Some people say а man's made out mud,
A poor 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.
Chorus
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,
I Loaded 16 tons of number nine coal,
And the straw boss said "Well, bless my soul"
Chorus
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 comin', better keep aside
A lotta men didn't, a lotta men died
One fist of iron, the other of steel
If the right one don't a-get you
Then the left one will
Chorus
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,
Fight'n'Trouble 's my middle name,
I was raised in the canebrake by an old mama lion,
Can't no high toned women make me walk the line
Chorus
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
