Sixteen Tons Uke tab by Tennessee Ernie Ford

4 Chords used in the song: Em, C, B7, B

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Tablature / Chords (Full Song)

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Year:  1997
Difficulty: 
3.5
(Intermediate)
Key: EmChords
Em Em                    C C            B7 B7  
Some people say a man is made outa mud
Em Em C C B7 B7
A A poor man's made outa muscle 'n blood...
Em Em C C B7 B7
Muscle an' blood an' skin an' bone
Em Em C C B7 B7
A A mind that's weak and a back that's strong

Chorus
Em Em C C B7 B7
You load sixteen tons an' whaddya get?
Em Em C C B7 B7
Another day older an' deeper in debt
Em Em C C B7 B7
Saint Peter doncha call me 'cause I can't go
Em Em B7 B7 Em Em
I owe my soul to the company sto'

Em Em C C B7 B7
If ya hear me a-comin' ya better step aside
Em Em C C B7 B7
A A lotta men din't an' a lotta men died
Em Em C C B7 B7
With one fist of iron an' the other of steel
Em Em C C B7 B7
If the right one don' getcha then the left one will.

Em Em C C B7 B7
I was born one mornin' when the sun didn't shine
Em Em C C B7 B7
Picked up my shovel and I went to the mine
Em Em C C B B
Loaded sixteen tons of number nine coal
Em Em C C B7 B7
And the strawboss said, "Well, Bless my soul!"

Em Em C C B7 B7
I was born one morning in the drizzlin' rain
Em Em C C B7 B7
Fightin' and trouble are my middle name
Em Em C C B7 B7
I was raised in the canebreak by an' ol' mama hound
Em Em C C B7 B7
Ain't no high-tone woman gonna push me around.

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Uke tab by , 01 Aug 2014

Tab comments (1)

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Josapr avatar
Super accurate both for the notes and the timing! Thank you for the good tab. It's one of the few that's in my natural singing range that isn't in a lot of other people's, and it's nice to be able to play along with it!
02 Jul 2021
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About this song: Sixteen Tons

Classic pop-country crossover hit of 1955-56, reaching #1 on both Billboard's pop and country charts. Orchestrated with a clarinet lead, not a typical country music instrument, by Jack Fascinato.

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