MERLE TRAVIS - Sixteen Tons

[ESD2814GLC]

can we please STFU about politics for one minute and just embrace some facts: Merle Travis is one of the most important guitarists of all time., He is the main influence on Chet Atkins, who joins Jimi Hendrix, Les Paul, and Andres Segovia in a quartet of the undisputable greatest guitarists of all time. Merle was also an accomplished composer (like Hendrix after him), and a fine vocalist. Let us treasure this giant of music and leave politics out of it for God's sake.

[f5thwheel1]

dedicated to the occupy movement

[squawcreekkid]

@f5thwheel1 the occupiers couldn't do this job---this type of mining made old men out of young ones. My father died at 64 an OLD man. He worked hard at what ever job he had he didn't sit on his ass and blame the government, or Wall Street.

[f5thwheel1]

@squawcreekkid It almost seems like you're implying people in occupy only sit on their ass and blame others. They are simply smart enough to recognize legalized slavery and not kill themselves for someone else to make a buck while at the end of the day they're broke. Just because your Dad endured killing himself for too little pay doesn't make it okay for others to follow in his footsteps, which is probably why the song got wrote to begin with.

[squawcreekkid]

@f5thwheel1 Oh yes--when I see the Occupiers on the TV new I think "Wow!! they are brilliant." But there is no way I could ever say that the occupiers could ever begin to know the meaning of HARD work; until one has truely worked hard does one understand that.

Perhaps Merle Travis wrote this as a protest song; but I doubt that. I would more readily believe he wrote it as a homage to the hard working men and women of the mountains.

FYI my dad made $36,000 in 1968

[f5thwheel1]

@squawcreekkid You too seem to imply occupiers don't know anything about hard work. As someone who began working underage; has held 7 part time jobs in one teenage summer to make more money then I could working two full time jobs, possesses a college degree, has held two full time restaurant jobs and knows what it's like to work 8 hours then drive to work for 4 more hours then drive home for 4and a half hours of sleep before getting up and going back to work, I support occupy.

[f5thwheel1]

@f5thwheel1 I made a better hourly wage a decade ago then I make today, the most I ever made in a year was 28k with 1 full time and 2 part time jobs. The cost of living is a hell of a lot higher now then it was in 1968, but good for your Daddy.

[squawcreekkid]

@f5thwheel1 That was a contract wage--meaning the more rock he broke the more he was paid. High risk=high pay--and rightly so.

[squawcreekkid]

good for you---I don't

[mundrungo78]

Roooots.

Catchy and with great lyrics.

So good that makes every cover sound great too.

Check out these Brazilians versions.

Noriel Vilela delivered a groovy samba spin on this tune:

watch?v=Beo_jHowU-I (around 1968).

Funk Como Le Gusta made another rendition, around 2000, pretty much in the same way, just more contemporary:

watch?v=DUIVb65EsXE

Hope you dig them...

Respect from Brasil.

[xgalore77zerha268]

ernie's version butchers this one, easily

[genelawdog]

Merl Travis stole this song from George Davis the singing miner of Hazard County!

[sumoman485]

i like this version but ernie fords is better

[57worldwide]

@sumoman485 This is original. Other versions are covers.

[lifeizlemonz]

I didnt know this was written by him! wow this is such an awesome song

[clyderf]

Far and away the best version of this song was done by Merle on what I believe was his first recording of it. A while later it was re-released on an L P entitled "Back Home." This cut was free of being influenced by the pop hit and was pure Merle at his best; it blows away anything Tennessee Ernie Ford ever did.

[lithodora]

IMO the Tennessee Ford version is just a bit catchier, gets stuck in my head anyway

[TheCoverHeaven]

The original version was recorded in 1946 by Merle Travis.

Tennessee Ernie Ford recorded it in 1955.

Cause many believe that the original is by Tennessee Ernie Ford.

[manwhassup1]

Did David Lynch direct this video?

[maraeincognitum2]

Great

[EiligeIntuition]

The absolutely coolest version!

[MortenRisdon25]

Dowwnload the audio from this song at tubepull doht cohm.

[Heffsta02]

ah thanks, my dad introduced me to Merle travis, I guess nowadays not many people would know that most electric guitars owe their thanks to Merle Travis' input to the design.

Also that both blue grass/country legends Doc Watson and Chet Atkins named their children after this man.

[crazycaleb92]

Was that a d-18 guitar or a d-28?

