Rimes emerged with her first single, "Blue," when she was just thirteen years old in 1996. She is most recognized for her crossover hit "How Do I Live" which, according to the Billboard charts, is one of the most successful songs in American music history, spending 69 weeks on the Hot 100 chart, which currently stands as the second longest run in the chart's history (behind Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours"). While country singer Trisha Yearwood's version of the song won a Grammy in 1998, Rimes' version outsold Yearwood's by millions of copies. Rimes' other notable songs include "Can't Fight the Moonlight" and "You're the right kind of wrong" (from the movie Coyote Ugly) and American Idol favorite "I Need You."
She has won an American Music Award, two Grammy Awards, three Academy of Country Music Awards, and four Billboard Music Awards.
Rimes was chosen to sing the theme song "Light the Fire Within" for the February 8, 2002, Opening Ceremony of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
On February 23, 2002, she married Dean Sheremet, a dancer whom she met while recording Twisted Angel. They currently live in Nashville, Tennessee.
In 2005, LeAnn was selected to become the new host of the USA Network reality tv series Nashville Star, a position she held for only one season. She also was selected to sing "Remember When," the official song for Disneyland's 50th anniversary celebration.
On January 25, 2005, Rimes released a new album called This Woman. Although it has been met with mixed reviews, This Woman is a comeback of sorts for Rimes. With sales over 600,000, this is Rimes best-selling album since her self-titled album in 1999. In terms of the singles released, this is her most successful album since her debut nearly 10 years ago. "Nothin' 'Bout Love Makes Sense" reached the Top 5 and became her biggest years on the country charts in years. "Probably Wouldn't Be This Way," a song about a woman trying to get over a lost love, was released as a single. The video for "Probably Wouldn't Be This Way" was very dark, and the song was received well in the country music world. When "Something's Gotta Give" reached the #2 spot in June 2006, it became her biggest country hit since "One Way Ticket (Because I Can)", her sole number one hit 10 years ago.
Rimes co-wrote four songs off This Woman: "Something's Gotta Give," "I Got It Bad," "When This Woman Loves a Man," and "Afraid to Fall."
"I Got it Bad" was co-written with her husband Dean Sheremet.
On Saturday, September 3, 2005, Rimes performed a concert, on a three-hour special on Larry King Live, as a benefit for those affected in the Gulf Coast by Hurricane Katrina. As a Mississippian, she said that Hurricane Katrina "hit close to home." Just days before the hurricane, she had performed in Biloxi, Mississippi.
On January 4, 2006, Rimes performed the National Anthem before the Rose Bowl championship game between the USC Trojans and the Texas Longhorns in Pasadena, California.
On June 6, 2006, LeAnn released a new album in Europe called Whatever We Wanna.
The new album presents a pop-oriented sound; the first single released was "And It Feels Like." The album did not receive a US release.
In March 2009, LeAnn became the first country crossover artist to top the Billboard Club Play list when remixes for "What I Cannot Change" topped this dance chart. Prior to LeAnn's accomplishment, the highest charting song by a country artist on this dance survey had been the #2 peak of Reba McEntire's remixed remake of "You Keep Me Hangin' On."
16 TONS
LeAnn Rimes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A poor man's made outta muscle and blood
Muscle and blood, skin and bones
A mind that's a-weak and a back that's strong
You load sixteen tons, what do you get
Another day older and deeper in debt
Saint Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go
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"
You load sixteen tons, what do you get
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
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 a-get you
Then the left one will
You load sixteen tons, what do you get
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
LeAnn Rimes's song "16 Tons" is a classic tribute to the blue-collar workers and their daily struggle for survival. The song was originally written and recorded by Merle Travis in 1946, during the peak of the US coal mining industry. The song describes the life of coal miners who work tirelessly in the mines, loading coal onto railway cars, and the hardships they endure every day.
The opening lines of the song, "Some people say a man is made outta mud, a poor man's made outta muscle and blood," highlight the fact that the life of blue-collar workers is tough and laborious. The next lines, "Muscle and blood, skin and bones, a mind that's a-weak and a back that's strong," reinforce the notion that the worker's body is weary, but their mental and physical strength is unyielding.
The lyrics "You load sixteen tons, what do you get, another day older and deeper in debt" describe the overwhelming feeling of indebtedness that the workers face. No matter how hard they work, they can't seem to get ahead, and their fate is always in the hands of the company store. The lyrics, "Saint Peter, don't you call me cause I can't go, I owe my soul to the company store," show how the workers are forced to buy their necessities from the company store, which puts them further into debt.
The song stresses the injustice of the working conditions and the abuses suffered by the blue-collar workers. The chorus line "You load sixteen tons, what do you get, another day older and deeper in debt," is repeated throughout the song to illustrate the rhythm of the almost-slave labor life of a coal miner.
Line by Line Meaning
Some people say a man is made outta mud
There is a belief that some individuals are born poor and are not worth much
A poor man's made outta muscle and blood
A poor man is known for having a strong work ethic and physical strength
Muscle and blood, skin and bones
A poor man's physical composition consists of muscle, blood, and skin and bones
A mind that's a-weak and a back that's strong
While poor men may not have strong intellectual abilities, they possess a great deal of physical strength
You load sixteen tons, what do you get
After a hard day's work, a poor man doesn't get much in return
Another day older and deeper in debt
Working relentlessly every day doesn't get the individual any closer to financial stability
Saint Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go
The individual can't face the reality of the afterlife because they are deeply indebted to their employer
I owe my soul to the company store
The individual is so deep in debt that their entire existence is indebted to the company they work for
I was born one mornin' when the sun didn't shine
The individual was born into a life of darkness and despair, with little hope for a better future
I picked up my shovel and I walked to the mine
The only way to earn a living was to work long hours in a mine or some other physically-demanding job
I loaded sixteen tons of number nine coal
Their work entailed intense physical labor, such as loading heavy coal
And the straw boss said "Well, a-bless my soul"
The individual's boss shows no appreciation for the hard work they do
If you see me comin', better step aside
The individual has become so consumed by their difficult life that they are dangerous to encounter
A lotta men didn't, a lotta men died
The individual's dangerous reputation has led many people to lose their lives
One fist of iron, the other of steel
The individual's hands have become as hard as steel, due to the intense physical labor they've endured
If the right one don't a-get you
The individual is willing to fight fiercely to protect themselves
Then the left one will
They will fight with everything they've got to keep their hard-earned possessions
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Merle Travis
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
BIEN LEMUEL STA CRUZ
on I Need You
I don't need a lot of things
I can get by with nothing
With all the blessings life can bring
I've always needed something
But I've got all I want
When it comes to loving you
You're my only reason
You're my only truth
I need you like water
Like breath, like rain
I need you like mercy
From heaven's gate
There's a freedom in your arms
That carries me through
I need you (dada, dada, da), ooh
Ooh
You're the hope that moves me
To courage again, oh yeah
You're the love that rescues me
When the cold winds rage
And it's so amazing
'Cause that's just how you are
And I can't turn back now
'Cause you've brought me too far
I need you like water
Like breath, like rain
I need you like mercy
From Heaven's gate
There's a freedom in your arms
That carries me through
I need you
Ooh, yes I do, oh
I need you like water
Like breath, like rain
I need you like mercy
From Heaven's gate
There's a freedom in your arms
That carries me through
I need you (dada, dada, da)
Oh, yes I do (dada, dada, da)
I need you (dada, dada, da)
Oh, ooh-ooh (dada, dada, da)
Ooh-ooh (dada, dada, da)
I need you, oh (dada, dada, da)
(Dada, dada, da)
I need you (dada, dada, da)