Some people say a man is made out of mud
A poor man's made out of muscle and blood
Muscle and blood and skin and bones
A mind that's weak and a back that's strong
You loaded 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 morning 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: "Wella bless my soul"
If you see me comin', better step aside
A lot of man didn't, a lot of man died
One fist of iron, the other of steel
Of the right one doesn't get you, then the left one will
