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Tennessee Ernie Ford - Sixteen Tons

Apr 27, '08 1:03 AM
for everyone

Ernie used to drink at the Oasis near Stanford...same pub as I called my "own".

Tags: about you and me, political-economy

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13 CommentsChronological Reverse Threaded

irianithewitchnz wrote on Apr 27

That was the one I meant Mike, I knew you would know it hehehe... Never a truer word was sung!

frncshammer wrote on Apr 27

ditto on that, Iri, classic tune...

iamawobbly wrote on Apr 27

Yeah, I loved it as a kid and still do.

fineattitude wrote on Apr 27

I started singing the words before I clicked play. My dad use to play this song a lot. I always remembered it said something about a coal miner because my Grandfather was a coal miner.

fineattitude wrote on Apr 27

Love the deep voice.

iamawobbly wrote on Apr 27

fineattitude said

Love the deep voice.

Yeah, a voice to die for.

drafair wrote on Apr 27

Yes I remember this too, it's on my mobile and occasionally listen on my way to work! Still so relevant. My dad was a life long union man (and for some time a communist, not such an evil sin as that would be in the US) and was always playing this.

digitalclock wrote on Apr 27

Oh wow! This is sureal!

I've been singing this song for weeks now, it won't get out of my head! I keep thinking 'I must find it online' and not getting around to it. Like fineattitude above me, my dad used to play it a lot. Then my older sister picked up on it, when when I was old enough I used to dig out dad's vinyl and play it myself.

I've absolutely no idea why it's been in my head lately! Maybe it's something to do with the 'global credit crunch'. SOOOO pleased you posted it up! xxx

iamawobbly wrote on Apr 27, edited on Apr 27

Tennesee Ernie Ford had a weekly TV show back in the 50s. He was a good comedian as well as an excellent singer. I think this was his only really big hit though. Great song, even if it did start off as the "B" side.

From the Wiki entry:

...the line "I owe my soul to the company store" is a reference to the truck system and to debt bondage. Under this system workers were not paid cash; rather they were paid with unexchangeable credit vouchers for goods at the company store (usually referred to as scrip). This made it impossible for workers to store up cash savings. Workers also usually lived in company-owned dormitories or apartment buildings, the rent for which was automatically deducted from their pay.

In the U.S. the truck system and associated debt bondage persisted until the strikes of the newly-formed United Mine Workers and affiliated unions forced an end to such practices.

digitalclock wrote on Apr 27

He had another hit over here in the UK with a rendition of 'Mule Train', unfortunately it's mainly remembered for a 'reimagining' by a chap called Tremont Blackman.

Mr Blackman appeared as a talent show contestant, his talent being to sing along with Mule Train whilst hitting himself over the head with a tin tea tray. Obviously he became an instant national treasure and has remained so ever since...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCJP-9TaGis if you're ever really bored...

yankeeinparadise wrote on Apr 27

I use the quote "I load 16 tons and what do I get?" on my Scribd.com website profile "yankeeinparadise". I doubt many people out there would get "it"...but I guess you guys do...

irianithewitchnz wrote on Apr 27

Thats 'cos we are all old and showing our age, Yankeeinparadise, lol

iamawobbly wrote on Apr 27

digitalclock said

He had another hit over here in the UK with a rendition of 'Mule Train', unfortunately it's mainly remembered for a 'reimagining' by a chap called Tremont Blackman.

Oh yeah, "Muletrain". I'd forgotten that one...probably because I'm older than dirt too. I got bored and clicked on that horrible Blackman you tube. A bit of a mess, that one.

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