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Sixteen Tons

Words and Music by M. Travis - 1947

Number 1 on the Hit Parade in 1955, played 14 weeks.

Verse:
Em	-	-	-
-	Am	C7             Em	-
Chorus:
Em	-	-	-
-	Am	Em	-
-	-         (repeat all)	|

8-beat intro.  Play 4-beats for each cell, reading from left to right.

_______

 

Verse:

Some people say a man is made out of mud, A poor man's made out of muscle and blood,
Muscle and blood and skin and bones, A mind that's weak and a back that's strong.

 

I was born one mornin' when the sun didn't shine, I picked up my shovel and I walked to the mine,
I loaded Sixteen tons of number nine coal, And the straw boss said, "Well-a bless my soul."

 

Chorus:

You load Sixteen tons, what do you get? Another day older and deeper in debt.
St. Peter don't you call me, 'cause I can't go, I owe my soul to the company store.

_______

 

Arranged by Jim Bottorff

 

This Chord Chart may not appear correctly with some browsers.  It should be viewed with a full size window.  

The chord names should appear in single rows.   Let me know of any problems.

email: jbott@ix.netcom.com