I went out one mornin’ when the sun didn’t shine
I picked up my shovel and began to whine
I loaded sixteen tons of wet gray snow
And my neighbor said “It’s just started to blow.”
You load sixteen tons, what do you get?
It’s another foot deeper and my socks are wet
Saint Peter don’t you call me when there’s all this snow
It’s hellish cold and the wind does blow
If you see me comin’, better step aside
Snowblower’s goin’ and we’re goin’ for a ride
Throttle is stickin’ and you’re gonna take a lickin’
If the auger sucks your foot inside.
You load sixteen tons, what do you get?
It’s another foot deeper and my socks are wet
Saint Peter don’t you call me when there’s all this snow
It’s hellish cold and the wind does blow
UpState & Away - - - - Waterlooseneca.com 
Reminds me of Bob Dylan: “There’s a snow, snow train comin’ up around the bend.”
Haha very good Denzil. And Dylan grew up in Minnesota, I think subzero every night this week where he’s from, he’ll know a thing or two about snow blowin’ in the wind. When he sings “A hard rain’s a-gonna fall” he means hail.
Here’s to Hibbing! And this is hysterical though I’m afraid it’s a bit based in truth too, Robert. Happy 22 my friend.
Hey thanks I’m wishing a great ‘22 for you, Bill 22 Skidoo
Happy shoveling!
Great version of a familiar song, Robert! I owe my soul to shovel company.
Thanks, Peter. I always liked that song, I didn’t know until today that Tennessee Ernie Ford didn’t write it, it was Merle Travis, singing about the same place as John Prine’s “Paradise,” also a great song. Muhlenburg County, Kentucky
Good parody! I grew up with the Tennessee Ernie Ford version that was a hit in 1955 and didn’t know Merle Travis wrote and recoded the song a decade earlier. More details are available at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sixteen_Tons.
I didn’t grow up with this kind of music, but it’s just a great tune, I think unforgettable the first time you hear it.
We didn’t listen to country music either — did anyone on Long Island then? — but the Tennessee Ernie Ford version of “Sixteen Tons” made it big on the pop charts.
Great lyrics, Robert. Now you need to sing and record it and then post the audio file here! 😀
Ha! I don’t want to damage anyone’s ears! 😊📣
OK! Judging from my own so-called “singing”, I can understand.
Tennessee Ernie Ford! Ah yes. Up at home there are many who are shoveling and blowing and plowing more 16 tons today. Clever writing Robert and very timely. (ps We are in Florida at the moment so no snow for us here)
A good time to be in Florida
What a great parody. Like others, I had no idea that Tennessee Ernie didn’t write this song, but I had no trouble at all putting the tune together with your words.
Of course, when I was loading my own tons of snow, there weren’t any snowblowers. Honestly, I didn’t think they’d been invented yet, but I just learned that Arthur Sicard, a Montreal native, invented the first modern snow blower in 1925. They didn’t become commercially available or popular until the price dropped below $200 in the 1950s. As convenient as they are, there’s just nothing like that scraping sound when metal meets a concrete drive!
Thanks, Linda I had no idea they had snow blowers that far back. The little railroad that operates in the finger Lakes always has a big rotary snowblower parked in its yard, that looks like it’s probably an antique. and I’ve always wanted to see it in action but never have
I’m going to look up some other songs Ford sang, I know he was very popular and based on “16 Tons” he had a great voice
You might get a kick out of this reaction video done by twinsthenewtrend. Every now and then I check to see what new “oldies” they’ve listened to, and they sure pegged Tennessee Ernie right: a storyteller with a great voice. I don’t remember how I found them, but skipping around their youtube channel can be great fun.
They are GREAT – thanks for the link. (Jolene!❤️)
I trust you’re going to record this and let us all have a listen!
Thanks Mick, that might start an avalanche, or at least an avalanche of complaints!
Might be worth putting to the test, Robert!
Your ears will thank me for the non-auditory version
Love this! It’s very catchy. We had lots and lots of snow here for our area, but it all melted, fortunately. I hope no more is coming. Cheers!
Another foot deeper and my socks are wet…yesiree, that’s some snow! Might as well do something fun with it. 🙂
Yep agreed, thanks Lynn