Sixteen Tons Songtext
von Lorne Greene

You know in my travels around the country
I met a lot of tough, two-fisted men
And just about the toughest of them all
Were the coal miners
Did you ever load sixteen tons?
You know what you′d get?
Hm, well listen to this

Some people say a man is made out of mud
A poor man's made out of muscle and blood
Muscle and blood, skin and bones
A mind that′s weak and a back that's strong

You load sixteen tons, whaddaya 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's store
(I owe my soul to the company′s store, wooh-ooh)


I was born one mornin' when the sun didn′t shine
I picked up my shovel and I walked to the mine
I loaded sixteen tons of number nine coal
And the straw-boss said: 'Well bless my soul!′

(You load sixteen tons) Whaddaya 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′s store
(I owe my soul to the company's store, wooh-ooh)

I was born one morning, it was drizzlin′ rain
Fighting and trouble are my middle name
I was raised in a swamp by an old mama lion
Can't no high-toned woman make me toe the line

You load sixteen tons, whaddaya 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's store
(I owe my soul to the company's store, wooh-ooh)

If you see me a 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 get ya, then the left one will


You load sixteen tons, whaddaya 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's store
(I owe my soul to the company′s store, wooh-ooh)
Yes I owe my soul
To the company's store (ooh)
(Ba ba ba ba ba ba!)