Discover the story of the song > Sixteen Tons – The Platters

The protagonist is a hard-working man who works in a mine, loading sixteen tons of coal each day. He is tired and in debt, owing his soul to the company store. He has faced fighting and trouble in his life, but he is tough and resilient with one fist of iron and the other of steel. Despite feeling trapped in his work, he refuses to let anyone make him walk the line.