Ernie Ford/16 Tons Lyrics

[Jimmy Raineri (James J. Raineri)]

Hi -

I am try to settle a dispute about the words in Ernie Fords
16 Tons song.

Anyone know where on the Internet I can find the complete Lyrics.
I have searched with no luck.

Or, do you know the answer?

About the middle of the song it goes....

".. and the ????? boss said ...."

sound either like "straw" or "store" or "staw", but I would like
to know exactly what it is and what it means.

Thanks alot for any assistance.

Jimmy

[Anthony Bruce Gilpin]

"Tenessee" Ernie Ford didn't write "Sixteen Tons," and for the life of
me, I can't remember who did right now. But here are the words:

SIXTEEN TONS

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 bone
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-nine coal
The straw-boss said
"Well bless my soul!"

(Chorus)

I was born one morning
It was drizzling rain
Fighting and trouble
Are my middle name
I was raised in a cane-brake
by an ol' mama lion
Can't no high-tone lady
make me walk the line

(Chorus)

If you see me coming
better step aside
a lot of men didn't
a lot of 'em died
I got one fist of iron
the other is steel
If the right one don't get ya
Then the left one will!

(Chorus)

A "Straw Boss" is a foreman, or middle-level management employee;
Someone who isn't "the Boss," but who has authority to boss *you*
around.

As for the meaning of the song: The historical context is commercial
coal mining as it was practiced in the United States in the last
century. In the days of the robber-barons, Coal companies operated mines
and owned all the land for miles around. Employees lived in entire towns
built and owned by the mining companies. They paid rent to their
employers, and purchased food and other necessities at company-owned
stores, often because there were no other stores available. The owners
of the mines, not content with the profits from selling coal, paid their
workers so poorly, and kept the rent in company-owned housing and prices
in the company stores so high that miners would always be in debt, no
matter how hard they worked. Local law enforcement (also owned by the
mines) would not let a miner leave town if he owed the company money, so
to become a miner was to enter a life of virtual slavery.

I hope this helps,

Anthony Bruce Gilpin

[James M Mudge]

In article <31DD8D...@pacbell.net>,

Anthony Bruce Gilpin <agi...@pacbell.net> wrote:

>"Tenessee" Ernie Ford didn't write "Sixteen Tons," and for the life of
>me, I can't remember who did right now.

Words and music by Merle Travis. Thanks for the lyrics - it's one of my
favorites!

..jm
--
/~~~~~\/~~\/~~\/~~\/~) James M Mudge Boston (~\/~~\/~~\/~~\/~~~~~\
| /~~~\ \/\ \/\ \/\ \/ jmu...@world.std.com \/ /\/ /\/ /\/ /~~~\ |
| \___/\ \/\ \/\ \/\ \____________________________/ /\/ /\/ /\/ /\___/ |
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[Gary Myers]

I think "16 Tons" was written by Merle Travis.
Gary Myers - Downey, CA

[Kevin S. Miller]

On Jul 05, 1996 09:10:59 in article <Ernie Ford/16 Tons Lyrics>, '"Jimmy

Raineri (James J. Raineri)" <jra...@ibm.net>' wrote:

>About the middle of the song it goes....
>
>".. and the ????? boss said ...."
>
>sound either like "straw" or "store" or "staw", but I would like
>to know exactly what it is and what it means.
>

I always thought it was "And the Stock Boss said 'Well, Bless my soul!'",
as in stock pile.

You wouldn't happen to have a midi sequence of that, would you?
Kevin

[Calvin J. Geyer]

In article <4rv25v$i...@news1.t1.usa.pipeline.com>,
ksmi...@nyc.pipeline.com(Kevin S. Miller) wrote:

>On Jul 05, 1996 09:10:59 in article <Ernie Ford/16 Tons Lyrics>, '"Jimmy
>Raineri (James J. Raineri)" <jra...@ibm.net>' wrote:
>
>>About the middle of the song it goes....
>>
>>".. and the ????? boss said ...."
>>
>>sound either like "straw" or "store" or "staw", but I would like
>>to know exactly what it is and what it means.
>>
>
>I always thought it was "And the Stock Boss said 'Well, Bless my soul!'",
>as in stock pile.

It's Straw Boss (lingo at the time for foreman).

Calvin G.

Cal...@creative.net
---
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-- Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree