Sixteen Tons
SIXTEEN TONS
- written by Merle Travis
Now some people say a man's made out of mud
But a poor man's made out of muscle and blood
Muscle and blood, skin and bones
A mind that's weak and a back that's strong
You load sixteen tons and 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 one coal
And the straw boss hollered, "Well bless my soul!"
You load sixteen tons and 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 in the drizzling rain
Fighting and trouble is my middle name
I was raised in the bottoms by a momma hound
I'm mean as a dog but I'm gentle as a lamb
You load sixteen tons and 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 coming, you better step aside
A lot of men didn't and a lot of men died
I got a fist of iron and a fist of steel
If the right one doesn't get you then the left one will
You load sixteen tons and 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
-------------------------------------------------------
Hippie
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
>Now some people say a man's made out of mud
TEF: "Some people say a man is made outa' mud"
>I loaded sixteen tons of number one coal
>And the straw boss hollered, "Well bless my soul!"
TEF: "I loaded sixteen tons of number nine coal,
"The straw boss said 'Well-a-bless-a-my soul!'"
>I was raised in the bottoms by a momma hound
>I'm mean as a dog but I'm gentle as a lamb
TEF:"I was raised in the in a canebreak by and old mama lion,
"Can't no high-tone woman make me walk*** the line"
*** Tennessee Ernie's voice cracks into a laugh as he
says "walk the line"
>I got a fist of iron and a fist of steel
>If the right one doesn't get you then the left one will
"One fist of iron, the other of steel,
If the right one don't get you then the left one will"
Not nitpicking, just wanting to be thorough... Great song.
Ray Crenshaw in SC (USA)
merle travis
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
I owe my soul to the company store
Thierry
Corky Willis <cor...@together.net> skrev i artiklen
<34D4CA...@together.net>...
THIERRY