Other arrangements of Sixteen Tons
Pick a learning view.
Some (Em)peo ple say a man is made out of mud.
A (Em)poor man’s made out of mus cle and (B)blood.
(Em)mus cle and blood, and (Am)skin and bones, a (C7)mind that’s (Em)weak and a (Em)back that’s (B7)strong.
You load (Em)six teen (Em)tons, and (Em)what do you get?
(B)An (Em)oth er day (Em)old er and (Em)deep er in debt.
(B)Saint (Em)Pe ter, don’t you call me ’cause (Am)I can’t go.
I (C)owe my (Em)soul to the (Em)com pa ny store.
I was (Em)peo ple say a man is made out of mud.
A (Em)poor man’s made out of mus cle and (B)blood.
(Em)mus cle and blood, and (Am)skin and bones, a (C7)mind that’s (Em)weak and a (Em)back that’s (B7)strong.
You load (Em)six teen (Em)tons, and (Em)what do you get?
(B)An (Em)oth er day (Em)old er and (Em)deep er in debt.
(B)Saint (Em)Pe ter, don’t you call me ’cause (Am)I can’t go.
I (C)owe my (Em)soul to the (Em)com pa ny store.
I was
I (C#)owe my (C7)soul to the (B7)com pa ny (Em)store.
Sixteen Tons — Karaoke: Lyrics & Chords to Sing & Play Along
5 people have learned this song
Free karaoke for "Sixteen Tons" by Tennessee Ernie Ford: lyrics on screen with the chords above each line and a bouncing ball that lands on every word in time. Sing along, or play along on guitar or piano from the chord chart. Change the key to fit your voice, slow the tempo down. Key of G, 112 BPM.
Tip: Start at 50% speed to get comfortable with the fingering, then work your way up to full tempo.
Try other practice modes:
About “Sixteen Tons”
- What key is "Sixteen Tons" by Tennessee Ernie Ford played in?
- Sixteen Tons is arranged in the key of G on Super Simple Piano. You can transpose to any other key live in the player.
- What's the tempo (BPM) of "Sixteen Tons"?
- The arrangement plays at 112 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
- Is "Sixteen Tons" easy to play on piano?
- Yes — this is one of our beginner-friendly arrangements with simplified chords and color-coded notes.
- Can I download sheet music for "Sixteen Tons"?
- Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
- Who composed "Sixteen Tons"?
- "Sixteen Tons" was originally performed by Tennessee Ernie Ford. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
- What other songs by Tennessee Ernie Ford can I play here?
- Try "The Ballad Of Davy Crockett", "The Ballad Of Davy Crockett", "This Is My Country". All are in our player with color-coded notes; pick the one matching your level.
- Is there a karaoke version of "Sixteen Tons" with lyrics?
- Yes — this is a free karaoke slide for "Sixteen Tons" by Tennessee Ernie Ford. The lyrics appear on screen a line at a time and each word lights up exactly when it's sung, with a bouncing ball leading you word to word. A backing plays underneath so you can just sing.
- Does it show chords so I can play along on guitar or piano?
- It does — a chord symbol sits on a thin row just above the lyric it changes on, so the same screen doubles as a lyrics-and-chords chart. Guitarists can strum the changes and pianists can comp while singing; the chords are colour-coded and move with the live transpose if you change key.
- Can I change the key of "Sixteen Tons" to match my voice or capo?
- Yes. The original is in G, but the live transpose control shifts the whole song up or down semitones until the melody sits in your range (or maps to an easier guitar shape / capo position) — the on-screen chords and the backing move with it.
- Can I slow "Sixteen Tons" down to learn the words and chords?
- Yes — the tempo control lets you take it as slow as you need while the lyrics still light up in time and the ball keeps you on the beat. Speed it back up once you can sing and play it through.