[igor46206]

great song about the poor bastards who worked the mines

[hoLliSteRxloveR92]

WEIRDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD WERIDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD WEIRDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY DOESNT MAKE ANY SENSE AT ALL......i have to paraphrase it for my class and relate it to my trade

[pinkblackwitch]

@hoLliSteRxloveR92 >.> Well, there's a Wikipedia page on this song you know, if you're that stuck -_-;

[DyoDust]

@hoLliSteRxloveR92 why don't you listen to the bit before the song you silly little girl...go for a hearing test and maybe another couple years at school eh

[ReggieBush420]

@hoLliSteRxloveR92 you are one stupid bitch.

[pepperfart]

@ReggieBush420 beat me to it

[Zeppelinfaktor]

@hoLliSteRxloveR92 Hence your name Hollister Lover 92... So this is modern America

[ZincAdict]

I prefer Ernie Ford's version

[mountainat85]

great song ,first time I've heard the original

[duduspp]

live in hill valey!

[fall761]

I listen this music with the Memento Mori version... but the original is fantastic!!

[bensmith3200]

What is the chord at the end of the turnaround after the chorus?

I'm hearing a F minor (major 7) 13.

An F minor chord with an E and D added on.

Anyone out there hearing something else?

[bensmith3200]

@bensmith3200 My guitar is tuned down a half step so I believe that's a E minor (major 7) 13.

[MsBadmc]

soulful country is a nice thing

[TheCoyoteWolfscout]

Much better than Johnnys version

[PoisonClan73]

The greatest. Forget song writing, he was the Babe Ruth of the guitar. Played base and lead without down tuning AND rolled with two fingers. I'd like to say impossible, but I've seen him play.

[bensmith3200]

@PoisonClan73 damn right

[Victor23211]

Tennessee Ernie Ford perfected this sonq, but its just my opinion.

[EMILE233]

@Victor23211 and mine :-)

[fjccommish]

This = great.

[joedocmusic]

0:55 

[oldsalt6585]

I met Mr. Travis, and his wife, Betty, in Saigon in 1967 just before I came back to the states. The only thing I had for him (and his wife) to sign were my orders. It caused quite a stir when I checked into my next command. They didn't like "some civilian's name' on them. Yup, that's what the Chief said.

I learned this song when I was in 4th grade (1956).

[werewolf232629]

@oldsalt6585 nice

[ABCDEFGHIJA124]

he was the origonal writer of this song Thee tennessee erini What evers stole it!

[carlgt1]

ahh, back when country music was about the laborers and working class and against the corporations -- not the modern "Tea Party" Republican stuff that glorifies corporations ad infinitum....

[lulem400]

never knew merle travis composed this!!!! thank you!!!!!!!!!

[Folsumblues92]

i could just imagine jessica rabbit singin this in a night cub haha

[8195229]

@Folsumblues92

Hahahahahaha yeah slow it down and transcript the guitar to piano. damn i miss that movie.

[billga2010]

This is nothing like the original version from the album '' Folk Songs of the Hills ''. Here Merle is playing the Jack Fascinato arrangement.

[SgtSkidoosh]

simple, raw and catchy. Thing's were just more unrefined back then. TV itself was relatively new. Now you got million dollar execs wanting to produce nothing other than million dollar music. The internet is the best thing to ever happen to music in a long time, taking it out of control of money grubbing record labels and back into the hands on the common musician.

[seymourbbest]

Mr.Travis wrote a ton of great songs and played a mean guitar. He wrote "smoke that cigarette" and "dark as a dungeon" just to name 2. One of the greats.

[WildeNotesMusic]

Nice to hear Merle's original version, even though I love Tennessee Ernie's version too.

[artman40]

Perfect song when it comes to miners in China today.

[carlgt1]

@artman40 perfect song to reflect upon the Tea Party hero Blankenship and how his company Massey killed the WV miners in the US too?

[TheAlrik310]

GOOOOD STUFF

ODE TO MERLE TRAVIS HE WAS THE BEST

[blakedawg76]

Love this version.  Merle was great

[Guitarfreak365]

Why can't country be like this today!? This is awesome!

[CE750]

country today would be unrecognizable to the artists of that era.

[Ovalportraits]

I love it :)

[abjectbastard]

Yeah.. the biggest truth... and a no.1 song

[mil3y11]

my head of year played this in assembley todayand i couldnt stop singing it all day woow

[SmilingJack100]

1. Beautiful song, he has a great voice and excellent guitar skills.

2. I do have to weep for how out of touch most of the people in the south and midwest have become with the message of the song.

[blakedawg76]

@SmilingJack100 As a person living in the south, I agree with both of your comments.

