Sixteen tons...

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I was going thru my music collection, when I came across this song. Ha ha ha... Listening to it makes it look so like an analogy of my life! You can listen to it here: http://www.ziddu.com/download/5040237/SixteenTons.mp3.html Why I say this song is like an analogy? Here is the break down and my intepretation. Heh heh... [i]Some people say a man is made out of mud A poor mans made out of muscle and blood. Muscle and blood, and skin and bones A mind thats weak and a back thats strong. [/i] Well, may text have indicated that man are made of mud. That is why during funerals, you her phases like "Dust to dust, Ashes to ashes" and the like. But a poor man is not made of mud. He is made of muscle and blood? Why? Cos he has to work and make a living. And he earn his keep from working hard (muscle) to earn money. And cos he is poor, he has to work extra hard. That is why some people termed their earnings as blood and sweat money. Which is kinda a metaphor for us working middle class people. We are at a level where we work as hard as the lower income, but not qualifying for any subsidy that the lower income is getting, but also not qualifying for most of the privileges that the higher income is enjoying. [i]You load sixteen tons and what do you get? Another day older and deeper in debt. St. Peter dont you call me Cause I cant go. I owe my soul to the company store. [/i] So, like the coal miner of the 50s and 60s, where they work with no pay. In stead, they are paid in some form of vouchers or currency that is only good at the company store where they can get their bare necessities filled. And anything they buy there is always on credit. That is why the phase "Another day older and deeper in debt." Which is kinda like the life that we are living. Instead of not getting paid, we are paid. And banks and the like are always enticing us about spending tomorrow's money today. And being the gullible fools we are, we do. And we just get ourselves deeper into the hole we dug by spending on credit. And whatever money you make today ends up going to service that new house, that new car, that credit card... your soul literally belongs to the company (think bank!). [i]I was born one morning when the sun didnt shine. I picked up my shovel and I walked to the mine. I loaded sixteen tons of number nine coal. And the store boss said Well bless my soul. Chorus You load sixteen tons..[/i] So you get up in the morning and you go to work. When you do a good job, the boss is happy. But then, the chorus comes back. What do you get for making the boss happy? The same old pay. [i]I was born one morning it was drizzling rain. Fighting and trouble are my middle name. I was raised in the cambric by an ol mama lion. Cant know a high toned woman make me walk the line. Chorus You load sixteen tons..[/i] This stanza is the best! No matter how difficult or fierce a person you are, you still cannot be fiercer than your own mama! The rest of the song is not really relevant. Cos these days, we no longer use fist to fight. We use unseen weapons call the "arrows" and the "Back stab" to do the fighting. In other words... office politics. [i]If you see me coming better step aside. A lotta men didnt, a lotta men died. One fist of iron, the other of steel. If the right one dont get you then the left one will. Chorus You load sixteen tons.. Yes I o-w-e- my s-o-u-l to the company store![/i]