Sixteen Tons Songtext

von Stan Ridgway

Some people say a man is made out of mud
A poor man's made out of mud and muscle and blood
Muscle and blood and skin and bones
A mind that's weak and a back that's strong

You load sixteen tons, what do you get
Another day older and deeper in debt
St. 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 strawboss said, well, bless my soul!
(chorus)

I was born one mornin?, it was drizllin? rain
Fightin? and trouble are my middle name
I was raised in the cane break by an ol? mama lion
Cain't no high-tone woman make me walk the line
(chorus)

If you see me comin? better step aside
A lot of men didn't, a lot of men died
One fist of iron, the other of steel
And if the right one don't get you, then the left one will
(chorus)