The Dandy Warhols are strongly influenced by The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Velvet Underground, The Beach Boys, Simon and Garfunkel, The Beatles, The Shadows and The Rolling Stones. They also include implicit musical references to My Bloody Valentine in some songs. Frontman Courtney Taylor-Taylor describes the band's beginning as a group of friends who "needed music to drink to".
16 TONS
The Dandy Warhols Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A poor man's made outta muscle and blood
Muscle and blood and 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
I was born one mornin', it was drizzlin' rain
Fightin' and trouble are my middle name
I was raised in the canebrake by an ol' mama lion
Cain't no-a high-toned woman make me walk the line
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
The Dandy Warhols's song, "16 Tons," is a cover of an American folk song that originated in the 1940s. The lyrics of the song describe the life of a working-class man who spends his days toiling away in a coal mine. The song speaks of the hardships faced by the man, who is constantly in debt and cannot escape his predicament. The singer of the song is resigned to his fate and speaks of how he owes his soul to the company store.
The first verse of the song speaks of the physical and mental strength required to work in a coal mine. The second verse describes how the singer was born into poverty and was forced to work at a young age to support himself. In the third verse, the singer speaks of his rebellious nature and how he refuses to bend to the will of the higher-ups. The final verse describes the violence that the singer is willing to use to protect himself.
The song has been interpreted in many different ways over the years. Some argue that it is a metaphor for the hardships faced by the working class, while others believe that it is a commentary on the exploitative nature of capitalism. The song has been covered by many artists over the years, including Johnny Cash and Merle Travis.
Line by Line Meaning
Some people say a man is made outta mud
There are those who believe that a man's constitution is merely that of dirt
A poor man's made outta muscle and blood
The less fortunate are composed of nothing but physical strength and the red liquid that flows within them
Muscle and blood and skin and bones
The physical structure of a human comprises of these components
A mind that's a-weak and a back that's strong
Though the thoughts may not be capable, the body is sturdy and capable of enduring the toughest of jobs
You load sixteen tons, what do you get?
When you load sixteen heavy units, what recompense do you receive?
Another day older and deeper in debt
Aging by one more day and falling further into the trap of owing debts
Saint Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go
Even if Saint Peter summons me, I cannot attend as I am bound to my recent obligations
I owe my soul to the company store
My life belongs to the organization that I serve and I am shackled to it for the rest of my days
I was born one mornin' when the sun didn't shine
The day I was born, the sun had still not risen above the horizon
I picked up my shovel and I walked to the mine
I took my tool and made my way towards the underground excavation site
I loaded sixteen tons of number nine coal
I transported sixteen units of coal with composition number nine
And the straw boss said "Well, a-bless my soul"
My supervisor expressed surprise and admiration at my task completion
I was born one mornin', it was drizzlin' rain
On the day I was born, there was a light rain shower
Fightin' and trouble are my middle name
I am known for engaging in brawls and causing turmoil wherever I go
I was raised in the canebrake by an ol' mama lion
My upbringing took place in the midst of the dense canebrakes, with a mother lion as my caretaker
Cain't no-a high-toned woman make me walk the line
No refined lady can force me to conform and behave according to their expectations
If you see me comin', better step aside
If you spot me heading your way, you would do well to get out of my path
A lotta men didn't, a lotta men died
Many individuals chose not to move aside and tragically lost their lives due to their decision
One fist of iron, the other of steel
One hand possesses the strength and hardness of iron, the other is firm and unwavering like steel
If the right one don't a-get you, then the left one will
Even if the first hand doesn't harm you, the second one will not hesitate to do so
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Merle Travis
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Nothim Xavier
when i heard they released a new album i was worried at first, but this cover of johnny cash's song made the whole album worth it. great work dandies.
SmarticusRex
Pretty cool...I heard they were covering this son and was looking forward to hearing it. Didn't disappoint. Cool tune.
samharriswenttoparis
What Merle Travis or Ernie Ford? yes in both cases I think they are both excellent but this I feel has more attitude whereas the original was very smooth and you hardly knew they were about a coal miner complaining about his conditions. All 3 are excellent in my opinion.
Mikhayla Trope
i love how this still has the jazzy beat, the distortion/discord definitely adds to the complexity of the melodies, adds a bit of humour too, i wish they had a video for this. so much appreciation for all covers of this song, maybe its just a matter of taste as to why people seem to devalue this one. they kinda took a violent femmes direction with this one.
EverydaySkinnyGuy
It's not really a cover of johnny cash, because he used a guitar for the sax. It's more of a cover of eugene, because TDW used a sax, and so did eugene.
Vanilla Presley
Or the heavily distorted psychedelic aurora to cool heavy beats and strong simple complimentary bass. And yes, it was exciting and still is. It's timeless and they could revisit it. I'm not saying this is what they should do, because they are on their own path, but I would definitely be receptive.
samharriswenttoparis
Fair enough. But I hope you don't judge the dandies on this song or any songs on This Machine. Because this is not their strongest album by far. Songs like Godless or Sleep are much better than this. But opinions are different. :) peace and stuff blabla
Vanilla Presley
yesssss
Yoroichi19
have you heard the original?