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2018 Mini-Season, Week 1
"It's hard to beat a person who never gives up"
This story is based on two songs about coal miners: “Big Bad John” and “16 Tons.” The lyrics are at the end, with links to performances. You do not need to know the songs/lyrics to read the story.
* * * * *
Somebody said he came from New Orleans
Where he got in a fight over a Cajun Queen
And a crashing blow from a huge right hand
Sent a Louisiana fellow to the promised land.
“Big Bad John”
BIG JOHN’S LAST FIGHT
“He’s back,” thought Édouard the bartender. “Better warn Désirée.” He reached under the bar to make sure the shotgun was handy. “Never had to shoot anyone,” he thought. “But you never know with John.” The Rusty Anchor was a tough bar in one of New Orleans’ toughest neighborhoods, down by the docks. Rough men came to the Anchor for cheap drinks, cheaper women, and free fights.
The fights weren’t on the bill of fare, but hardly a night passed without at least one breaking out, especially when John showed up. And John would always show up when Désirée was working. John was a mean drunk and he got in a lot of fights, but at least the fights were over quick. He stood six-foot-six and weighed two-forty-five, broad at the shoulders and narrow at the hips. Men called him Big John, even though he didn’t like it. John didn’t like much, except Désirée.
John may have been kind of quiet and shy, but the regulars had learned fast not to give him any lip. Unfortunately, his reputation had spread and too many misguided souls would come in just to fight the big man. Édouard would warn them. “He’s got one fist of iron, the other of steel. If the left don’t get you, the right one will.” They never listened. The lucky ones could still limp out, with maybe a black eye, a broken nose, and some loose teeth. The others, well, they would just crawl, broken bones and all, leaving a trail of blood. Édouard kept a bucket of sand close by to soak it up. At least John fought fair, even if the others didn’t.
Strong as a bull – no, two bulls – John was a roustabout who worked the docks. He gave more than a day’s work for a day’s pay, and if you were lucky enough to hire him, you almost didn’t need anyone else. Once, he unloaded cargo from a ship by himself in less time than a two-man crew. The cheap owner only gave John regular pay, so after he finished, he grabbed a sledgehammer off the dock and with one blow he stove in the hull just below the waterline. John always got top wages after that.
We all have our weaknesses. For some, it’s gambling; others drink too much or chase the wrong women. For John, it was only one woman: Désirée Boudreaux. A little past her prime, she was still beautiful, with long, wavy black hair, green eyes, and a face – well, when Désirée fell from Heaven, a lot of angels followed her. She came from a wealthy shipping family, but her father gambled it all away and fled to France with two mistresses. Her mother died of shame, and Désirée had to earn a living somehow.
Désirée was a hot-blooded Cajun with a quick temper. She and John would get into horrible fights, always over other men. Désirée was the tiger to John’s lion, and they fought like it, but John never laid a hand on her. John wanted her to himself, but Désirée was way past that.
Désirée had another suitor at the Anchor named Étienne. Étienne was a sailor, so he wasn’t in town much, but when he was in port, he would head straight to the Anchor and Désirée. Étienne was almost as big and mean as John.
They’d crossed paths a handful of times and had snorted and pawed like two big bulls, sizing each other up. So far, though, they hadn’t met at the Anchor and never caught the other with Désirée, but everyone knew it would happen and wanted to be there when it did.
One evening, John came in after finishing a job, all sweaty and thirsty. After a few quick beers, he wanted to know if Désirée was in. “Not until later,” Édouard told him, so he left, looking for some food. But Désirée was upstairs with Étienne. He’d been with her a good long while and Édouard hoped that by the time John returned, Étienne would be gone, since he had to ship out that night for Havana.
But John ate fast and Étienne lingered, even though Édouard had warned Désirée. The shotgun didn’t give Édouard much comfort, but at least it was something.
“Where is she?” asked John.
“Upstairs,” replied Édouard, “but she’s not alone.”
