A man comes along on a breeze and a song
A man called bad ‘ol John,
Some say he’s a saint, some say that he ain’t
some say he’s a cyclone’s spawn         
Folks they say to this very day
Don’t cross that son of a gun,
There never was a man any meaner than
Or as bad as bad ol’ John  - Bad ol’ John
 
There never was a course, never seen a horse, Ol’ John could not stick on
There never was a fight he couldn’t put right
Nor a friend he’d go back on
When you try to stand and you need a hand                            
But there’s nothing to count on                
Never was a friend true to the end
Like good ol’, bad ol’ John - Bad ol’ John
 
Last time I came upon, Bad Ol’ John
He was walking on a Florida beach
A guitar in a sack, a banjo on his back, and an alligator on a leash
I was clingin’ to a raft a shark bit in half
John yells “Mary, I won’t fail ya”
Road his alligator out, grabbed that shark by the snout
And drug it all the way to Australia – Bad Ol’ John
 
You could cross the seas on a flying trapeze                           
Or rope the morning sun              
But I doubt you’d find any peace of mind                                   
Or a feat ol’ John’s not done                    
A man comes along on a breeze and a song
A man called bad ol’ John 
Some say he’s a saint, some say that he ain’t
He’s just good ol’, bad ol’ John


Song by Mary James & Jean James