Sixteen Tons

          Em        D      C        H7
I   Some people say man’s made out mud,
             Em         D           C           H7
    Well, a good man’s made out of muscle and blood
      Em        G          A       
    Muscle and blood, and skin and bones,
         H7
    And mind that’s weak and the back that’s strong.
                 Em  D
Chorus  You load 16 tons,
             C          H7
        And what do you get?
           En         D
        Another day older,
             C         H7
        And deeper in debt.
               Em              G
        Saint Peter, don’t you call me,
              A  
        Cause I can’t go,
          Em                   H7     Em                
       I owe my soul to the company store!

II  I was born one morning when sun didn’t shine,
    I picked up my shovel and I went to the mine,
    Loaded 16 tons of number nine coal,
    And the straw boss said: "Well, bless my soul!"

Chorus

III I was born one morning, it was drizzling rain,
    Fighting and Trouble ’s my middle name,
    I was raised down the Canebrake by an old mountain mine,
    And there ain’t no hard hearted women make me walk that line!

Chorus

IV  If you see me coming, you better step aside,
    A lot of men didn’t and a lot of men died.
    My one fist is iron, the other one’s steel,
    And if the left don’t getcha, then the right one will.

Chorus