16 Tons

 

I used to do a regular series of posts called Monday morning, start of the work week blues. This post is not a return to that, but when I stumbled across the above version of the song popularized by Tennessee Ernie Ford it reminded me of that old series. The song certainly would have fit.

16 Tons was written by Merle Travis, who came from a coal mining family. From Wikipedia: "The line 'You load sixteen tons and what do you get? Another day older and deeper in debt' came from a letter written by Travis's brother John. Another line came from their father, a coal miner, who would say: 'I can't afford to die. I owe my soul to the company store.'"

Below are the lyrics to the song. Have a Happy Monday morning worker bees.

Some people say a man is made outta mud

A poor man's made outta muscle and blood

Muscle and blood and skin and bones

A mind that's a-weak and a back that's strong

You load 16 tons, what do you get?

Another day older and deeper in debt

St. Peter don't you call me, 'cause I can't go

I owe my soul to the company store

I was born one mornin' when the sun didn't shine

I picked up my shovel and I walked to the mine

I loaded 16 tons of number nine coal

And the straw boss said, "Well, a-bless my soul"

You load 16 tons, what do you get?

Another day older and deeper in debt

St. Peter don't you call me, 'cause I can't go

I owe my soul to the company store

I was born one mornin', it was drizzlin' rain

Fightin' and trouble are my middle name

I was raised in the canebrake by an ol' mama lion

Can't no high toned woman make me walk the line

You load 16 tons, what do you get?

Another day older and deeper in debt

St. 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 lotta men didn't, a lotta men died

One fist of iron, the other of steel

If the right one don't get you

Then the left one will

You load 16 tons, what do you get?

Another day older and deeper in debt

St. Peter don't you call me, 'cause I can't go

I owe my soul to the company store