“Étienne?” John looked quiet and sad, but the way he said it nearly froze Édouard.
When Édouard didn’t answer, John turned around, and slowly walked up the stairs to the rooms. The crowd heard a door open, a crash, and then Étienne came flying through the balcony and landed on the poker table, scattering chips and players. The two bulls were finally going to settle things. Désirée screamed at them to stop, but nothing could stop those two that night, and she knew it.
Back and forth they went, breaking chairs over each other, using table legs for clubs, but neither one would give up. The real damage was done with their fists. Étienne landed one huge blow and John smashed two. Étienne hit John on the side of his head, spinning him around and dropping him on his knees. John just shook it off, got up, and on they went, one furious punch after the other. Finally, John hit Étienne so hard you could hear his jaw break, and Étienne collapsed on the floor, not moving. John didn’t stop, even after Édouard fired his shotgun in the air. Finally, John hit the defenseless Étienne so hard with his huge right hand that his skull caved in.
Covered in blood, gasping for breath, John at last seemed to realize what he’d done, and he just stood there, looking around at the crowd. “Where is she?” he finally asked. But Désirée had left in the middle of the fight. She knew how it would end, and it didn’t matter who won. She wanted no part of it.
No one at the Anchor ever saw her again. Some say she left New Orleans for good and finally landed in San Francisco, as far away as she could get.
John had to leave town too or swing from the gallows. Word eventually trickled back that he was working in a mine somewhere far off in coal country.
John gave up drinking and fighting – he’d had enough liquor and he’d killed a man with his bare hands. He’d just load his 16 tons of coal a day. He never said much to anyone and he liked it that way. No one bothered him, not even the straw boss, and John returned the favor.
At first, he wanted to save up some money and go looking for Désirée, but it seemed that all his wages went to the company store just for living and he always came up short. That dream finally died in the dirt and dark of the mine and all he wanted to do was finish his shifts.
Then one day while John was deep underground, the shoddy timber cracked and the mine started to collapse. Everyone made it out except for John. He’d seen to that, standing tall and bracing the timbers all by himself, but finally it was too much, even for John, and the mine caved in on top of him.
The other miners paid for a marble stone to mark the site when the company wouldn’t. It’s still there for anyone who’s looking to find it, all weathered and cracked. You can barely make out the words: “At the bottom of this mine lies a big, big man. Big John.”
******************
“Big Bad John” by Jimmy Dean (1961)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnnHprUGKF0
“16 Tons” by Tennessee Ernie Ford (1955)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUpTJg2EBpw
"Big Bad John"
(Big John Big John)
Every mornin' 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
[Chorus]
(Big John Big John) Big Bad John (Big John)
Nobody seemed to know where John called home
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 Louisiana fellow to the Promised Land Big John
[Chorus]
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 breath 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 he just stood there alone Big John
[Chorus]
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
And the smoke and gas belched out of the mine
Everybody knew it way the end of the line for Big John
[Chorus]
Now they never reopened that worthless pit
They just placed a marble stand in front of it
These few words're written on that stand
At the bottom of this mine lies a big big man Big John
[Chorus]
"Sixteen Tons"
Some people say a man is made outta mud
A poor man's made outta muscle and blood
Muscle and blood and skin and bones
A mind that's a weak and a back that's strong
[Chorus]
You load sixteen tons, what do you get?
Another day older and deeper in debt
Saint Peter, don't you call me 'cause I can't go
I owe my soul to the company store
I was born one mornin' when the sun didn't shine
I picked up my shovel and I walked to the mine
I loaded sixteen tons of number nine coal
And the straw boss said "Well, a-bless my soul"
[Chorus]
I was born one mornin', it was drizzlin' rain
Fightin' and Trouble are my middle name
I was raised in the canebrake by an ol' mama lion
Cain't no-a high-toned woman make me walk the line
[Chorus]
If you see me comin', better step aside
A lotta men didn't, a lotta men died
One fist of iron, the other of steel
If the right one don't a-get you, then the left one will
[Chorus]
"It's hard to beat a person who never gives up"
This story is based on two songs about coal miners: “Big Bad John” and “16 Tons.” The lyrics are at the end, with links to performances. You do not need to know the songs/lyrics to read the story.
