This and the line "I owe my soul to the company store " are a reference to the truck system and to debt bondage. Under this scrip system, workers were not paid cash; rather they were paid with non …

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...

Hence the line, "owe my soul to the company store". Mining companies often owned the housing that miners lived in. Living in these conditions often led men to become cynical, bitter, and hopeless, …

Demand for the song was so great, that Capitol geared all its pressing plants nationwide to meet the deluge of orders. In Twenty-four days, over one million records were sold, and "Sixteen Tons" …

I owe my soul to the company store If you see me coming, better step aside A lotta men didn't, a lotta men died One fist of iron, the other of steel If the right one don't a-get you then the left one will You …

Mar 25, 2015 · The top song in America during late 1955 and early 1956 was a tune about coal mining — a song about the hard life and poverty of being a coal miner. Its title was “Sixteen Tons” and it was …

This version of the song by Tennessee Ford was first recorded in 1955, but the original song creator Merle Travis recorded this song in 1946.

Oct 17, 2024 · The chorus, with the line "I owe my soul to the company store," became a symbol of the systemic injustices faced by laborers. Upon release, "Sixteen Tons" resonated widely, topping the …

They could only be spent at the company store. He used to say: 'I can't afford to die. I owe my soul to the company store'" (Fowke and Glazer). The song was recorded by Tennessee Ernie Ford in 1955 …

I owe my soul to the company store If you see me comin' better step aside A lotta men didn't, a lotta men died One fist of iron, the other of steel If the right one don't getcha then the left one will You load …