Why is it called 16 Tons?

According to Archie Green, author of Only A Miner: Studies in Recorded Coal-Mining Songs, the title refers to an old practice of initiating new miners by having them haul 16 tons, compared to the typical 8 to 10, on their first day.

Why was Sixteen Tons such a big hit song?

Tennessee Ernie Ford recorded “Sixteen Tons” in 1955 as the B-side of his cover of the Moon Mullican standard “You Don’t Have to Be a Baby to Cry”. With Ford’s snapping fingers and a unique clarinet-driven pop arrangement, it quickly became a million seller.

When did 16 tons come out?

Another famous line of the song came from a saying Travis’s father used to say: “I can’t afford to die. I owe my soul to the company store.” And so, “Sixteen Tons” was born on Travis’s album Folk Songs of the Hills.

Who recorded Sixteen Tons?

Tennessee Ernie Ford
Sixteen Tons/Artists
Tennessee Ernie Ford wasn’t the first artist to record “Sixteen Tons,” but he made it his signature. The song, inspired by the travails of the real-life coal miners of Kentucky, was first recorded by one of his forerunners on the Capitol label, Merle Travis, in 1947.

How many records did 16 tons Sell?

Ford’s recording of “Sixteen Tons” sold more than 20 million copies and, in 2015, it was inducted into the Library of Congress National Recording Registry.

What key is sixteen tons in?

E minor
Sixteen Tons/Keys

Who wrote the song 16 tons and what do you get?

Merle Travis
Sixteen Tons/Lyricists

Is 16 tons a communist song?

Sixteen Tons was included on Travis’s 1947 album, Folk Songs from the Hills. The agency identified Travis as a “communist sympathiser” because of his pro-worker song and put pressure on radio stations not to playlist Sixteen Tons.

What was Tennessee Ernie Ford’s net worth when he died?

Tennessee Ernie Wiki

Full Name	Tennessee Ernie Ford
Net Worth	$9 Million
Date Of Birth	February 13, 1919
Died	October 17, 1991, Reston, Virginia, United States
Place Of Birth	Bristol, Tennessee, USA

What is the tempo for 16 tons?

Song Metrics Sixteen Tons is asong byTennessee Ernie Fordwith a tempo of144 BPM.It can also be used half-time at72 BPM or double-time at288 BPM. The track runs2 minutes and 36 secondslong with aBkey and amajormode. It haslow energyand isvery danceablewith a time signature of4 beats per bar.

What was Tennessee Ernie Ford’s biggest hit?

‘Sixteen Tons’: How Tennessee Ernie Ford came to record his greatest hit

• David McGee.
• Feb 9, 2019.
• Feb 9, 2019 Updated Apr 17, 2019.

Was Tennessee Ernie Ford in the military?

Ford was working as an announcer and disc jockey at a Knoxville, Tennessee, radio station when the United States entered World War II in 1941. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps and served as a bombardier and flight instructor.