* * * * *
Somebody said he came from New Orleans
Where he got in a fight over a Cajun Queen
And a crashing blow from a huge right hand
Sent a Louisiana fellow to the promised land.
“Big Bad John”
“He’s back,” thought Édouard the bartender. “Better warn Désirée.” He reached under the bar to make sure the shotgun was handy. “Never had to shoot anyone,” he thought. “But you never know with John.” The Rusty Anchor was a tough bar in one of New Orleans’ toughest neighborhoods, down by the docks. Rough men came to the Anchor for cheap drinks, cheaper women, and free fights.
The fights weren’t on the bill of fare, but hardly a night passed without at least one breaking out, especially when John showed up. And John would always show up when Désirée was working. John was a mean drunk and he got in a lot of fights, but at least the fights were over quick. He stood six-foot-six and weighed two-forty-five, broad at the shoulders and narrow at the hips. Men called him Big John, even though he didn’t like it. John didn’t like much, except Désirée.
John may have been kind of quiet and shy, but the regulars had learned fast not to give him any lip. Unfortunately, his reputation had spread and too many misguided souls would come in just to fight the big man. Édouard would warn them. “He’s got one fist of iron, the other of steel. If the left don’t get you, the right one will.” They never listened. The lucky ones could still limp out, with maybe a black eye, a broken nose, and some loose teeth. The others, well, they would just crawl, broken bones and all, leaving a trail of blood. Édouard kept a bucket of sand close by to soak it up. At least John fought fair, even if the others didn’t.
Strong as a bull – no, two bulls – John was a roustabout who worked the docks. He gave more than a day’s work for a day’s pay, and if you were lucky enough to hire him, you almost didn’t need anyone else. Once, he unloaded cargo from a ship by himself in less time than a two-man crew. The cheap owner only gave John regular pay, so after he finished, he grabbed a sledgehammer off the dock and with one blow he stove in the hull just below the waterline. John always got top wages after that.
We all have our weaknesses. For some, it’s gambling; others drink too much or chase the wrong women. For John, it was only one woman: Désirée Boudreaux. A little past her prime, she was still beautiful, with long, wavy black hair, green eyes, and a face – well, when Désirée fell from Heaven, a lot of angels followed her. She came from a wealthy shipping family, but her father gambled it all away and fled to France with two mistresses. Her mother died of shame, and Désirée had to earn a living somehow.
Désirée was a hot-blooded Cajun with a quick temper. She and John would get into horrible fights, always over other men. Désirée was the tiger to John’s lion, and they fought like it, but John never laid a hand on her. John wanted her to himself, but Désirée was way past that.
Désirée had another suitor at the Anchor named Étienne. Étienne was a sailor, so he wasn’t in town much, but when he was in port, he would head straight to the Anchor and Désirée. Étienne was almost as big and mean as John.
They’d crossed paths a handful of times and had snorted and pawed like two big bulls, sizing each other up. So far, though, they hadn’t met at the Anchor and never caught the other with Désirée, but everyone knew it would happen and wanted to be there when it did.
One evening, John came in after finishing a job, all sweaty and thirsty. After a few quick beers, he wanted to know if Désirée was in. “Not until later,” Édouard told him, so he left, looking for some food. But Désirée was upstairs with Étienne. He’d been with her a good long while and Édouard hoped that by the time John returned, Étienne would be gone, since he had to ship out that night for Havana.
But John ate fast and Étienne lingered, even though Édouard had warned Désirée. The shotgun didn’t give Édouard much comfort, but at least it was something.
“Where is she?” asked John.
“Upstairs,” replied Édouard, “but she’s not alone.”
“Étienne?” John looked quiet and sad, but the way he said it nearly froze Édouard.
