Saturday 9: Big, Bad John

Oh, how fun! I'm linking up with the Saturday 9 for this week's song and related questions. It's a bonus this week as this was one of my dad's favorite songs...probably because his name was John and he was a big guy. I often wonder if friends and co-workers ever teased him about the song. Well, anyway...thank you, Sam, for a trip down memory lane.

Big, Bad John (1961)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) This song tells the story of a stern, enigmatic miner. None of the other miners knew much about him. When people first meet you, do you think they see you more as mysterious or straightforward?  I think I am open and honest about who I am, very much a what you see, is what you get kind of girl. However, people have told me I am hard to get to know, closed off, a bit of an unknown.

 

2) During a serious accident, many of the miners panicked. But not John. Think of your family, friends and acquaintances. Who would be the most dependable in a crisis?  My husband and after him, me. We are both calm in emergencies and have some training. My skills haven't been put to the test to the same degree Tim's have been. He has had to be hands on in some awful situations so I KNOW he is dependable.

3) His heroism allowed 20 miners to escape, but cost John his life. According to the lyrics, there's a marble slab on site of mine that honors him. Is there a memorial to a local hero in your town?  Not for that kind of heroics. We are not far from the Quecreek Mine rescue site or where Flight 93 went down. Lots of heroics in those places.

4) This song was written and performed by Jimmy Dean. He began composing it on a flight from New York to Nashville. How do you amuse yourself while traveling?  Reading, talking to my companion, watching the scenery, movies, music.

5) Jimmy Dean hosted a long-running variety show on CBS, which is best-remembered today for introducing Jim Henson's puppets -- especially Rowlf, a dog who sang and told jokes. While Rowlf didn't make it to Sesame Street, he was a recurring character on the Muppet Show. Are you a Muppet fan?  Absolutely! I cut my teeth on Sesame Street and the Muppet Show.

6) Jimmy found success in business with The Jimmy Dean Sausage Company. He sold the company to Sara Lee in 1984 for $80 million. Today Jimmy Dean breakfast products are still popular in grocery stores all over the country. What's your favorite breakfast?  Biscuits and sausage gravy or scrambled eggs with peppers and onions, cheese, and salsa rolled up in a tortilla.

7) In 1961, when this song was popular, Vogue asked if fashion sense is inborn or if could a woman could learn to be chic. What do you think? Do you think style is either something you have, or you don't?  I do think true style is something you're born with. People study and copy a look and while it may look technically right...there's just a certain something missing.

8) Also in 1961, Ernest Hemingway took his own life. Did you read Hemingway in English class? Can you recall any other novels you read for school?  I did. I believe my first Hemingway was The Old Man and the Sea in 6th grade and while I know Hemingway was rather a jerk, he lived life to the fullest and was larger than life. His life and adventures have long fascinated me. As for other novels read in school...I was an avid reader on my own and also,I took every elective English class my high school offered so I read a LOT of novels. I don't think I missed too many of the "must read" books.

 

9) Random question: Think about the last "white lie" you told. Was it to make your own day easier or spare someone's feelings?  It was more a lie of omission. My mom tends to be super critical and judgemental of, well, pretty much everyone. There are a lot of times I just don't tell her stuff to avoid a lecture or one of her rundowns on someone else.