16_tons dafremen written by merle travis customized (with all due respect) by r.dafremen Some folks say a man's made out of mud But a working man's made out of muscle and blood Muscle and blood and skin and bone His spirit's tired, but his back's still strong You load sixteen tons and what do you get? Another day older and deeper in debt Tell St. Peter that I can't go 'Cause I owe my soul to the company store I was born one morning when the sun didn't shine Picked up my number and I walked to the line I loaded sixteen tons of number nine coal Until the boss man said "Well bless my soul!" I loaded sixteen tons and what did I get? Another day older and deeper in debt Tell St. Peter I still can't go I owe my soul to the company store Just above the cut off are ripoffs And payoffs for lay offs These fleas don't wanna stay off They're legal magicians who sell out and bail out to improve their positions then they take out the pay out sixteen tons and it's getting kind of played out sixteen tons and it's getting kind of played out! Sixteen tons and what do you get? Another day older and deeper in debt Tell St. Peter that I can't go I still owe my soul to the company store I was born one morning in the pourin' rain Someone gave me trouble as a middle name I was raised with a strap by the hand of time So there ain't no stopping this heart of mine Foreman see me comin' better step aside Union forgot about me so the union died One fist of iron and the other of steel And if I don't get my way the crowd behind me will We loaded sixteen tons and what did we get? Another day older and deeper in debt. Tell St. Peter that we're free to go We took back our souls from the company store. 150509 what's it to you? who go blather from