Some people say a man is made outta mud
A poor man쨈s made outta muscle and blood
Muscle and blood and skin and bones
A mind that쨈s a-weak and a back that쨈s strong
You load sixteen tons, what do you get?
Another day older and deeper in debt
Saint Peter don쨈t you call me 쨈cause I can쨈t go
I owe my soul to the company store
I was born one mornin쨈 when the sun didn쨈t shine
I picked up my shovel and I walked to the mine
I loaded sixteen tons of number nine coal
And the straw boss said 쨈Well, a-bless my soul쨈
You load sixteen tons, what do you get?
Another day older and deeper in debt
Saint Peter don쨈t you call me 쨈cause I can쨈t go
I owe my soul to the company store
I was born one mornin쨈, it was drizzlin쨈 rain
Fightin쨈 and trouble are my middle name
I was raised in the canebrake* by an ol쨈 mama lion
Cain쨈t no-a high-toned woman make me walk the line
You load sixteen tons, what do you get?
Another day older and deeper in debt
Saint Peter don쨈t you call me 쨈cause I can쨈t go
I owe my soul to the company store
If you see me comin쨈, better step aside
A lotta men didn쨈t, a lotta men died
One fist of iron, the other of steel
If the right one don쨈t a-get you, then the left one will
You load sixteen tons, what do you get?
Another day older and deeper in debt
Saint Peter don쨈t you call me 쨈cause I can쨈t go
I owe my soul to the company store