Sixteen Tons

Some people say a man is a-made out of mud

A poor man's made out of muscle and blood

A-muscle and blood and a-skin and bones

You've got a mind that's weak and a back that's strong

You load a-sixteen tons and what do you get?

Another day older and a-deeper in debt

St. Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go

I owe my soul to the company store

St. Peter, don't you call me

'Cause I can't go

St. Peter, don't you call me

To the company store

St. Peter

A-don't you call me 'cause I can't go

I owe my soul to the company store, come on

Well, I was born on a 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, "Well, bless my soul"

You load sixteen tons and what do you get?

Another day older and a-deeper in debt

St. a-Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go

I owe my soul to the company store, yeah

I was born one morning in the drizzling rain

A-fighting and trouble have been my middle name

I was raised in the cane break by an old mama lion

Can't no a-high toned woman make me walk the line

Yeah, sixteen tons and what do you get?

Another day older and deeper in debt

St. Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go

I owe my soul to the company store

I owe my soul

If you see me comin' better step aside

A lot of men didn't, a lot of men died

One fist of iron and the other of steel

If the left one don't getcha, then the right one will

You load

A-sixteen tons

What do you get?

Another day older and a-deeper in debt

St. a-Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go

I owe my soul to the company store

St. Peter, don't you call me

'Cause I can't go

St. Peter, don't you call me

But to the company store

St. Peter, don't you call me, 'cause I can't go

I owe my soul

To the company store

St. Peter, don't you call me

'Cause I can't go