Song Lyrics

(I'm a hardworking man)

Some folks say a man is made outta mud
A poor man's made outta muscle and blood
A muscle and blood, skin and bone
A mind that's weak and a back that's strong, yeah

You load sixteen tons and what do ya 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, yeah

I was born one mornin' when the sun didn't shine
I became a man who would work in the mine
I loaded sixteen tons of number 9 coal
The foreman said, "Well, a-bless my soul"

I was born one mornin' and it was drizzlin' rain
Fightin' and trouble is my middle name
When I better come around, you'd better step aside
A lot of men didn't and a lot of men died, yes they did

You load sixteen tons and what do ya 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

Yeah sing it one time with me

You load sixteen tons and what do ya 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

Everybody hummin' on me

Mhm, mmh (yeah)
Mhm, mmh

Merle Travis

The duration of Sixteen Tons is 2:42 minutes and seconds.