[SmilingJack100]

@blakedawg76 Yeah, I know what you mean, I feel bad that so many people in the south want to favor those owning the "company store" who don't pay the hard working people talked about in the song anything resembling a fair wage, and they've even seemingly been convinced that any attempt to help the underpayed-overworked "miners" is evil and "socialism" it makes me feel bad for all the people who are payed poorly for their work and have been convinced that they don't deserve better.

[prynterman]

@SmilingJack100 Yore rite Mr. Jack. Us pore sutheners are so stoopid we thot "PAYED" was spelt P-A-I-D!

[SmilingJack100]

@prynterman I'm terribly sorry if you were offended, I meant to do no such thing, and I do apologize if i did offend you, please know I didn't mean to. Second, thank you, I realize my grammatical error.

[blakedawg76]

@SmilingJack100 Still, things are better than they were when songs like this were written. Some changes that should have been made were made. Harder to see the clarity of the issues these days. I wonder how much these songs helped. At least, they stand out as a moment in history. Go Merle, wish we still had him around. Hope everybody here loving this music has a nice weekend.

[SmilingJack100]

@blakedawg76 You're right, thank goodness they are better now. I agree, everyone have a great weekend :)

[mrfrymcflubbs]

@blakedawg76 Yea things changed, wait a minute, what about that whole thing in West Virginia? You know, the miners that were killed. Massey (the company), was cutting corners on ensuring safety for its miners. Massey is just one company but they've also had issues with essentially buying judges (paying for over 2/3 of a judge's re-election campaign, and taking him on a trip to Europe) in order to secure favorable rulings. Its funny how we like to think things have changed so much, have they?

[zwog1]

this song was done in Chinese by Theresa Teng in 1968 I am doing it for my Chinese class next week. In Chinese of course............疯狂洋鬼子

[SkippyleGrandGourou]

@zwog1 Thanks for this interesting comment. For people interested by Teresa Teng's version, look for "靜 心 等 Wait Patiently". And for people who don't know Teresa Teng, you will fall in love with her once you have heard "lovesick by the small window".

[lulavampiro]

Holy hell, what year is this? This song is ill.

[KenpachiZeraki1]

this is second only to "Big Bad John" by Jimmy Dean in my book

[Juliaflo]

Dedicated to miners everywhere.

[wgastrove]

My thoughts and prayers go out to the miners and their families who passed at the Upper Big Branch in Raleigh County, West Virginia

keep these families in your prayers

[joshua1auhsoj]

wow

[wowhornby]

Corporations killed the USA

[carlenefu]

wow...my grandpa was talkin to me bout merle travis and how he was the best guitar player.....he actually remembered the words to this song and was singin a bit to me....lol......these songs tell a lot bout how hard-workin ppl were back then just to get by....makes me apreciate that generation a lot more....

[mdr48371]

Was this filmed at the Grand Ole Opry?

[berrylover]

these songs are addictive

[SirWolfgaar]

4

...Heaven knows, those poor guys started young and had to work themselves to death just to get by. My grandpa died shortly after I was born some 40 years ago from a respiratory (Black lung?) disease.

As a side note, when I was a little kid, I sat in their version of the "peanut gallery" on the kids program, "The Major Mudd Show." When they asked for a volunteer to sing a song on the show, I jumped up and sang "Sixteen Tons," thus keeping this song alive in the lore of my family. :-)

[SirWolfgaar]

3

I came home home and looked up Merle Travis' biography online. I couldn't find out anything that said that Merle was himself a coalminer, but there were a number of sites that stated that his father was a coalminer. Whether it was Merle himself or his father that my grandpa knew, I may never know for certain. I suppose it's possible that Merle may have worked in the mines for a short time while he was a young man.

[SirWolfgaar]

2

...which made me raise an eyebrow, was that that man was Merle Travis.

I had never heard this before and I wasn't even sure that Merle Travis had indeed written "Sixteen Tons."

Apparently, they were more than just casual co-workers, because, the story goes, that Merle Travis and his friend Lyndel used to come over the house with their guitars and sing and play for my grandpa and the family.

[SirWolfgaar]

1)

Here's my family lore that I've been hearing since before I can remember. My father and his older brother (my uncle), both in their 70s, swore to this story just today when I pressed them to tell me if it was true or not.

My grandfather lived and worked in the coalmines of Kentucky and raised his family there. According to my father, grandpa worked with the man who wrote "Sixteen Tons". As I said, I've heard that 100 times since I was little kid, but what they said today...

