1987 - This was the year of the Unabomber, Iran-Contra affair hearings, and the famous utterance of president Ronald Reagan, “Mr. Gorgachev, tear down that (Berlin) wall!” It was my second year working for Continental DataGraphics and working overtime became part of my normal schedule. I worked minimum ten hours a day and most Saturdays I worked six to eight hours. I was promoted to Coordinator that year and after working as the lead of the QC department for several months, was finally awarded the all new airplane project, Boeing 777.
I had been exposed to Marty Robbins’ songs and although I wasn’t a huge fan, they always brought a smile to my face. Somehow I ended up with a copy of Big Iron on one of the variety cassette tapes I listened to on my Sony Walkman while working. One day I got the idea to do a parody, exchanging Big Bible for Big Iron. I feverishly scribbled out the lyrics during a few lunch periods and stuffed it in my song collection folder. Unfortunately, not many people were familiar with the original, so I never added it to my campfire repertoire. I recorded Big Bible in 2010 on my second album project titled, “The Lighter Side of Me.” I’ll never forget when I asked Jon and Bonnie Hayman to sing on the song, Jon said, “I thought you were just kidding!” Emma Hayman sang along adding some very nice harmonic texture to the overall sound, and I got to stretch Jon’s vocal base capacity almost to its lower limit. Anyways, before I bore you much more, here are the lyrics:
BIG BIBLE
Words by Reggie Michaud © 1987
To the town of San Diego came a stranger one fine day
And he spoke to many people cuz he had so much to say
“He’s a madman or a thumper!” came the slander from each lip
Stranger there among them had a big bible on his hip – Big bible on his hip
Big bible, big bible- Stranger there among them had a big bible on his hip-Big bible on his hip
In this town there lived a demon and his name was Evil Red
Many people tried to serve him and that many souls were dead
He was vicious and a killer as he knocked on every door
And the notches on his pitchfork numbered one and thousands more-One and thousands more
Now this stranger started talking; made it plain to folks around
He was sent down by his Father to revive this dying town
He had power without limit to heal the sick and raise the dead
And to purify his children he’d destroy old Evil Red-Destroy old Evil Red
Wasn’t long before the message was relayed to Evil Red
But the demon didn’t worry for so many souls were dead
Thousand men had come before him, thousand men had made the slip
Thousand-one would be the stranger with the big bible on his hip-Big bible on his hip
Big bible, big bible- Stranger there among them had a big bible on his hip-Big bible on his hip
When they met the demon’s minions had to run and hide away
And the power of the stranger is still talked about today
Evil Red had barely spoken when a sword clean through him ripped
And the stranger’s aim was deadly with the big bible on his hip-Big bible on his hip
Big bible, big bible- Stranger’s aim was deadly with the big bible on his hip-Big bible on his hip