at the hip.
[Gm] And everybody knew you didn't give [F] no lip [G] to Big John.
_ [C] Big John, _ Big John
[D] [G] Big Bad John _
[F] [G] Big John
[F] Nobody [Gm] seemed to know where [F] John called [Gm] home.
He just drifted into town and stayed [F] all alone.
[G] He didn't say much, he was kind of [F] quiet and [Gm] shy.
And if you spoke at all, you just [F] said hi [G] to Big John.
[Cm] _
[F] [Eb] Somebody said he came from New [F] Orleans
[G] where he'd gotten a fight [Gm] over a Cajun queen
and a crashing blow from a huge right hand
sent a Louisiana fella to the promised land, [G] Big John.
_ _ _ [C] _ _ _
[N] Big John
Big Bad John _
[C] Big John
_ _ [F] [G] Then came the day at [F] the bottom of the mine
[Gm] when a timber cracked and men [F] started [Gm] crying.
Miners were praying and hearts [G] beat fast
and everybody thought that they'd breathed [F] their last [G] except John. _ _
[F] [G] Through the dust and the smoke of this man [F]-made hell
[G] walked a giant of a man that the miners [F] knew well,
[Gm] grabbed a sagging timber and gave out [Fm] with a groan
[G] and like a giant oak tree just stood [F] there alone, [G] Big John.
_ _ [C] Big John, _ Big John
[G] Big Bad John _
[Ab] Big John
And [Gb] [Ab] with [Gm] all of his strength he gave a mighty shove
[Ab] then a miner yelled out, there's a light up above
and twenty [Abm] men scrambled from a would-be grave
and now there's only one left [Gbm] down there to save, Big John. _
[Abm] With jacks and timbers they [Gb] started back [Ab] down
then came that rumble way down in the ground
and the smoke and gas belched [Gb] out of that mine
and by that time everybody knew it was the end of the line for Big [Ab] John.
_ [Fm] Big John, _
[Db] Big John
_ [Ab] Big Bad [Gb] John _
[Abm] Big John
[Gb] Now [Ab] they never reopened that [Gbm] worthless pit
[Ab] they just placed a marble stand [Gb] in front [Ab] of it.
These few words are written [Ebm] on that [Ab] stand
At the bottom of this mine lies a big, big man, Big John.
_ [G] _ Big _ _ _ _ [Ab] Bad John
[E] _ [Gb] Big [Bb] John _ _

Facts about this song

This song was featured on the and Other Fabulous Songs and Tales album.