--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You load 16 tons, and what do you get?…" description: "\"You load 16 tons, and what do you get? Another day older and deeper in debt. St. Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go. I owe my soul to the compan..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a9/merle-travis-60193_another-day_you-load-16-tons-and-what-do-you-get-ano_40338.png" --- # You load 16 tons, and what do you get? Another day older… ![“You load 16 tons, and what do you get? Another day older and deeper in debt. St. Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go. I owe my soul to the company store.” quote by Merle Travis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a9/merle-travis-60193_another-day_you-load-16-tons-and-what-do-you-get-ano_40338.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a9/merle-travis-60193_another-day_you-load-16-tons-and-what-do-you-get-ano_40338.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a9/merle-travis-60193_another-day_you-load-16-tons-and-what-do-you-get-ano_40338.png) > “You load 16 tons, and what do you get? Another day older and deeper in debt. St. Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go. I owe my soul to the company store.” [Merle Travis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merle-travis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A lament on the endless cycle of labor that deepens financial and personal debt, highlighting how work can imprison the soul. **In simple terms:** Work can trap you in debt and loss of self. Key Takeaway Labor can become a soul‑consuming debt trap. Themes Economic exploitation Labor alienation Personal debt Spiritual loss Social critique Mood Somber Reflective Cynical Type Proverbial Social commentary Lyric When to use this quote - Working in a company store - Being stuck in low‑wage jobs - Feeling indebted to an employer - Facing financial hardship Key Concepts Debt Labor Identity Freedom Practical Applications - Analyzing labor conditions - Designing fair wage policies Questions to Reflect On - How does work shape your sense of self? - What would a debt‑free life look like? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [16 Tons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/16-tons-454081/) [Another day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/another-day/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Call me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/call-me/) [Causes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/causes/) [Company](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/company/) [Debt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/debt/) [Debt St](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/debt-st-454082/) [Deeper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deeper/) [Deeper Debt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deeper-debt-360475/) [I can](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-can/) [Load](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/load/) [Load 16](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/load-16-454080/) [My soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/my-soul/) [Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peter/) [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) [St peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/st-peter/) [Stores](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stores/) [Tons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tons/) ## Related quotes > [You load sixteen tons, what do you get? Another day older and deeper in debt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-ernie-ford/you-load-sixteen-tons-what-do-you-get-another-day-older-and-deeper-in/) [Tennessee Ernie Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-ernie-ford/) > [Student loans have been helpful to many. But they offer neither incentive nor assistance to those students who, by reason of family or other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/student-loans-have-been-helpful-to-many-but-they-offer-neither/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [“The rich kept stuffing their pockets and the poor fell deeper in debt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-campisi/the-rich-kept-stuffing-their-pockets-and-the-poor-fell-deeper-in-debt/) [Mary Campisi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-campisi/) > [The merits of deeper debt cancellation, when accompanied by conditions of accountability and transparency on the part of recipient countries, have been shown to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ricard/the-merits-of-deeper-debt-cancellation-when-accompanied-by-conditions/) [John Ricard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ricard/) > [The only frontier now left to exploit is not a frontier in space but a frontier in time. We steal the future from our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/the-only-frontier-now-left-to-exploit-is-not-a-frontier-in-space-but/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [No economy can continue to function when the vast middle class and everybody else don't have enough purchasing power to buy what the economy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/no-economy-can-continue-to-function-when-the-vast-middle-class-and/) [Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/) > [The fact is, we'll never build a lasting economic recovery by going deeper into debt at a faster rate than we ever have before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/the-fact-is-we-ll-never-build-a-lasting-economic-recovery-by-going/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [In most cases, when people make more money, they get deeper in debt. This is why money alone does not make you rich.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/in-most-cases-when-people-make-more-money-they-get-deeper-in-debt/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [Despite all the hoopla - despite all the umpa - after 5 years of UDP mismanagement, corruption, and incompetence, we have sunk deeper into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/said-musa/despite-all-the-hoopla-despite-all-the-umpa-after-5-years-of-udp/) [Said Musa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/said-musa/) > [There is nothing left now for us but to get ever deeper and deeper into debt to the banking system in order to provide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-soddy/there-is-nothing-left-now-for-us-but-to-get-ever-deeper-and-deeper/) [Frederick Soddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-soddy/) > [When President Obama asked Congress to raise the debt ceiling $2 trillion and offered sequestration as an offset, I opposed it. I did not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-turner/when-president-obama-asked-congress-to-raise-the-debt-ceiling-2/) [Mike Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-turner/) > [Thousands of Ohio families are going deeper and deeper in debt just trying to pay their heating bills, fill prescriptions, and buy groceries. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrod-brown/thousands-of-ohio-families-are-going-deeper-and-deeper-in-debt-just/) [Sherrod Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrod-brown/) > [While payday loans are often the only source of credit for low-income Americans, these lenders are notorious for predatory practices that cause borrowers to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-moulton/while-payday-loans-are-often-the-only-source-of-credit-for-low-income/) [Seth Moulton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-moulton/) > [If the prodigal quits life in debt to others, the miser quits it still deeper in debt to himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/if-the-prodigal-quits-life-in-debt-to-others-the-miser-quits-it-still/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [The church of St. Peter at Berlin, notwithstanding the total difference between them in the style of building, appears in some respects to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-philipp-moritz/the-church-of-st-peter-at-berlin-notwithstanding-the-total-difference/) [Karl Philipp Moritz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-philipp-moritz/) ## More by Merle Travis > [I have known the fruits of strikes. 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Happy Memorial Day!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/today-isn-t-just-another-day-off-it-s-a-day-to-remember-those-who/) [Sonya Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/) > [Another day is another blessing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mhaj-porras/another-day-is-another-blessing/) [Mhaj Porras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mhaj-porras/) > [“Dawn. Another day is given us, R’hllor be praised.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/dawn-another-day-is-given-us-r-hllor-be-praised/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [“Just another day in my life. This was one of those days when I thought that maybe a new life, a different life, wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/just-another-day-in-my-life-this-was-one-of-those-days-when-i-thought/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [Another day, Another blessing and Another chance at life. Take nothing for granted and think of every breath as a gift.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rashida-rowe/another-day-another-blessing-and-another-chance-at-life-take-nothing/) [Rashida Rowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rashida-rowe/) > [Life is too short to spend another day at war with yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/life-is-too-short-to-spend-another-day-at-war-with-yourself/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [Another day feeling unimportant. I should really consider being a back up singer...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/another-day-feeling-unimportant-i-should-really-consider-being-a-back/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“It’s a yes then? (Arik) No. I thought I’d walk through hell to reclaim you and carry your baby just for the heck of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/it-s-a-yes-then-arik-no-i-thought-i-d-walk-through-hell-to-reclaim/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) [Browse all 1,021 Another day quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/another-day/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You load 16 tons, and what do you get? Another day older and deeper in debt. St. Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go. 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