Sixteen Tons

"Sixteen Tons" is a song about coal mining, written in 1947 by country singer Merle Travis. A 1955 version recorded by Tennessee Ernie Ford reached number one in the Billboard charts.

Related Topics:
Coal mining - 1947 - Merle Travis - 1955 - Tennessee Ernie Ford - Billboard

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:You load sixteen tons, what do you get?

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:Another day older and deeper in debt.

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:Saint Peter, don't you call me, 'cause I can't go;

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:I owe my soul to the company store...

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The line from the chorus "another day older and deeper in debt" was a phrase often used by Travis' father, a coal miner himself.

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The line "I owe my soul to the company store" is a refrence to the truck system, a form of unfree labor

Related Topics:
Company store - Truck system - Unfree labor

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