Some people say a man is made out of mud
a poor mans made out of muscle and blood
muscle and blood and skin and bone
a mind that's weak and the back that's strong
You load sixteen ton and what do you get
another day older and deeper in debt
oh brother don't you call me cause i can't go
i owe my soul to the company store
I was born one morning when the sun didn't shine
i picked up my shovel and i walked to the mine
i loaded sixteen ton of number nine coal
and the strong boss said well bless a ma soul
You load sixteen ton what do you get
another day older and deeper in debt
oh brother don't you call me cause i can't go
i owe my soul to the company store
I was born one mornin it was drizzlin rain
fightin trouble out of my middle name
i was raised in the kingbry by an old maligned
can go a high toned woman made me
walk the line
You load sixteen ton and what do you get
another day older and deeper in debt
oh brother don't you call me cause i can't go
i owe my soul to the company store
Well if you see me acomin
better step aside
a lot of men didn't
a lot of men died
One fist of iron
the other of steel
if the right one don't get you
then the left one will
You load sixteen ton and what do get
another day older and deeper in debt
oh brother don't you call me cause i can't go
i owe my soul to the company store