About the song
Background of “Roll On (Eighteen Wheeler)” by Alabama
- Release: The song was released in January 1984 as the title track for Alabama’s album of the same name. It was their 12th consecutive No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart.
- Songwriter: Dave Loggins wrote the song.
- Interesting tidbit: Some versions of the song include a CB radio call at the beginning that says “How about ya, Alabama, Roll On.” This call was actually recorded from a real CB transmission received by Alabama’s bus in the late 1970s.
Themes of “Roll On (Eighteen Wheeler)”
- Life of a truck driver: The song tells the story of a long-haul trucker who is constantly on the road, missing his family but determined to keep working to provide for them.
- Homesickness and longing: The lyrics express the trucker’s yearning for home and his loved ones.
- The importance of family: Despite the challenges of the job, the trucker remains dedicated to his family, who are his motivation for keeping going.
- The American trucker industry: The song pays homage to the important role truck drivers play in the American economy.
Overall, “Roll On (Eighteen Wheeler)” is a relatable song that captures the struggles and triumphs of a blue-collar profession.
Video
Lyrics
You got itRoll on highway, roll on alongRoll on, Daddy, “til you get back homeRoll on family, roll on crewRoll on, Mama, like I asked you to doAnd roll on, eighteen-wheeler, roll on
Well, it’s Monday morningHe’s kissin’ Mama goodbyeHe’s up and gone with the sunDaddy drives an eighteen-wheelerAnd he’s off on a Midwest run (you got it)
And three sad faces gather ’round MamaThey ask her when Daddy’s comin’ homeDaddy drives an eighteen-wheelerAnd they sure miss him when he’s gone (yeah, they do)
Ah, but he calls them every nightAnd he tells them that he loves themHe taught ’em this song to sing
Roll on highway, roll on alongRoll on, Daddy, ’til you get back homeRoll on family, roll on crewRoll on, Mama, like I asked you to doAnd roll on, eighteen-wheeler, roll on (roll on)
Well, it’s Wednesday eveningMama’s waitin’ by the phoneIt rings, but it’s not his voiceSeems the highway patrol has found a jackknifed rigIn a snow bank in Illinois (that’s right)
But the driver was missin’And the search had been abandonedFor the weather had everything stalledAnd they had checked all the houses and the local motelsWhen they had some more news they’d call (that’s right)
And she told them when they found him to tell himThat she loved himAnd she hung up the phone singin’
Roll on highway, roll on alongRoll on, Daddy, ’til you get back homeRoll on family, roll on crewRoll on, Mama, like I asked you to doAnd roll on, eighteen-wheeler, roll on
Mama and the children will be waiting up all night longThinkin’ nothing but the words just comin’With the ringin’ of the telephoneOh, but the Man Upstairs was listeningWhen Mama asked Him to bring Daddy home
And when the call came inIt was Daddy on the other endAskin’ her if she had been singin’ the song, singin’
Roll on highway, roll on alongRoll on, Daddy, ’til you get back homeRoll on family, roll on crewRoll on, Mama, like I asked you to doAnd roll on eighteen-wheeler
Roll on highway, roll on alongRoll on, Daddy, ’til you get back homeRoll on family, roll on crewRoll on, Mama, like I asked you to doAnd roll on, eighteen-wheeler, roll on (roll on)
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