Some people say a man,
I made out of mud
Well a poor man's made outta
Muscle and blood

Muscle and blood,
And skin and bone,
You got a mind that's weak,
You got a back that's strong

And I was born one mornin',
The sun didn't shine
Picked up my shovel,
And he went to the mine

I loaded 16 tons,
Of that number 9 coal
The Straw boss said Boy,
Well bless my soul!

[Chorus:]

You load 16 tons,
And what do ya get?
Another day older,
And deeper in dept

Saint Peter don'tcha call me,
'Cause I can't go
I owe my soul

[End Chorus]

I was born one morning,
It was drizzlin' rain
So fighting and trouble
Was my middle name

I was raised in a cave,
By an old mama lion
Ain't no high toned mama,
Gonna me walk the line

If you see me comin',
Better step aside
A lot of men didn't;
A lot of men died

One fist is iron,
The other is steel,
If the right one don't get you,
Then the left one will

[Repeat chorus]

Yeah, I owe it all
To the company store