C.W. McCall – Convoy (1975)

About the song

“Convoy” by C.W. McCall is an iconic song that vividly captures the spirit of the 1970s trucking culture. Written by Bill Fries (under the pseudonym C.W. McCall) and Chip Davis, the song was released in 1975 as part of the album “Black Bear Road.” “Convoy” became a massive hit, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and the Country Singles chart, reflecting its widespread appeal across different audiences.

C.W. McCall, the alter ego of advertising executive and musician Bill Fries, created a character that embodied the independent, freewheeling lifestyle of truck drivers. The song “Convoy” tells the story of a massive convoy of trucks that come together in solidarity to outwit law enforcement and protest against strict regulations. The lyrics, filled with CB radio jargon and trucker slang, bring to life the camaraderie and rebellious spirit that defined the trucking community at the time.

The song’s narrative, combined with its catchy chorus and rhythmic drive, made it an instant classic. It not only topped the charts in the United States but also gained popularity internationally, resonating with listeners in Canada and the United Kingdom. “Convoy” was a cultural phenomenon, inspiring a 1978 film of the same name directed by Sam Peckinpah and starring Kris Kristofferson and Ali MacGraw. The movie further cemented the song’s place in pop culture history.

“Convoy” also played a significant role in popularizing the CB radio craze of the 1970s, as people from all walks of life became fascinated with the truckers’ unique form of communication. The song’s success can be attributed to its ability to capture a specific moment in American history, blending humor, adventure, and a sense of rebellion.

Today, “Convoy” remains a beloved classic, evoking nostalgia for a bygone era of American road culture. Its memorable lyrics and upbeat tempo continue to entertain and inspire new generations of listeners, ensuring that the legacy of C.W. McCall and his tribute to the trucking world lives on.

Video

Lyrics

Ah, breaker one-nine, this here’s the Rubber Duck. You gotta copy on me, Pig Pen, c’mon? Ah, yeah, 10-4, Pig Pen, fer shure, fer shure. By golly, it’s clean clear to Flag Town, c’mon. Yeah, that’s a big 10-4 there, Pig Pen, yeah, we definitely got the front door, good buddy. Mercy sakes alive, looks like we got us a convoy…

Was the dark of the moon on the sixth of June
In a Kenworth pullin’ logs
Cab-over Pete with a reefer on
And a Jimmy haulin’ hogs

We is headin’ for bear on I-10
‘Bout a mile outta Shaky Town
I says, “Pig Pen, this here’s the Rubber Duck”
“And I’m about to put the hammer down”

‘Cause we got a little convoy
Rockin’ through the night
Yeah, we got a little convoy
Ain’t she a beautiful sight?

Come on and join our convoy
Ain’t nothin’ gonna get in our way
We gonna roll this truckin’ convoy
‘Cross the USA, convoy

Ah, breaker, Pig Pen, this here’s the Duck. And, you wanna back off them hogs? Yeah, 10-4, ’bout five mile or so. Ten, roger. Them hogs is gettin’ in-tense up here

By the time we got into Tulsa Town
We had eighty-five trucks in all
But they’s a roadblock up on the cloverleaf
And them bears was wall-to-wall

Yeah, them smokies is thick as bugs on a bumper
They even had a bear in the air
I says, “Callin’ all trucks, this here’s the Duck
We about to go a-huntin’ bear”

‘Cause we got a great big convoy
Rockin’ through the night
Yeah, we got a great big convoy
Ain’t she a beautiful sight?

Come on and join our convoy
Ain’t nothin’ gonna get in our way
We gonna roll this truckin’ convoy
‘Cross the USA, convoy

Ah, you wanna give me a 10-9 on that, Pig Pen? Negatory, Pig Pen; you’re still too close. Yeah, them hogs is startin’ to close up my sinuses. Mercy sakes, you better back off another ten

Well, we rolled up Interstate 44
Like a rocket sled on rails
We tore up all of our swindle sheets
And left ’em settin’ on the scales

By the time we hit that Chi-town
Them bears was a-gettin’ smart
They’d brought up some reinforcements
From the Illinois National Guard

There’s armored cars and tanks and jeeps
And rigs of ev’ry size
Yeah, them chicken coops was full’a bears
And choppers filled the skies

Well, we shot the line and we went for broke
With a thousand screamin’ trucks
An’ eleven long-haired Friends a’ Jesus
In a chartreuse micra-bus

Ah, Rubber Duck to Sodbuster, come over. Yeah, 10-4, Sodbuster? Lissen, you wanna put that micra-bus right behind that suicide jockey? Yeah, he’s haulin’ dynamite, and he needs all the help he can get

Well, we laid a strip for the Jersey shore
And prepared to cross the line
I could see the bridge was lined with bears
But I didn’t have a dog-goned dime

I says, “Pig Pen, this here’s the Rubber Duck
We just ain’t a-gonna pay no toll”
So we crashed the gate doing ninety-eight
I says “Let them truckers roll, 10-4”

‘Cause we got a mighty convoy
Rockin’ through the night
Yeah, we got a mighty convoy
Ain’t she a beautiful sight?

Come on and join our convoy
Ain’t nothin’ gonna get in our way
We gonna roll this truckin’ convoy
‘Cross the USA

Convoy! Ah, 10-4, Pig Pen, what’s your twenty?
Convoy! Omaha? Well, they oughta know what to do with them hogs out there fer shure. Well, mercy
Convoy! sakes, good buddy, we gonna back on outta here, so keep the bugs off your glass and the bears off your…
Convoy! tail. We’ll catch you on the flip-flop. This here’s the Rubber Duck on the side
Convoy! We gone. ‘Bye,’bye