Remember this one?
Trapped in a mine that's half-caved in,
And everyone knew the only ones left were Joe, and me, and Tim;
When they broke through to pull us free, the only ones left to tell the tale were Joe ...
... and me.
Timothy ... Timothy ...
Where on earth did you go?
Timothy ... Timothy ...
God, why don't I know?
Hungry as hell, no food to eat,
And Joe said to me he'd sell his soul for just a piece of meat;
Water enough to drink for two, so Joe said to me, "I'll take a swig and then there's some for you".
Timothy ... Timothy ...
God, I wish that I knew ...
Timothy ... Timothy ...
Joe, what did we do?
I must have passed out just 'bout then
'Cause the very next thing that I could see was the light of the day again.
Our stomachs were full as they could be
And nobody ever got around to finding Timothy.
Timothy ... Timothy ...
Where on earth did you go?
Timothy ... Timothy ...
God, why don't I know?
I guess there was a rumor that the song was based on a true story.
I still have that tune in my head.
Looks like I'm off to Bearshare.
How about this tune (one of my favorites if you've ever heard it):
BIG BAD 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
And everybody knew you didn't give no lip to Big John
Big John, Big John, Big Bad John
Nobody seem to know where John called home
He just drifted into town and stayed all alone
He didn't say much he was kinda shy
And if you spoke at all you just said "hi" to Big John
Big John, Big John, Big Bad 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 Bad 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
Big John, Big John, Big Bad John
Through the dust and the smoke of that man made hell
Walked a giant of a man that the miners knew well
He grabbed a saggin' timber and gave out a groan
And like a giant oak tree just stood there alone
Big John, Big John, Big Bad 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
And now there's only one left down there to save, Big John
Big John, Big John, Big Bad John
With jacks and timbers they started back down
Then came that rumble way down in the ground
Then smoke and gas belched out of that mine
Everyone knew it was the end of the line for Big John
Big John, Big John, Big Bad 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