Some people say man's made out mud,
Well, a good man's made out of muscle and blood
Muscle and blood, and skin and bones,
And mind that's weak and the back that's strong.

You load 16 tons,
And what do you get?
Another day older,
And deeper in debt.
Saint Peter, don't you call me,
Cause I can't go,
I owe my soul to the company store

I was born one morning when sun didn't shine,
I picked up my shovel and I went to the mine,
Loaded 16 tons of number nine coal,
And the straw boss said: "Well, bless my soul!"

You load 16 tons,
And what do you get?
Another day older,
And deeper in debt.
Saint Peter, don't you call me,
Cause I can't go,
I owe my soul to the company store

If you see me coming, you better step aside,
A lot of men didn't and a lot of men died.
My one fist is iron, the other one's steel,
And if the left don't getcha, then the right one will

You load 16 tons,
And what do you get?
Another day older,
And deeper in debt.
Saint Peter, don't you call me,
Cause I can't go,
I owe my soul to the company store

I was born one morning, it was drizzling rain,
Fighting and Trouble 's my middle name,
I was raised down the Canebrake by an old mountain mine,
And there ain't no hard hearted women make me walk that line!

You load 16 tons,
And what do you get?
Another day older,
And deeper in debt.
Saint Peter, don't you call me,
Cause I can't go,
I owe my soul to the company store

Cover in italiano: Miseria nera (Adriano Celentano) / Vedi anche: Le altre cover

Mini-traduzione

...
Sono nato una mattina che il sole non splendeva,
Ho preso la mia pala e sono andato alla miniera,
Ho caricato 16 tonnellate di carbone numero nove,
E il capo turno ha detto: "Buon Dio!" (1)

Carichi 16 tonnellate e cosa ottieni?
Sei più vecchio di un altro giorno e ancora più pieno di debiti
San Pietro, non chiamarmi perché non posso venire
La mia anima è di proprietà dell'azienda
...

(1) "Bless My Soul", letteralmente "Benedici la mia anima", è una espressione usata comunemente in inglese per esprimere sorpresa