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Tennessee Ernie Ford song about coal mining hit No. 1 60 years ago

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Johnny Cash, Tennessee Ernie Ford
American country singer Johnny Cash, left, stood beside country singer Tennessee Ernie Ford in a promotional still for the television special "Country Comes Home," circa 1973.
NBC Television | Getty Images 1973

Today's Morning Edition music is from "Sixteen Tons" by Tennessee Ernie Ford, which was No. 1 on the Billboard pop chart 60 years ago Tuesday.

The song was written and first performed in 1946 by Merle Travis. It's about the life of a Kentucky coal miner.

Travis' father worked in a mine and used to say that he owed his soul to the company store. He described how miners would not get paid in cash. Instead, they were given "scrip" that could only be redeemed for goods sold in the company store. In addition, miners often lived in company-owned dormitories and their rent was deducted from their pay.