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Sixteen Tons of Credit Card Debt

"Sixteen Tons" is a song written by Merle Travis in Hollywood California in 1946. Tennessee Ernie Ford recorded it in 1955 where it hit number one on the Billboard Country Music Chart. This classic is forever in a part of American History. It had been recorded or performed by the likes of Elvis Presley, BB King, Johnny Cash, Eddy Arnold, Tom Jones, Jerry Reed, & Big Bill Bronzy. (just to name a few.)

This version of the lyrics is not too far away from the original. The song still express the same dependency felt by the coal miners in Muhlenberg county, Kentucky as we all feel about our relationship with our Credit Card Store. What’s in your Wallet?

Sixteen Tons Tennessee Ernie Ford
Re-vistied by Brad Happel

Em               D                C                  B7
I was born one mornin', only had my name.
Em                D                   C             B7
My life, so simple, didn’t know no shame.
               Em                                    A
I learned right from wrong, and to sing a song.
Em             A              B7
I owed nobody but it didn’t take long.

I’m just a little bit older, and I ain’t got enough
I leveraged my soul, to buy some more stuff.
The bank is willin’, “sign your life away”.
You can borrow in minutes, it takes years to repay

I loaded sixteen tons of credit card debt
Another day older and deeper in debt
Saint Peter don't you take me, 'cause I can't go
I owe my soul to the credit card store.

I toiled all my life, didn’t hear me moan
I just worked my fingers down to the bone
Now the interest is high, and my payment is low
I am in a world of debt with nothing to show

I was re-born one mornin' in a drizzlin' rain
Wondering how I got in the hole that I made.
Gonna dig myself out, a buck at a time.
Got to spend my dollar, only after saving a dime. After saving a dime…

I loaded sixteen tons of credit card debt
Another day older and deeper in debt
Saint Peter don't you take me, 'cause I can't go
I owe my soul to the credit card store

Some folks say man is made out of mud
I say, we all are made of muscle and blood.
Muscle and Blood, and a big old brain.
Make a habit of savings, don’t you play their game

You work all of your life, what do you get?
Another day older and your deeper in debt
Saint Peter don't you call,  'cause you can't go
You owe your soul to the credit card.

Now if see us comin', better step aside
A lotta men didn't, a lotta men have tried
We have a fist of savings, our habits are strong.
Our heads are  held high and we are singing this song

We all loaded sixteen tons, of credit card debt
We were another day older; we were deeper in debt
Saint Peter: you can call us, 'cause now we can go!
We wrote our last check,
Yes we wrote our last check, to the credit card store, the credit card store

What in your wallet?