The Ballad of Jimmy the Trucker

Jimmie was born on the wrong side of town and at schoolin' he was never the best,
So he took his first job at the age of thirteen and he worked right along with the rest.



Then one day a trucker came into his life and he said, Can you prove you're a man?
Can you climb in this truck and head it off down the road?
And Jimmy said, If I have to, I can. I guess if I really have to, I can!

Well, he looked her all over then he climbed up inside And he heard that big engine roar.
And as the rig started rollin' Jimmy's future was set; He would never do anything more.

Well he traveled this country 'till he knew it by heart,- All the way from the East to the West,-
And the truckers all knew, when they saw Jimmy comin', they were truckin' right along with the best!
They all knew that Jim was the best!

Then one day the boss said, This load's gotta' go,- Jimmy said, I can make it in ten!
But the boss said, Jimmy, can you make it in eight?
Jimmy said, If I have to, I can!... I guess if I really have to, I can!

Well there's a thirteen mile grade from the top of the hill,
And at eight miles his air brakes were gone,
But he rode it on down 'til he reached the last curve,
then he knew that his truckin' was done!
Jimmy knew his truckin' was done!

When they finally pulled Jimmy up out of the wreck, and they said he will never survive,
Then his eyes gently fluttered and his lips softly said,
Let me speak while I am alive; I wanna talk as long as I am alive.

Recitation:

Well, without this old truck I never would have been too much,
And I think that it made me a man...
Cause when I climbed up inside her and I started her up - why, that's the day that my life really began.
Why, there's nothing quite like climbing into the truck and truckin' across our great land...
(Resume Melody)
'Cause when I give her the throttle and I'm holdin' the wheel,
Why, it must be like holdin' God's Hand!

Yes, I've thought about livin' and I've thought about truckin'
On the highways that cross our great land...

(recite) But, you know, I never once thought about dying...

(melody) But if I have to, I guess that I can...
If I really have to, I guess that... I can.

1980...Modesto, Ca.

Right after Jimmie comes Rose - Crimson Rose, that is. This lady is a figment of my imagination!

Crimson Rose

Talk Prelude:
Breaker one-nine...breaker one-nine...
You got one Crimson Rose here - lookin' for that Pistol Pete!Come in, all you truckers!

Begin Melody:

I recall the first time I heard that voice, comin' 'cross the air,
She said, It's Pistol Pete and Crimson Rose,
We're a truck drivin' - gear jammin' pair!
We saved our money 'til we got enough for another set of wheels,-
And with Pete on one and Crimson Rose on the other
We'll show all you truckers our heels!

Chorus:
Breaker one-nine, You got one Crimson Rose
And the more I break for that Pistol Pete
The longer this old highway grows.

Pistol Pete ran a big Kenworth with an arrow down the side.
I saw him stop on the highway once and give a little girl a ride.
I believe that was about a year ago and I think she's with him still.-
She'll be planted in the cab of that Kenworth Truck
Until old Pistol Pete has had his fill!

Rpt. Chorus

Sometime on I hit that Old CB and called for that Pistol Pete.-
He said, Come on, and so we started in
To give those air-waves a whole lot of heat.

I said, Have you heard from the Crimson Rose, and he said, She's a'doin' fine,
She's got a six foot Texan ridin' sleeper berth,
I guess ol' Pistol Pete ran out of time!

Rpt. Chorus

1980...Modesto, ca.

Songs For Truckers - Page Two