The song is based on the life of the coal miners in Kentucky. The song was first sung and created by Merle Travis in 1947 and made popular in 1956 by Tennessee Ernie Ford. Just a little background on the song for you!!! Be safe with your wonderful family!!! 🤗♥️
@Aurora-cv5to2 жыл бұрын
Up through the end of the 30's miners lived in "company towns" and weren't paid in real money, but in company script that could only be spent in company owned stores. Men were never paid quite enough to keep up with rent and food, so they kept falling further and further into debt. Couldn't leave because of the debt, and the debt was passed through families to the children. So they were really trapped. So - even the big, strong, hard-working guy in the song "owes his soul to the company store."
@jebVlogs5562 жыл бұрын
Yeah I remember hearing in history class about wages or scripts. Heck some states wouldn't take them either o.O
@Aurora-cv5to2 жыл бұрын
@@jebVlogs556 Yep, no one could. Bottom line, it was a closed system, and cash was excluded. If anyone else took the script they couldn't use it for anything except over-priced goods at a company store.
@ilesalmo77242 жыл бұрын
Company towns were one of the primary reasons why modern trade-unions were formed into what they are today. There had been trade-guilds before, but they were more inclusive (though more like syndicates) where the bosses and workers had not that much different status.
@jebVlogs5562 жыл бұрын
@@ilesalmo7724 in some places not in the modern age,but some bosses and workers are still equals. Depends on where you are at..
@craftymissfit60072 жыл бұрын
Great reaction , the reason I like Geoff and Voiceplay over the other a Capella groups is that they do it all themselves, no managers no companies and yet they as just as good as the other groups or to me better!
@azitula2 жыл бұрын
Totally agree. I admire them so much..
@singlechristiancowboy2 жыл бұрын
@@azitula Amen✝️🇺🇸🤠
@SamanthaLisa2 жыл бұрын
Very True!🥰
@kelleyoneal25782 жыл бұрын
I'm one of many patrons on VoicePlay and Geoff's patreon pages and watching the BTS videos is so amazing. No outsider production peeps that just care about $ and not the quality. Geoff's awesome wife Kathy helps out a lot. Doesn't ruin the final project. I appreciate the care they put into each video. If there were "Oscars" for KZbin music videos, VoicePlay should always win.
@bobfranzwa30142 жыл бұрын
You've GOT to react to Blackbird and Big Bad John both sung by Geoff.
@attieolwagen94802 жыл бұрын
he got a new one big bad John😂😂
@k1hasard2 жыл бұрын
There is a version of this from years back that a guy named Tennessee Ernie Ford made popular. He was a bass-baritone who was popular. A 'miner' is one who works in a mine, a 'minor' is one who is underage pronounced the same. I don't know who originally wrote the song or how old it is, but this is a cover.
@michaelriley81012 жыл бұрын
Great reaction! Thanks!
@bartonbagnes46052 жыл бұрын
Love how he uses the mining tools, the pick⛏️ and hammer ⚒️, as instruments. Great version.
@jebVlogs5562 жыл бұрын
I like the bell chiming in the instrumental *smiles*:
@jebVlogs5562 жыл бұрын
@Samantha its ok. They are called Miner's or way back in the day "Prospectors" during the great gold rush. And did I hear Geoff go from G1 to C chorus? *shook* :@
@Aurora-cv5to2 жыл бұрын
Prospectors worked on their own. Miners worked for a company.
@jebVlogs5562 жыл бұрын
@@Aurora-cv5to you so right *thumb up* :)
@patriciaschuman42052 жыл бұрын
And as for the 'snapping of fingers', if you check out Tennessee Ernie Ford's original version, you hear the sound of him snapping his fingers. I've read that this was because the producer wanted to get an idea from Ford what the tempo they should use, and it ended up sounding so cool that it was ultimately kept in. And the song was meant as the "B" side of the 45 record (the "A" side being the one meant to be used for radio play)!
