The definitive Afroamerican gospel group in the jubilee quartet style.
<… Read Full Bio ↴The definitive Afroamerican gospel group in the jubilee quartet style.

Founded as the Golden Gate Jubilee Quartet in Norfolk, Virginia in 1934 by A. C. “Eddie” Griffin, Robert “Peg” Ford, Henry Owens, and Bill Johnson, they began as a traditional jubilee quartet, combining the clever arrangements associated with barbershop quartets with rhythms borrowed from the blues and jazz.

The makeup of the group changed over the years, as some members were drafted during the war and new members were brought in to replace those who had retired or left to join other groups. William Langford joined the group when Griffin left in 1935 and Orlandus Wilson replaced Ford the same year. Clyde Riddick replaced Langford in 1938, Johnson left in 1948 to join “The Jubalaires” and Owens left the group later to become a preacher and solo artist. Riddick remained with the group until his retirement in 1995 and Wilson until his death in 1998.

The Gates had a broad repertoire of styles—from Owens’ mournful, understated approach in songs such as Anyhow or Hush, Somebody’s Calling My Name, to the group’s highly syncopated arrangements in Shadrach, Meshach and Abendigo. Like The Mills Brothers of popular music, they would often include vocal special effects in their songs, imitating train sounds in songs such as Golden Gate Gospel Train. Langford often sang lead, using his ability to range from baritone to falsetto, while Johnson narrated in a hip syncopated style that became the hallmark for the group.

Sixteen Tons
The Golden Gate Quartet Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Some people say man is made out of mud
A poor man's made out of muscle and blood
Muscle and blood and skin and bone
A mind that's a-weak and a back that's strong

You load sixteen tons and 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' 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 store-boss said the "Well-a bless my soul"

You load sixteen tons and 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 cane-brake by an old mama lion
Cain't no a high-tone woman make me walk the line

You load sixteen tons and 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 lot of men didn't and a lot of men died
One fist of iron, the other of steel
If the right one don't git ya, then the left one will

You load sixteen tons and 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

Overall Meaning

The Golden Gate Quartet's song "Sixteen Tons" tells the story of a coal miner who is trapped in a life of perpetual debt to the company store. The opening lines set the tone for the song, suggesting that the miner's very existence is tied to his work, and that his life is defined by his status as a worker. The repetition of "muscle and blood and skin and bone" reinforces this theme of the body as a tool for labor.

The chorus of the song is its most well-known element. The miner has loaded "sixteen tons" of coal, but despite his hard work, he finds himself "deeper in debt" and unable to escape his servitude. The line "I owe my soul to the company store" is a succinct summary of the miners' plight, indicating that his work has consumed not only his physical labor, but also his spiritual essence.

The verses of the song flesh out the miner's character and backstory. The second verse describes his birth and introduction to mining, while the third and fourth verses paint a picture of his rough, tough personality, honed by a lifetime of physical labor and hardship.

Overall, "Sixteen Tons" uses vivid, colorful language to tell a story that speaks to the struggles of workers everywhere. The image of a man working himself to the bone for the benefit of someone else is a powerful one, and the song's haunting melody and thoughtful lyrics have made it a classic of American folk music.

Line by Line Meaning

Some people say man is made out of mud
According to some people, man is formed from dirt and earth

A poor man's made out of muscle and blood
A man who is economically disadvantaged is composed of physical strength and bodily fluids

Muscle and blood and skin and bone
The physical makeup of a person consists of a combination of power, circulation, tissue and structure

A mind that's a-weak and a back that's strong
Although the person may have a less than adequate intellect, their physical strength compensates for it at tough labor jobs

You load sixteen tons and what do you get
After manually carrying a heavy load of 16 tons, what is the reward?

Another day older and deeper in debt
The reward for hard work is not rest, but rather ages the person and adds to their existing financial obligations

Saint Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go
Referring to St. Peter as the gatekeeper of heaven, the singer will not be able to enter as they have obligations tying them to the company

I owe my soul to the company store
The person is indebted to the company, and as such, their entire being belongs to them

I was born one mornin' when the sun didn't shine
The birth of the storyteller took place on a morning with no sunlight

I picked up my shovel and I walked to the mine
The artist of the song has been working in the mines since they were born or since they were old enough, and the labor-intensive and hazardous job is all they know and are dependent on

I loaded sixteen tons of number nine coal
The task for the day is to load 16 tons of coal with a specific grade

And the store-boss said the "Well-a bless my soul"
The boss, who controls the company store, is impressed with the amount of work the artist does and exclaims in admiration

If you see me comin', better step aside
A warning to make way as they approach, as the storyteller is physically imposing and hard-working

A lot of men didn't and a lot of men died
Many people have ignored warnings and as a result have been seriously injured or killed

One fist of iron, the other of steel
The storyteller is equally strong with both hands

If the right one don't git ya, then the left one will
If the right hand doesn't hurt you, then the left hand will make sure to do it

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Merle Travis

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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