[rdtravis]

To those that like Merle Travis I thank you. As a cousin of his i like the songs he wrote. To those bringing crap on here like the bit about slavery go get a life. You don't know shit about what The Travis went through during the slave era. I unfortunantly do. Why don't you go looking in your history books. Real ones not the jacked up ones the schools shove down your throats. My family goes way back to the beginning of this country on Jamestown Island in Virginia. Farther back still to 1066 Eng

[Epirote49]

Don't let them get to you! Merle Travis was one of the greatest musicians and he has inspired a lot of people to play the guitar and sing. I am one of them and I am grateful for that.

[rdtravis]

I now i just think folks shouldn't bring in things like politics, race and stuff like that when they don't know the family history like i do. That stuff has nothing to do with him or his song. He was a wonderful performer. I just wish i had had a chance to see him perform at Johnny Highs Country Music Review Theater in Arlington, TX.

[adeltaprince]

Absolutely right Daetalus67 !

 thank you !

[Daetalus67]

Wow you all sure jacked this fucking vids comments. How about commenting on the performance by Merle and quit trying to impress with your knowledge (lack of) of political, social and economic policy. For fuck sakes its a song, either you like it or you don't. Hell my family has a long history of working in the coal mines of West Virgina, but I'm not coming on here to debate the pro's and con's of unions.

Merle Travis = Great

[tmsphere]

Well, how do they get the cost of production so low by paying the highest wages possible?

That's quite contradictory.

[SirWolfgaar]

The statement says, "highest wages possible," not "exorbitantly high wages."

If you pay your employees well, they'll be more loyal, work harder, longer, and take pride in their product.

[iceberg1028]

"Look at me I'm a privileged rich kid that leeched off my parents until I was done with school and then I got a job through my parent's connections -- I think unions suck!!"

All I have to say to you service sector middle management people is that you wouldn't be shit without all the hard workers below you.

There is one rule for industrialists and that is: Make the best quality of goods possible at the lowest cost possible, paying the highest wages possible - Henry Ford. True capitalism.

[marg0507]

dumb asses dont seem to understand that their "good wages" are only due to unions that drove upwards all wages. same is true for benefits and the 40 hour work week.

[ArbiterOfFunk]

Anti-union people should be forced to go work in 19th century coal mines.

[shulastinks2]

Yeah these stupid modern republicans have no idea what unrestrained capitalists did to their fellow man. They did and would eviscerate you for pure profit. Heartless.

[no1Efan]

why don't you join the 21st century jack? i've never worked union in my 38 year life and i've always made a good living.

[ArbiterOfFunk]

"hurf durf, what's the big deal with slavery? i've never had to work under the taskmasters whip and I've had a good long happy life" - You, if you live in the antebellum south.

[ArbiterOfFunk]

"why no, I have no idea of the historical origin of unions, or their necessity to the common worker. what is this 'school' you speak of?" - You, at least one hour ago.

[Cliffrj3]

that's from the "coat tail" effect as business would name it....

companies are nearly forced to pay better wages, benefits, etc. to try to encourage workforces to NOT organize...however, NEVER forget WHY you are making what you're making, and most certainly never forget those that paid the ultimate price so that you can "always make a good living"!

[Cliffrj3]

this was a reply to No1Efan

[ArbiterOfFunk]

@no1Efan yes, your life is so good because you don't belong to a union that your middle-aged ass responds to anonymous youtube comments at ten at night.

[ozyint]

ArbiterOfFunk you mean the ones in southern colorado that the military decided to take out randomly? Im with you 100% on that one.

[ArbiterOfFunk]

Oh it wasn't random, they were coal miners protesting the horrendous working conditions and practices of the management, and the company got to call in the army with their machine guns and bombing planes to break the strike.

That's actually where the term "redneck" comes from, due to the red kerchiefs that the miners tied around their necks while resisting the attacks.

Too bad the term has been ruined by southerners.

[bruce1of7]

The Union is why there are very few 21st century coal mines still open

[ArbiterOfFunk]

@bruce1of7 the union is also why there are no longer thousands of people killed in 21st century coal mine explosions.

[Phunkywhiteboy]

@ArbiterOfFunk the whole reason that people are anti-union is because 19th century coal mines don't exist anymore.

[ArbiterOfFunk]

@Phunkywhiteboy vicious cycle, isn't it?

[Phunkywhiteboy]

@ArbiterOfFunk the whole reason that some people are anti-union is because 19th century coal mine working conditions don't exist anymore. Nobody thinks unions were bad back then, but in this day and age all unions do is harm businesses.

