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