SIXTEEN TONS
By Tennesee Ernie Ford
Arrangement by Terry Clark, 1990

Em - C - B
Em - C - B
Em - Am
Em - B - Em

SOME PEOPLE SAY A MAN’S MADE OUT’A MUD
POOR MAN’S MADE OUT’A MUSCLE AND BLO--OD
MUSCLE AND BLOOD…AN’ SKIN AN’ BONE
A MIND THAT’S WEAK AN’ A BACK THAT’S STRONG.

CHORUS
YOU LOADED…SIXTEEN TONS AND WHAT DO YA GET
ANOTHER DAY OLDER AND DEEPER IN DEBT
ST. PETER DON’TCHA CALL ME CAUSE I CAN’T GO
I OWE MY SOUL TO THE COMPANY STORE.

I WAS BORN ONE MORNIN’…WHEN THE SUN WOULD’NT SHINE
PICKED UP MY SHOVEL AND I WALKED IN THE MINE
LOADED SIXTEEN TONS OF NUMBER NINE COAL
WHEN THE SAW BOSS SAW ME HE SAID…"BLESS MY SOUL"

CHORUS
YOU LOADED …

I WAS BORN ONE MORNIN’ IN THE DRIS’LIN RAIN
FIGHTIN’ AND TROUBLE WERE MY MIDDLE NAME
BORN ON A CANE BRAKE BY AN OLD MAMA LION
AIN’T NO HIGH-BRED WOMAN MAKE ME… TOW THE LINE

CHORUS

SO IF YOU SEE ME COMIN…YOU BETTER STEP ASIDE
OTHER MEN DIDN’T AND OTHER MEN DIED
ONE FIST OF IRON AND THE OTHER OF STEEL
IF THE RIGHT DON’T GET YOU THEN THE RIGHT ONE WILL

CHORUS