Sixteen Tons

                                  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 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 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, 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 mornin´, it was drizzlin´ rain 

Fightin´ and trouble are my middle name 

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

Cain´t no-a 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 lotta men didn´t, a lotta men died 

One fist of iron, the other of steel 

If the right one don´t a-get you, 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