@jennyo85962 жыл бұрын
Your reaction was everthing I had hoped for and more! :)
@mariancox5856 Жыл бұрын
I can't believe Geoff's range. I've been watching his and Voice Play over and over.
@Broomrider14922 жыл бұрын
Love a Geoff quartet. This is an old song that I remember from Tennessee Ernie Ford. He just did a Jimmy Dean song Big Bad John.
@christinestromberg40572 жыл бұрын
Yes the song is about coal miners in the US, They were obliged to buy from the mining company store, and were always in debt to it, so they owed their soul to the company store. He's just brought out a new one in a mine setting, Big Bad John. Geoff is something special, no doubt about it. He has worked on his voice for years, and now it just sounds so easy though Layne often makes him hold those low notes for a ridiculous time.
@waynebrower55582 жыл бұрын
The song was sung by Tennesee Earnie Ford in the 60s. You can find him on KZbin
@janetdw2 жыл бұрын
You need to watch Big Bad John. This is generally a narrative song, mostly spoken except for the big bad John parts. Geoff once again raided his fathers tool shed for all of the tools and dug out couple of tank tops. And at the last note one of the Geoffs (who has the pickax) picks it up and slams it to the ground just like in 16 Tons, and just like in 16 Tons, the camera wavered at that point. It’s got a catchy little tune so people really don’t understand just how somber the subject is. I heard this and Big Bad John a lot growing up. My grandpa worked in the coal mines during the depression and narrowly escaped a cave in. He lost some friends in those cave-ins and always made sure to tell us never to go into debt (by the way that didn’t work for me) because he had been basically indentured to the coal mining industry. My dad was the oldest boy and if he hadn’t come out to California to work on the docks when he was all of 15, he never would have gotten away. There’s no way you can get ahead when they pay you in script you can only use at the overprice store. When they came to California he worked in the lumber industry and they have a company store. If you wanted to be paid in real money you didn’t get paid as much. But he chose the real money every time because he knew that company stores were basically the payday advance scam of their time.
@SamanthaLisa2 жыл бұрын
Wow!! Thank you so much for the comment and telling me about your family. It must of been very hard 😢
@bookworm41742 жыл бұрын
One of my favorite songs he does is "God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman" so unique and unexpected and fabulous!
@sophsutherland39932 жыл бұрын
Great reaction!! You should definitely check out Geoff’s brand new cover of Big Bad John!!
@kellywilliams3642 жыл бұрын
Yes...it is like a sequel to this song.
@wirelessmikedj77842 жыл бұрын
Now, head on over and check out Tim Foust (from Home Free) channel for his released album of doo-wop titles...some great stuff there...or Tim and Austin singing My Maria....can really see his range. Geoff is amazing as well!
@roseblue42053 күн бұрын
Yes Miners. This song is from the 1940s. This cover is by Geoff Castelluci. He actually can go Hi to Low then hi again. No editing. His range is great. G2 then Sub harmony. SNAP- Yes
@guntertorfs64862 жыл бұрын
Steady on girl...!
@alan-freeman2 жыл бұрын
Written and released in 1946/7 by /Merie Robert Travis. That is sixteen TONS (weight) not TonEs.
@robbpokorny492 жыл бұрын
Hello Samantha, If you want to hear some really amazing harmony and amazing voices check out Dragonborn comes by Voiceplay! It is featuring Omar Cardona. It's incredible!😁
@AndieO2 жыл бұрын
I have my brain freeze up on timesmyself. Those are snaps.
@steby1232 жыл бұрын
Coal miners are the subject here before the unions, written by Merle Travis .
@robbpokorny492 жыл бұрын
I think you would love Voiceplay "Carry on wayward son" amazing
@daviddavison39702 жыл бұрын
The original was sung by Tennessee Earnie Ford
@kezmet59982 жыл бұрын
This is Geoff Castellucci - every end is the deep end!
@GergC05212 жыл бұрын
Coal miners typically had to pay the company they worked for for their tools (pick, shovel, helmet, etc.) In the "company store". And then pay them for food, lodging and more. Those costs usually exceeded the pay. So you had to continue working for them to pay your debt. Hence the term, I owe my soul to the company store.
