Tennessee Ernie Ford - Sixteen Tons guitar chord

SIXTEEN TONS

Written By:Merle Travis

Performed by Tennessee Ernie Ford (1955)

INTRO: Em B Em

Em

Some people say a man is made out of mud

A poor man's made out of muscle and blood

Am

Muscle and blood and skin and bones

Em

A mind that's weak and a back that's strong

Em

You load sixteen tons what do you get

Another day older and deeper in debt

Am

Saint Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go

Em ( Em-B-Em)

I owe my soul to the company store

Em

I was born one morning when the sun didn't shine

I picked up my shovel and I walked to the mine

Am

I loaded sixteen tons of number nine coal

Em

And the straw boss said well a bless my soul

Em

You load sixteen tons what do you get

Another day older and deeper in debt

Am

Saint Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go

Em (Em-B-Em)

I owe my soul to the company store

Em

I was born one morning it was drizzling rain

Fighting and trouble are my middle name

Am

I was raised in the canebreak by an old mama lion

Em

Ain't no high tone woman make me walk the line

Em

You load sixteen tons what do you get

Another day older and deeper in debt

Am

Saint Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go

Em (Em-B-Em)

I owe my soul to the company store

Em

If you see me coming better step aside

A lot of men didn't a lot of men died

Am

One fist of iron the other of steel

Em

If the right one don't get you then the left one will

Em

You load sixteen tons what do you get

Another day older and deeper in debt

Am

Saint Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go

Em (Em-B-Em)

I owe...... my soul .....to the company store

Note: Song was written with the “C7 “ configuration (shown below) but T.E.Ford

doesn’t use it.

C7 Em

A mind that's weak and a back that's strong.