FIRST TIME HEARING Tennessee Ernie Ford - Sixteen Tons REACTION

Twinsthenewtrend Tennessee ernie Ford - Sixteen Tons reaction

Subscribers Goal: 1mil

#TennesseeErnieFord

*Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. No copyright infringement intended. ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS*

[richardbenfer]

He is singing about working for the owner of the mine, who also owns the company store, his house and everything else. He can never get ahead.

[TwistedSither]

I'm almost 52, and this song is even older than me. My dad was a coal miner, and the company store was about a mile from our house.
The coal company owned the store, and even built the houses that their workers lived in. Coal companies used to pay their workers with scrip, rather than actual money. The scrip had the company's logo printed on it, and could only be spent at the company store. Of course, in those days, you could buy everything, from groceries, to televisions, and even washing machines at the company store. Basically, it was their way of keeping their workers indebted to the company.

[luanstatham]

I love that you guys will listen to ANY music. People who don't are really missing out! Love you guys! Keep up the good work!

[theresamccune]

This is actually a political song. Back in the day, coal miners were not unionized and had no rights. They had a quota of 16 tons, and there was hell to pay if they didn't meet it. Also, the entire town was owned by the mining company, so the town store was owned by the mining company, along with all the apartments/housing. So you got paid in credit by the employer, then charged by the employer for rent, groceries, electric, if they had it(most likely not), and pretty much everything for your life. You worked, lived and died for the company. People had no autonomy from their employer. That's what the song is about. It's good, that isn't what we have today.

[annatapl]

Hi, guys—nice to see that ol’ Tennessee Ernie Ford speaks to your generation, too. I guess quality music doesn’t grow old!

[beverlysmith]

Load 16 tons...coal miner...my grandfather was a coal miner who died of black lung disease at age 57...so my father joined the Army at 17 to avoid the same fate. Many mines did not pay their workers in cash but in credit at the company store where they thought everything. If the miner was killed or injured and could no longer work in the mines, the family had to move out of their house which was owned by the mine. Hard life for sure

[debbeborders]

Love that you young guys are listening to all these older songs and paying respect to the artists from the past. 👍

[connielewis]

This almost 70-year-old white woman loves you guys. The greatest song in the history of songs is Rock Steady by The Whispers. Please have a look.

[TheCat]

Tennessee Ernie Ford had that magnificent deep voice. He did a lot of gospel recordings too.

[mslinstrot]

This is actually a protest song about how miners were treated as less than human.

[lindaedellhoward]

Just sent this to Ernie’s son Buck Ford.

[vickidills]

I love how no genres or time periods are off limits to you.

You should major in music history!

[sherryheim]

This is so old that I was singing it when I was just a baby girl and I am 70.

[shawnj]

This song is about coal mining. Something my kin in the Appalachians have been doing for generations. It is hard work done by hard men. Tough men. Thank you for the reaction.

[genemartin]

Real Musical Talent. Glad these young guys can appreciate it. No computers, No electronics. Just a man, A microphone, A few instruments and a SONG.

[kerspencer]

My grandfather was a shale miner in Scotland. He taught me this song. Haven’t heard it or thought about in years. Thanks for the memory.

Great storyteller songs:

“Goodnight Saigon” and “Downeaster Alexa” - Billy Joel

“Broken Wing” - Martina McBride

[kerryvonholtum]

Since you two really like story telling lyrics I would like to suggest “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” by Gordon Lightfoot.

[SueSandersGloryRock]

This is an early Boomer generation woman and you guys are fab! I listened to "Sixteen Tons" when I was in 2nd grade, living in Visalia CA and watching a flood work its way down our street. Other popular songs, too, but I loved Ernie, so earthy. So here come you guys, probably almost young enough to be a great-grandson. I'd never in a million years have guessed you'd be listening to and reacting to what entertained a little girl in her home without a TV watching a city catastrophe edge her direction. Thank you so, so much for being there. You are appreciated.

[karaokeprincezz]

It's a song about slavery to the mines and the mining company.

[Mamatiger]

OMG I've never seen anyone react to this song! I used to sing my kids to sleep with it. I got his autograph backstage at the Ohio State Fair when I was about 12.