@scotthritz66412 жыл бұрын
Hi Samantha!! Great reaction as always!! Check out Geoff’s version of the Beatles song Blackbird. I think you’ll like it. Take care cutie!!🤗♥️
@SamanthaLisa2 жыл бұрын
Wow!! Black bird 🤯 i will definitely check it out 🥰
@karlsmith25702 жыл бұрын
Hey Samantha, The song Sixteen Tons was originally sung by Tennessee Ernie Ford, though Geoff Castelucci more than did this song justice
@Bay_Trekker2 жыл бұрын
Sam, I am loving your reactions!! ❤️ You mentioned in a video how your family would watch Wizard Of OZ each Christmas Eve. Pentatonix has a version (Todrick Hall - The Wizard of Ahhhs (ft. Pentatonix) [Official Music Video]) that will have you smiling for a week!!
@SamanthaLisa2 жыл бұрын
Will check it out 😏
@darrenheadrick36692 жыл бұрын
Samantha Lisa Long time ago mining companys also owned general stores that carried everything from food to clothing to mining equipment for the minors. The mining company quite often paid the minors in "credits" that the minors would use to purchase need things at the general store.. Many times, the mining company would charge outrageous prices even for a persons badic needs causing the minors to be in debt to the mining company insuring the minors continued work in the mines. This is why in the this song you hear the 4 Geoffs sing "Saint Peter don't you call me, because I can't go, I owe my soul to the company store".
@DougRayPhillips2 жыл бұрын
In U.S. English, "miner" (minero, minador) and "minor" (meaning a person under 18) are both pronounced alike. Was that part of the confusion? Yes, the song came out in 1947. The definitive hit version was by "Tennessee" Ernie Ford, in 1958. He was very popular, and had a TV variety show at the time. As Aurora mentioned, the practice of being paid low wages, and most of it being in script rather than real money, meant that you could work all your life and just keep getting further in debt. You're not only working in a literal hole, you're sinking into a financial hole as well. So the subject matter of the song is more depressing than the way that it's usually sung. * Last week, Geoff dropped a cover of another old mining song, "Big John." That song was originally written and performed in 1961 by Jimmy Dean. And the subject matter of that one is even sadder.
@rcinsley2 жыл бұрын
By now, you are itching to get to more of Geoff's solo work. Your timing is perfect! Four days ago, he released his 4-part (4 Geoffs in a row, just like "16 Tons") cover of the 1961 Grammy-winning song "Big Bad John" ( kzbin.info/www/bejne/nJWlc4CVmZidosU ). Like "16 Tons", It rumbles deliciously. :-) For this one, you will benefit from a brief translation of the lyrics before listening. The song's opening line is: "Every morning at the mine, you could see him arrive. He stood 6 foot 6 (inches) and weighed 245 (pounds)." Substituting the metric conversions, you have: "Every morning at the mine, you could see him arrive. He stood 1.98 m and weighed 111.13 kg."
@bjspeck4337 Жыл бұрын
The owners of the mines owned the mines, the stores, the rental houses, the pharmacies, the doctors, the banks. They paid the miners in scrip instead of money. The scrip wasn't worth as much as cash and it was only good in the places around town. The men never quite caught up, didn't have money for a car to get out of town and start again, if they didn't have enough for whatever they needed, they signed IOUs. So they did owe their soul to the company store. My American history teacher in eighth grade (I was 13) taught us the reality of the coal mines and it's something I've never forgotten. We had the album by Tennessee Ernie Ford and that was in 1964.
@SciTrekMan Жыл бұрын
It could not be used at stores “around town” but *only* at the store *owned by the mining company*. They charged very overinflated prices, which always kept the workers perpetually in debt to them.
@bjspeck4337 Жыл бұрын
@@SciTrekMan Exactly although in small towns, they were the main event.
@Daehawk2 жыл бұрын
Geoff just released Big Bad John.Should listen it out luv.
