Other arrangements of Sixteen Tons
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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 — Piano Lead Sheet
1 person has learned this song
"Sixteen Tons" lead sheet with chords, melody, and lyrics. Play the melody while following chord symbols above. Perfect for sing-along or accompaniment. 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”
- Where are the chord symbols for "Sixteen Tons" displayed?
- Lead Sheet shows chord symbols (like Am, G7, C) above the melody line with lyrics below. Every chord change highlights in real time as the song plays, so you can play the melody with the right hand and follow chord shapes with the left. "Sixteen Tons" is in G.
- 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.
- Does "Sixteen Tons" have chords and lyrics?
- Yes! The Lead Sheet shows the melody with chord symbols (like Am, G, C) and full lyrics. Perfect for singing along or playing with a band. "Sixteen Tons" is in the key of G at 112 BPM.
- What chords are in "Sixteen Tons"?
- Open the Lead Sheet to see all chord symbols displayed above the melody line. The song is in the key of G, so you'll find chords common to that key. Each chord highlights in real time as the song plays.
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