Listen to this when
Sixteen Tons
When you work and work and still owe more ⛏️
Who it's for
This classic tells the story of a coal miner who works himself to the bone and only falls deeper into debt to the company store.
Trapped by work and debt→Seen in the struggle
Feelings it meets
What it is
"Sixteen Tons" was written and first recorded by Merle Travis in 1946, drawing on the lives of coal miners in Kentucky. The song describes a miner trapped by debt bondage: workers were paid in scrip that could only be spent at the company store, so hard labor never let them get ahead.
Where to find it
All major streaming services.
Before you start
Age: All ages
The mind, sharp but not broad, sticks at every point but does not move.Rabindranath Tagore, Stray Birds, no. 50
