The Songs Of Olde England, Great Britain, And Modern America

Currently Playing: "Sixteen Tons" - American Worker's Song (Tennessee Ford)

"Sixteen Tons" is an American coal miner's song written by Merle Travis in 1946. The song is based on Travis's personal experiences with coal mines in his home state of Kentucky, especially of the mining town Rosewood. Travis himself recorded the song on August 8th, 1946 (releasing it the next year in July 1947), but the song was also recorded by pop singer Tennessee Ernie Ford in September of 1955, and released later that year in October. This recording became the most popular version, holding the No. 1 position on Billboard's country music chart for ten weeks, and No. 1 on the pop chart for eight weeks. The song has been inducted in the National Recording Registry. -- Lyrics -- Some people say a man is made out of mud; The poor man’s made out of muscle and blood, Muscle and blood and skin and bones, A mind that’s weak and a back that’s strong. 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 morning when the sun didn’t shine, I picked up my shovel and I walked to the mine, I loaded sixteen tons of number 9 coal, And the straw boss said, “Well-a bless my soul!” 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 morning, it was drizzlin’ rain, Fightin’ and trouble are my middle name: I was raised in the canebrake by an old mama lion, Can’t no high-toned woman make me walk the line. 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! If you see me comin’, better step aside, A lot of men didn’t, a lot of men died; One fist of iron, the other of steel, If the right one don’t getcha, then the left one will! 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! -- Lyrics --