Hard to believe we've made it into the triple digits already and by now you would think it would be difficult to find a song worth writing about and in most bands catalogs you would be right however in this case we still got a ways to go.

So I was choosing between two different songs this week and ended up going with 18 Wheels Of Love. When I first got into DBT I downloaded maybe a dozen different tracks, sort of a sampler with the version off of Gangstabilly in there somewhere. I liked it right away, I thought it was a nice catchy little story with a good pretty fitting rythym to it. Then after some time I heard the Alabama Ass Whuppin' version of it and was blown away by the whole backstory and the way Patterson delivers it.




Mama ran off with a trucker
Mama ran off with a trucker
Mama ran off with a trucker
Peterbilt Peterbilt

He is making her give life another stab
They can see the world from way up in the cab

Mama ran off with a trucker...........
Peterbilt Peterbilt

She can quit her job and be his little bride
He can get a local route and stay home by her side
She can fix him roast beast and sweet potato pie
He can eat a lot of it cuz he's a big ole guy

They got married in Dollywood
(by a Porter Waggoner lookalike)
18 Wheels of Love

for Mom and Chester, on the occasion of their marriage, July 1994

lyrics by Patterson Hood
music by Drive-by Truckers
©1998 Soul Dump Music

Good one Sub. This one was an early favorite when I was first getting into the band. My first thought was "holy shit, a song about a big rig", then I realized that it wasn't about that at all. It was about resiliency, happy endings and how, in the end, everybody needs love. Live, with the whole story it was a life affirming song of the kind that Patterson and the band have always done so well. As the story evolved through the years it became even more so. Unfortunately, as we all know, that story has had it's final chapter now and the song will never be the same, but it did it's job. It's one of those songs that let us in a bit and make us care, and it's only one of many. How many bands have even one?

AAW version > Gangstabilly version > ACL version

The Truckers played this at the first show of there's I ever attended and I had never heard the song before. I liked it immediately and had to get a copy of my own. Fantastic song.

I swear I had heard this song a dozen times before I picked out the lines about Porter Waggoner. So funny. Kills me every time.

I also prefer the version on Alabama Ass Whuppin'. It's also the version I use to use to introduce friends to the Truckers, just as much for the intro as for the song itself. It also always reminds me of their long out of print bumperstickers that said "Mama Ran Off With A Trucker". At my first ever Truckers show at the Local 506 in Chapel Hill back in 2000, Patterson showered the crowd with them.

Yeah, i admit it: The first time I ever heard this song, I thought they were saying "Pay the Bills, Pay the Bills" or something like that, as opposed to "Peterbilt, Peterbilt". Yeah, I know. moronic.

I love this tune live. When Patterson was telling the extended story version live, on more than a couple of occasions the tale and the tune brought some wetness to my old blue eyes.

playing the extended version is a good way to hook people to this band...this song is so perfect...it's ART to me..F- Picasso

dime in the gutter wrote:muscle and gut

The biggest, meanest motherfucker at R&D Trucking.

I love the drumming on the studio cut. Powerful, but not flashy at all.

Love the extended story - and speaking of, anyone else notice that Stockton, CA declared bankruptcy a few weeks ago? And San Bernardino today. And Mammoth Lakes earlier. Scary.

ramonz wrote:Love the extended story - and speaking of, anyone else notice that Stockton, CA declared bankruptcy a few weeks ago? And San Bernardino today. And Mammoth Lakes earlier. Scary.

Yes, very scary but not all that surprising coming about a year after CA resorted to paying its bills w/ scrip for a while.

Patterson did this at Criminal Records when he played Record Store Day earlier this year - first time I'd ever seen any DBT stuff live. Someone called out for the song, and he said, "Story or the song?" Everyone shouted out "BOTH!" So he did the whole thing. Best introduction to him and the whole DBT live experience.

Tequila Cowboy wrote:Good one Sub. This one was an early favorite when I was first getting into the band. My first thought was "holy shit, a song about a big rig", then I realized that it wasn't about that at all. It was about resiliency, happy endings and how, in the end, everybody needs love. Live, with the whole story it was a life affirming song of the kind that Patterson and the band have always done so well. As the story evolved through the years it became even more so. Unfortunately, as we all know, that story has had it's final chapter now and the song will never be the same, but it did it's job. It's one of those songs that let us in a bit and make us care, and it's only one of many. How many bands have even one?

Absolutely TC, I just watched and put up this killer version as the video of the day
and thought Id put it here as well...I have always loved this song and I to thought
Patterson was saying " Paid her bills" to .,..lol.....but anyways yep I love it.

Here is the video.......

How does the story end now that Chester has passed?

I was at the ACL filming and almost cried. Still get chills every time I listen to it.

great song, but either of the extended versions are the only ones i listen to. those backing vocals on the studio version are really annoying.

-justin

ford911 wrote:How does the story end now that Chester has passed?

I was at the ACL filming and almost cried. Still get chills every time I listen to it.

When Patterson introduced it at Criminal Records, he said, "I don't do this much anymore, because Chester's gone." But that was the only intro to it. He's left the rest of the story the same.

They performed the song last night in Madison. Patterson mentioned his mom is now engaged to a dude she met through Match.com.

sjsteuck wrote:They performed the song last night in Madison. Patterson mentioned his mom is now engaged to a dude she met through Match.com.

Sounds like a new song in the making.

Sub wrote:

sjsteuck wrote:They performed the song last night in Madison. Patterson mentioned his mom is now engaged to a dude she met through Match.com.

Sounds like a new song in the making.

64 gigs of love?

"I was broke, and I didn't have no money".

"Three TV Sets like Elvis The King used to have"

Ok, bear with me on this, I promise it all ties together.

I had an epiphany tonight. We live in Madison, AL (Think Huntsville) and we were going to Florence for my son's basketball game. On the way over we saw a sign for a company Ballantine Trucking. My MIL said that her old employee's father name was Ballantine and he owned a little place called R&D Trucking.

I perked up and asked the name again and she repeated "R&D Trucking!" I about lost it. I proceeded to tell them the love story that we all know so well.

Been a Trucker fan for many many years and it's like I found a lost puzzle piece tonight.

Thanks for lending my your ear.

Peace Y'all!

Les

What a great story and connection to the song! Thank you for sharing. If you are new to 3DD, please don’t be a stranger; we are a pretty friendly group!!!

JustATrucker wrote: ↑

Fri Jan 15, 2021 11:47 pm

Ok, bear with me on this, I promise it all ties together.

I had an epiphany tonight. We live in Madison, AL (Think Huntsville) and we were going to Florence for my son's basketball game. On the way over we saw a sign for a company Ballantine Trucking. My MIL said that her old employee's father name was Ballantine and he owned a little place called R&D Trucking.

I perked up and asked the name again and she repeated "R&D Trucking!" I about lost it. I proceeded to tell them the love story that we all know so well.

Been a Trucker fan for many many years and it's like I found a lost puzzle piece tonight.

Thanks for lending my your ear.

Peace Y'all!

Les