The last time I heard this song was in the 80s. The lone radio
station AIR Bangalore (All India Radio) mostly produced news and other
informational programs. But once a week on Sundays from noon to 12:30 PM, they
had a program when they played requests of 'English' music. It was amusing to
listen to the female host speaking highly anglicized Indian English, read out
names of listeners who were all local folks.
Some of the frequently requested songs on that program included
hits of the time namely 'Beat it' by MJ, 'Hello' by Lionel Richie, Funkie Town by Lipps Inc, many songs by BoneyM and ABBA and some
golden oldies like 'There is a hole in the bucket' and many songs by The
Beatles. Also there was a song which I thought was "Save all your Krishnaswamy"
and my more westernized friend educated me that it was "Save all your
kisses for me".
But this song '16 Tons' was my favorite. The
song is in the voice of a coal mine employee during the days of
company-owned-towns. The best line was when the baritone voice declares "I
owe my soul to the company store"
Today I was pleasantly surprised to hear this song on NPR's
Fresh Air. The last I had heard this song was in the 80s. Ken Tucker reviewed
the newly released box set 'Portrait of an American singer' which has music by
Tennessee Ernie Ford
Try this song. It has the feel of a bygone era.
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