When Édouard didn’t answer, John turned around, and slowly walked up the stairs to the rooms. The crowd heard a door open, a crash, and then Étienne came flying through the balcony and landed on the poker table, scattering chips and players. The two bulls were finally going to settle things. Désirée screamed at them to stop, but nothing could stop those two that night, and she knew it.
Back and forth they went, breaking chairs over each other, using table legs for clubs, but neither one would give up. The real damage was done with their fists. Étienne landed one huge blow and John smashed two. Étienne hit John on the side of his head, spinning him around and dropping him on his knees. John just shook it off, got up, and on they went, one furious punch after the other. Finally, John hit Étienne so hard you could hear his jaw break, and Étienne collapsed on the floor, not moving. John didn’t stop, even after Édouard fired his shotgun in the air. Finally, John hit the defenseless Étienne so hard with his huge right hand that his skull caved in.
Covered in blood, gasping for breath, John at last seemed to realize what he’d done, and he just stood there, looking around at the crowd. “Where is she?” he finally asked. But Désirée had left in the middle of the fight. She knew how it would end, and it didn’t matter who won. She wanted no part of it.
No one at the Anchor ever saw her again. Some say she left New Orleans for good and finally landed in San Francisco, as far away as she could get.
John had to leave town too or swing from the gallows. Word eventually trickled back that he was working in a mine somewhere far off in coal country.
John gave up drinking and fighting – he’d had enough liquor and he’d killed a man with his bare hands. He’d just load his 16 tons of coal a day. He never said much to anyone and he liked it that way. No one bothered him, not even the straw boss, and John returned the favor.
At first, he wanted to save up some money and go looking for Désirée, but it seemed that all his wages went to the company store just for living and he always came up short. That dream finally died in the dirt and dark of the mine and all he wanted to do was finish his shifts.
Then one day while John was deep underground, the shoddy timber cracked and the mine started to collapse. Everyone made it out except for John. He’d seen to that, standing tall and bracing the timbers all by himself, but finally it was too much, even for John, and the mine caved in on top of him.
The other miners paid for a marble stone to mark the site when the company wouldn’t. It’s still there for anyone who’s looking to find it, all weathered and cracked. You can barely make out the words: “At the bottom of this mine lies a big, big man. Big John.”
******************
“Big Bad John” by Jimmy Dean (1961)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnnHprUGKF0
“16 Tons” by Tennessee Ernie Ford (1955)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUpTJg2EBpw
"Big Bad John"
(Big John Big John)
Every mornin' 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
[Chorus]
(Big John Big John) Big Bad John (Big John)
Nobody seemed to know where John called home
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 Louisiana fellow to the Promised Land Big John
[Chorus]
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 breath 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 he just stood there alone Big John
[Chorus]
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
And the smoke and gas belched out of the mine
Everybody knew it way the end of the line for Big John
[Chorus]
Now they never reopened that worthless pit
They just placed a marble stand in front of it
These few words're written on that stand
At the bottom of this mine lies a big big man Big John
[Chorus]
"Sixteen Tons"
Some people say a man is made outta mud
A poor man's made outta muscle and blood
Muscle and blood and skin and bones
A mind that's a weak and a back that's strong
[Chorus]
You load sixteen tons, what do you get?
Another day older and deeper in debt
Saint Peter, don't you call me 'cause I can't go
I owe my soul to the company store
I was born one mornin' when the sun didn't shine
I picked up my shovel and I walked to the mine
I loaded sixteen tons of number nine coal
And the straw boss said "Well, a-bless my soul"
[Chorus]
I was born one mornin', it was drizzlin' rain
Fightin' and Trouble are my middle name
I was raised in the canebrake by an ol' mama lion
Cain't no-a high-toned woman make me walk the line
[Chorus]
If you see me comin', better step aside
A lotta men didn't, a lotta men died
One fist of iron, the other of steel
If the right one don't a-get you, then the left one will
[Chorus]
