Merle Travis is one of my all time heroes and I suspect he borrowed liberally from the tradition for many of his songs, but does anyone have any further info on 16 tons? I bought a Folkways album years ago by a man named George Davis (the singing miner of Hazard Kentucky) He claims to have written the song - as "42 Tons", and sings it in a major key. It's pretty similar to Merle's, and any info would be appreciated.