Sixteen Tons

by Tennessee Ernie Ford
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Lyrics

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 — Falling Notes Piano Tutorial

Watch "Sixteen Tons" by Tennessee Ernie Ford in falling notes style — like Synthesia. Color-coded notes fall onto the keyboard in real time. Practice left hand, right hand, or both. 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:

BeginnerLead SheetBar SheetSimple Sheet

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.

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