Sixteen tons Chords
by Johnny Cash
Sixteen tons by Johnny Cash is a moderately challenging guitar song played in the key of Am. It uses the chords Am, F, E, Dm and E7. Use the transpose and diagram tools on this page to change the key, see each shape, or simplify the chords.
e|---------------------------------------|
B|--4h5-4h5--4h5--3--1---1---------------|
G|---------------------2----2--0--1/2----|
D|---------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------|
e|-----------------------------------------------------------0-----------|
B|--4h5-4h5--4h5--3--1---1-----------------------------------1-----------|
G|---------------------2----2--0--1/2--0-----------2---0-----2-----------|
D|----------------------------------------3--2------------3--2-----------|
A|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
Am F E
Some people say a man is made outta mud
Am F E
A poor man's made outta muscle an' blood
Am F Dm
Muscle an' blood an' skin an' bone
Am E7
A mind that's weak and a back that's strong
Am F E
You load sixteen tons an' what do ya get?
Am F E
Another day older an' deeper in debt
Am F Dm
Saint Peter don't ya call me 'cause I can't go
Am E Am
I owe my soul to the company store
Am F E
I was born one morning when the sun didn't shine
Am F E
Picked up my shovel and I went to the mine
Am F Dm
Loaded sixteen tons of number nine coal
Am E7
The strawboss said, "Well, Bless my soul!"
Am F E
I was born one morning it was drizzlin' rain
Am F E
Fightin' and trouble are my middle name
Am F Dm
Raised in the canebreak by an old mama lion
Am E7
Ain't no high-tone woman make me walk the line
Am F E
If ya see me coming ya better step aside
Am F E
A lotta men didn't and a lotta men died
Am F Dm
With one fist of iron an' the other of steel
Am E7
If the right one don't get ya then the left one will.