I'm a Truck

Infobox Single
Name = I'm a Truck


Artist = Red Simpson
from Album =
A-side =
B-side =
Released = November 1971 (U.S.)
Format = 7"
Recorded = 1971
Genre = Country, truck-driving country
Length = 3:12
Label = Capitol Records
Writer = Robert Stanton
Producer =
Last single =
This single =
Next single =

"I'm a Truck" is a song made famous by country music singer Red Simpson. Originally released in 1971, the song — sometimes known as "Hello, I'm a Truck" — became Simpson's biggest hit single, reaching No. 4 on the "Billboard" Hot Country Singles chart in January 1972.

About the song

Producer Gene Breeden had been looking for artists for his label, Portland Limited, when he recevied a song called "I'm a Truck" from songwriter Robert Stanton. Breeden and Simpson met in Vancouver, Washington in 1971, where Simpson agreed to record the song. That fall, it was picked up for national distribution by Capitol Records. [ [http://www.virtualtruckroute.com/music_lyrics_helloimatruck.html Virtual Truck Route Web site] ]

A truck's story never told

Although the song is about truck driving, "I'm a Truck" is specifically about life on the road through the eyes of a truck. Instead of giving praise to the hard work of the truck driver (as most truck-driving songs had), the truck — whose story is told in first-person narrative — takes a cynical look at the profession. For instance, he (the truck) paints the man who drives him as an arrogant braggart. For instance, the truck driver shares a story of topping a long, steep hill with ease but, as the truck points out, conveniently forgets other situations such as missing a gear and causing the truck's engine to stall or nearly driving off the road when he misses a curve. In the former instance, a "Volkswagen bus full of hippies passed us like I was sitting up on jacks"; in the latter case, if it hadn't been for the truck's efforts to stay on the road, "we'd both wound up in the ditch."

After bemoaning his thankless situation of never getting credit for the truck driver's job well done, he continues to muse about his life: The trucker flirts with waitresses but never tips them; he winds up parked next to a smelly cattle truck (instead of a pink Mack with "pretty mudflaps" and chromed stacks); the trucker beats on the tires with an iron (the truck wishes aloud he'd have "a flat on the inside dual" to teach the driver a lesson); and the trucker will probably "take out that tape cartridge of Buck Owens and play him again (instead of the artist that the truck apparently really enjoys, Merle Haggard).

References and sources

References

ources

*Whitburn, Joel, "Top Country Songs: 1944-2005," 2006.