50s - 16 Tons (Tennessee Ernie Ford)

16 Tons

You load 16 tons and what do you get? A hit for Tennessee Ernie Ford!

It was written and first recorded in 1946 by Country & Western guitarist Merle Travis, who based it on his father's experiences as a coal-miner in Kentucky.

But it was Ford's version that hit the # 1 spot in the US Single Charts for 6 consecutive weeks (Nov - Dec) in 1955 and topped the UK Charts for 4 weeks (Jan - Feb) in 1956.

Lyrics:

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

chorus:
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"

I was born one mornin', it was drizzlin rain
Fightin' and Trobule was my middle name
I was raised in the canebrake by an ol' mama lion
Ain't no-a high-toned woman make me walk the line

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.

The song depicts a hand-to-mouth existence of the coalminers who always fell into debt and were forced to pay the inflated prices charged at the only local store, belonging the mine owners. (re: I owe my soul to the company store.)

This song has been covered by wide variety of artistes including Frankie Laine (1955), The Platters (1957), Tom Jones (1967), Johnny Cash (1987) and Eric Burdon (1990), etc..