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Bad Ol John

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Mean Mary - Bad Ol' John
CAPO: 2nd Fret
[Intro]
Am   G   Am   G   Am   G   Am   G
[Verse 1]
A Amman comes along on a breeze and a song
A man called bad ‘ol John
AmSome say he’s a saint, some say that he ain’t
Some say he’s a cyclone’s spawn 
AmFolks they say to this very day
Don’t cross that son-of-a-gun
AmThere never been a man any meaner than
Or as bad as bad ol’ John
AmBad ol’ JohnG  Am  G  
[Verse 2]
AmThere never been a course, never seen a horse
Ol’ John could not stick on
AmThere never been a fight he couldn’t set right
Or a friend he’d go back on
AmWhen you try to stand and you need a hand 
There’s one thing to count on 
AmNever been a friend true to the end
Like good ol’, bad ol’ John
AmBad ol’ John
[Instrumental]
   Am     G     Am     G     Am     G     Am     G(2x)
[Verse 3]
AmThe last time I came upon Bad Ol’ John
He was walking on a Florida beach
AmA guitar in a sack, a banjo on his back
And an alligator on a leash
AmI was clingin’ to a raft a shark bit in half
John yells, “Mary, I won’t fail ya”
AmRode his alligator out, grabbed that shark by the snout
And drug it all the way to Australia
AmBad Ol’ John
[Instrumental]
   Am     G     Am     G     Am     G     Am     G(4x)
[Verse 4]
AmYou could cross the seas on a flying trapeze
Or rope the morning sun    
AmBut I doubt you’d find any peace of mind
Or a feat ol’ John’s not done
AmA man comes along on a breeze and a song
A man called bad ol’ John 
AmSome say he’s a saint
Oh, some say that he ain’t
AmOh, he’s just F#good ol’, Fbad ol’ AmJohn
[Outro]
   Am     G     Am     G     Am     G     Am     G(2x)

All chords in this song (4)

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Bad Ol John

by Mean Mary

Lyrics & chords · Original key · Capo on fret 2 (as written in this song)

Chords in this song · guitar

Mean Mary - Bad Ol' John

CAPO: 2nd Fret

[Intro]

Am G Am G Am G Am G

[Verse 1]

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 been a man any meaner than

Or as bad as bad ol’ John

Am G Am G

Bad ol’ John

[Verse 2]

There never been a course, never seen a horse

Ol’ John could not stick on

There never been a fight he couldn’t set right

Or a friend he’d go back on

When you try to stand and you need a hand

There’s one thing to count on

Never been a friend true to the end

Like good ol’, bad ol’ John

Bad ol’ John

[Instrumental]

Am G Am G Am G Am G

(2x)

[Verse 3]

The 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”

Rode his alligator out, grabbed that shark by the snout

And drug it all the way to Australia

Bad Ol’ John

[Instrumental]

Am G Am G Am G Am G

(4x)

[Verse 4]

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

Oh, some say that he ain’t

Am F# F Am

Oh, he’s just good ol’, bad ol’ John

[Outro]

Am G Am G Am G Am G

(2x)

About Bad Ol John Chords by Mean Mary

Learn how to play Bad Ol John by Mean Mary with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “Bad Ol John chords”, “Bad Ol John guitar chords”, or “Mean Mary Bad Ol John chords” and you will find this page — transpose to any key, tap chords for diagrams, and use auto-scroll while you play. Perfect for beginners looking for easy Bad Ol John chords and for experienced players who want accurate Bad Ol John lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include Am, G, A, F#, F.

FAQ — Bad Ol John by Mean Mary

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Is "Bad Ol John" easy to play on guitar?

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What key is "Bad Ol John" in?

The chords for "Bad Ol John" show the original chord names (including Am, G, A, F#, F). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.