Darrell had an uncle
was a lifelong trucker
the family always called him
a drunken hard-lucker
Darrell sure liked him
but his mama sure didn’t
taught him how to ride a bike
keep his magazines hidden
but the uncle got cancer
ended up bedridden
just 51 in that year
all the time he was given
and some truckers die lonely
some truckers die young
they got stories to tell
some got songs to be sung
Darrell sat by his uncle
heard every last one
they all went something like this
I lived my life on that old Interstate
loved the shift of the trailer
and the creak of the crates
never stopped sweatin’ that truck bein’ late
haulin’ down that ol’ windin’ road
and I gave my life to that old Interstate
skatin’ town clowns and makin’ my weight
ain’t gon’ miss them threes and them eights
livin’ by an old truckers code
he left enough money to be buried or burned
said he didn’t much care when it came to his turn
and if there was one regret
it was that he never learned
how to fly-fish down on the Hatchee
and some truckers die lonely
and some truckers die old
and they sure ain’t the only ones
chasin’ that gold
Darrell sat by his uncle
as his tales were all told
they all went something like this
I’m gonna miss that old Interstate
‘cuz I been everywhere, man
I been every place
I’ve seen heaven and hell
damnation and grace
haulin’ down that windin’ road
I’m gonna miss that old Interstate
and the woman that loved me
who told me she’d wait
but I never believed
in the cross or the fates
they just weren’t what I come to know
Darrell threw a flower
on his uncle’s small grave
and it didn’t seem much
for all the things that he gave
but in that final hour
I guess a moment was saved
and with one final touch
he heard that old trucker say
I lived my life on that old Interstate
loved the shift of the trailer
and the creak of the crates
never stopped sweatin’ that truck bein’ late
haulin’ down that ol’ windin’ road
and I gave my life to that old Interstate
skatin’ town clowns and makin’ my weight
ain’t gon’ miss them threes and them eights
livin’ by an old truckers code
I’m gonna miss that old Interstate
‘cuz I been everywhere, man
I been every place
I’ve seen heaven and hell
damnation and grace
haulin’ down that windin’ road
I’m gonna miss that old Interstate
and the woman that loved me
who told me she’d wait
but I never believed
in the cross or the fates
they just weren’t what I come to know
they just weren’t what I come to know