Sixteen Tons
Struggles and Redemption: Unveiling the Grit in 'Sixteen Tons'
Lyrics
Some people say a man is made outta mud
Some people believe a man is formed from humble materials like mud.
A poor man's made outta muscle and blood
A poor man is characterized by his physical strength, composed of muscle and blood.
Muscle and blood and skin and bones
Describing the components of a person: muscle, blood, skin, and bones.
A mind that's a-weak and a back that's strong
Highlighting a contradiction between a weak mind and a strong back.
You load sixteen tons, what do you get?
Pondering the result of loading sixteen tons of something.
Another day older and deeper in debt
The consequence of hard labor: growing older and accumulating debt.
Saint Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go
Declining a call from Saint Peter, suggesting an inability to escape the situation.
I owe my soul to the company store
Expressing indebtedness to the company store, implying a cycle of financial dependency.
I was born one mornin' when the sun didn't shine
Recalling the narrator's birth in unfavorable circumstances.
I picked up my shovel and I walked to the mine
Taking up work early, heading to the mine with a shovel.
I loaded sixteen tons of number nine coal
Performing hard labor by loading sixteen tons of coal.
And the straw boss said "Well, a-bless my soul"
Receiving surprise or admiration from the supervisor (straw boss).
You load sixteen tons, what do you get?
Reflecting on the repeated action of loading sixteen tons.
Another day older and deeper in debt
Reiterating the consequence of aging and accumulating debt through labor.
Saint Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go
Reaffirming the refusal to answer Saint Peter's call due to indebtedness.
I owe my soul to the company store
Emphasizing the ongoing soul debt owed to the company store.
I was born one mornin', it was drizzlin' rain
Recalling a challenging birth in drizzling rain.
Fightin' and trouble are my middle name
Describing a life marked by conflict and trouble.
I was raised in the canebrake by an ol' mama lion
Being raised in difficult circumstances by a strong mother figure.
Cain't no-a high-toned woman make me walk the line
Rejecting the influence of a sophisticated woman.
You load sixteen tons, what do you get?
Reiterating the impact of loading sixteen tons on the narrator's life.
Another day older and deeper in debt
Emphasizing the ongoing process of aging and accumulating debt.
Saint Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go
Declining the call from Saint Peter due to the narrator's situation.
I owe my soul to the company store
Continuing to owe one's soul to the company store.
If you see me comin', better step aside
Warning others to step aside when the narrator approaches.
A lotta men didn't, a lotta men died
Noting the consequences for those who don't heed the warning.
One fist of iron, the other of steel
Describing the narrator's fists, symbolizing strength and power.
If the right one don't a-get you, then the left one will
Emphasizing the inevitability of facing consequences, either from the right or left.
You load sixteen tons, what do you get?
Repeating the question about the result of loading sixteen tons.
Another day older and deeper in debt
Reiterating the impact of hard labor on aging and debt.
Saint Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go
Declining the call from Saint Peter due to ongoing indebtedness.
I owe my soul to the company store
Stating the enduring indebtedness of the soul to the company store.
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