[bluesa1t]

@Phunkywhiteboy

Nice try. Look up The Battle of Matewan or the Colorado Labor Wars to see how brutally they tried to crush unions back in the day.

[hanscombe72]

@Phunkywhiteboy Have you heard about the plight of asbestos sufferers in Australia and what the unions have done to achieve some form of justice for the people who are now dying due to exposure to asbestos at work? Look up James Hardie and asbestos if you need to know how important unions are today.

[jonniemcrotten]

nice. thanks

[jazzbass0321]

Greats MERLE

[texican65]

Is that Tex Ritter...at teh begining?

[horsebowshooter]

yes it's him.

[Heffsta02]

this is some real, raw music. Easily better than half the crap they spewing out today.

[toxicptl]

@Heffsta02 - Now that was an original comment.

[IlariaDotCom]

today my history's teacher played this song in the class....it was fantastic...this song is beautiful!!

[zardoz1942]

played this song and fiddled about with it played it on stage with a good response before i heard this clipor tennessee ernie fs version and surprisingly or not everyone said great song i do it a bit chunkier

[epicchanter]

Travis where have you been all my life?

[Mtmanjustin27]

I love earnie fords version but Travis's is more countryesque

[kanmoe]

There are hundreds of great versions... nice to know who was first! Thanks for share. Great!

[MichailZacho]

This man is great in his songwriting and his genius. He's wonderful and so is Tennessee Ernie Ford as well as the Red Army Choir in singing this tremendous song of the Working Men of The World!!!

[RaiGrabski]

why can't country music sound like this any more, its all popified (made up word) if i hear another keith urban song again i'm going to quit listening (metro detroit only has 99.5 anymore)

[MasterKine420]

I'm not a country fan. If country today was like this, all the time, I would LOVE IT!!!

[HatsandSuch]

I understand what you're saying, but there's a large supply of good country music made decades ago to still allow someone today to be a country fan.

[PMK1002]

EXACTLY! you hit the nail on the head. we dont need a new well manufactured, publicised band. you only need to delve into the archives to find gold. townes, cash, merle, scruggs, munroe, carters and then you go off on another tangent, instead of waiting for some magazine to tell you what to listen to next.

[blakedawg76]

@PMK1002 Love it! You are so right.

[WindWalker940]

@MasterKine420 this isnt country.. this is blues

[TrunJun420]

@MasterKine420 Fuck yeah, dude.

[AgentCarter]

@MasterKine420 if this is country music than that term is pretty much meaningless.

[flameking97]

Kinda good

[valerovalero07]

EEEE!!!!

[Elyazateran]

Heard this on Mad MEN.

[williamanesbitt]

Such a relaxed approach -- really unlike the country music of the day, which, from what I've seen, tended to be pretty stiff and formal. He was just so in control of his chops, almost like a jazz singer, like Sinatra with a D-28. Straight-up 28, not the Bigsby one. Maybe that came later. Thanks for posting!

[mopable]

I WANT THAT RECORD

[MariaFromMoscow]

the real Hit

[craigoo187]

classic

[weekdayyardsale]

yesssssssssssssss! Support labor, unions, BUY AMERICAN

[cyjon007]

Awesome, thanks for the post. I was wondering what Ernie Ford's rendition had sprung from.

[mowaxbro]

The tune was actually written by Big Bill Broonzy and he plays it a little differently, though I couldnt find it as its not posted by anyone. Maybe Merle goes down for creating this particular version of it....which sounds pretty cool.

[Tony2581]

Big Bill did a fine version, but it was a cover version. Merle Travis wrote "Sixteen Tons". In fact, Merle wrote "Dark As A Dungeon", "Nine Pound Hammer" and "Sixteen Tons", all coal mining classics, within a few weeks. He was a brilliant songwriter and picker !

[ronvonryan]

How right you are Tony!! great picker, I think Chet Atkins learnt a few things from Merle. He wrote many hit's ( I have most of his recordings), and they were all about coal mining, for example check out 'Souix City Sue', a rare talent.

[wayelrob]

Merle was always a brilliant songwriter. This is one of my favorites. I heard it was given to Ernie Ford by accident. Of course with his amazing voice he "owned" it for the rest of time.

[daniboix]

GREAT!!!

[RetardedSpiceBar]

Simply amazing.

[john26660]

This is absolutely fabulous.

[neilmc250]

legend....

[thekev506]

it's just saddening to see how few views this video has had