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Sixteen Tons

Source Recording: Della Mae (2019)

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Key Em Time 4/4

Verse × 4

Em / /Em /

C / B /

Em / /Em /

C / B /

Em / /Em /

Am / /Am /

Em / /Em /

B / Em /

Chorus × 4

Song Details

Also Known As

16 Tons

Songwriter

Merle Travis

First Release

Merle Travis (1947)

Further reading

Secondhand Songs

Genres

Classic Country Americana Contemporary Bluegrass

Themes

Mining Hard Times

Jam Popularity

Source Recording

Artist

Della Mae

Album

The Butcher Shoppe EP cover

The Butcher Shoppe EP (2019) Bluegrass Discography

Key Em Time Boom-Chuck Tempo 57 BPM Length 4:15

Musicians

Celia Woodsmith — Lead Vocals, Guitar
Avril Smith — Backup Vocals, Guitar
Jenni Lyn Gardner — Backup Vocals, Mandolin
Alison Brown — Banjo
Kimber Ludiker — Fiddle
Zoe Guigueno — Bass

Listen

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Other Notable Recordings

Merle Travis

Sixteen Tons

Folk Songs of the Hills (1947) AllMusic

Listen on Spotify

Musicians

Merle Travis

Clay Hess

Sixteen Tons

Single: Sixteen Tons (2024) Bluegrass Discography

Listen on Spotify

Musicians

Tools

All Instrument Tuner

Metronome

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