@theghost64122 жыл бұрын
Miners is mineros in spanish. English: The miners entered the mine shaft to dig for coal and other natural resources. Spanish: Los mineros entraron en el pozo minero para extraer carbón y otros recursos naturales.
@Sknsman2 жыл бұрын
Absolutely Love Your Reactions.....Check out Big Bad John by Geoff. Thanks in advance.
@razor752502 жыл бұрын
Headless horseman reaction!
@crustybass752 жыл бұрын
Just curious, how do you listen to these? Ear buds, stereo speakers or just computer speakers?
@robbpokorny492 жыл бұрын
Snapping of fingers 😁
@dragonfox88822 жыл бұрын
Soul Provider by Michael Bolton
@dillonsronce2583 Жыл бұрын
Yes. Miners.
@clarence7972 жыл бұрын
Please Tracy to Monster Mash by Geoff Castelluci
@Jigaboo1234562 жыл бұрын
For you, ma'am, "finger snapping " are the words used to describe the sound. What is the Spanish term? Google translate gives chasquear los dedos. Your English is very good, but a word of caution "snapping your fingers " is ONLY interchangeable in English when you use to describe the sound made by pressing you thumb and forefinger together , usually when keeping time with music. It can men "a romper" which. if done produces lots of sound, and LOTS of pain!
@johnlanning78452 жыл бұрын
My earliest recollection this song was about 2 years ago I guess and my dad had the vinyl album on it. I like just rendition but some of the things that he does just don't quite settle too well with me. Always liked didn't see Ernie Ford's version and I just feel like it's in some ways being chopped all the pieces. But a lot of the parts I do like. As far as Lisa, why do I get the feeling you're too timing Home Free, flirting with another dude, lol.
@johnlanning78452 жыл бұрын
My earliest recollection was 62 years ago.
@cowboy11652 жыл бұрын
Hi, Samantha. People that work in a (mine/ myne) are (miners/ my-ners) and yes, you are (snapping) your fingers.
@daviddavison39702 жыл бұрын
If you like this song you should listen to The Headless Horseman
@jeffreygerfen27842 жыл бұрын
It’s a Tennessee Ernie Ford song
@richardfox16052 жыл бұрын
am I mistaken or is this dude backing himself up on three part harmony
@swampdaddy26842 жыл бұрын
👏👍🔥🔥🔥💖💖💖💖🌹🌹
@vpstumpy2 жыл бұрын
Tn. Erni Ford was the first
@larskunoandersen5750 Жыл бұрын
yes miners
@bjspeck4337 Жыл бұрын
snapping your fingers.
@jdeang35312 жыл бұрын
“Miners not minors” - Galaxy Quest
@Karl-Walter2 жыл бұрын
Home Free bass singer Tim Foust did a solo album called "Pieces Of Me", with some nice Doo-Wop on it, and it is all a cappella. He is on par with Geoff if not better and has nearly the same 5 octaves vocal range. "Come Go With Me", "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? / Stay" and "In My Room" of that album can be found here on KZbin.
@chelseamason47922 жыл бұрын
RIP To all of the ovaries that exploded after this.💀😔😆
@Hellmaker10002 жыл бұрын
if you get confused use google translate it will help.
@jartsu08 Жыл бұрын
F#1
@adolfojoseacevedovogl86992 жыл бұрын
Please also react to the new version of My Funny Valentine by Angelina Jordan, at 16 years old, released February 14. This is perhaps her best vocal perfomance to date, in my opinión kzbin.info/www/bejne/mIjMfYKkfa-Mrsk
@davepasnthru2 жыл бұрын
so why do women LOVE deepmale voices? I thunk it gives women a feeling in their loins. Be homest.
@taunteratwill17872 жыл бұрын
Who learned you English? 😂
@stinkbug432111 ай бұрын
Of all the cheesy acting on KZbin, this one takes the prize. I think that it might have been just a tiny bit more believable if you hadn't said you had listened to him before.