Some people say
man's made out mud,
Well, a good man's
made out of muscle and blood
Muscle and blood,
and skin and bones,
And mind that's
weak and the back that's strong
You load 16 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 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!
You load 16 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,
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!
You load 16 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.
My one fist is iron,
the other one's steel,
And if the left don't getcha,
then the right one will
You load 16 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 own my soul
To the company store