Some people say man´s made out mud,
Well, a good 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.

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,
Loaded 16 tons of number nine coal,
And the straw boss said: "Well, bless my soul!"

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 coming, you better step aside,
A lot of men didn´t and a lot of men died.
My one fist is iron, the other one´s steel,
And if the left don´t getcha, then the right one will

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,
Fighting and Trouble ´s my middle name,
I was raised down the Canebrake by an old mountain mine,
And there ain´t no hard hearted women make me walk that line!

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,