November 2 - Sixteen Tons

On this day in Labor History the year was 1955. 

That was the day that the song “Sixteen Tons” first made an appearance on the Billboard country music chart. 

It would reach the top spot and stay there for ten weeks. 

Sixteen Tons told the story of the hard lives faced by coal miners. 

The song talks about falling into debt at the “company store” a reality faced by many coal mining families.

The song had first been recorded by Merle Travis in the mid 1940s. 

The song borrowed lyrics from things that Merle heard from his father, who was a coal miner. 

Merle Travis sung the songs of working people.

He was labeled a Red and Communist, and during that era many stations would not play his music. 

Sixteen Tons was recorded again by “Tennessee” Ernest Jennings Ford in 1955. 

“Tennessee” Ernie’s grandfather and uncle had both worked in the mines. 

Tennessee began to perform Sixteen Tons to enthusiastic crowds.

He then recorded it as a B side to his single “You Don’t Have to Be a Baby to Cry” for Capitol Records. 

But the B side recording became the hit. 

The song was so popular, it jumped off the country charts, and took the pop music number one spot for eight weeks and became a Gold Record.

Since then Sixteen Tons has been covered by a variety of artists from Johnny Cash to Tom Jones and Tom Morrello to ZZ Top and has become a true labor standard.