Roll On (Eighteen Wheeler)
Encyclopedia
"Roll On" is a song made famous by the country music
band Alabama
. Written by Dave Loggins
, the song was released in 1984 as the title track to the band's fifth album. It became the group's 12 straight No. 1 single on the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles
chart.
truck driver
. Here, the story is that of a man who drives an over-the-road semitrailer truck to support his wife and three children.
As the story begins, the man (referred to only as "Daddy") leaves for a several-day trip through the Midwest. When the children gather around their mother in sadness, she says all they need to do is remember the song their father had taught them ("Roll on highway, roll on along, roll on Daddy 'til you get back home, roll on family, roll on crew, roll on mama like I asked you to do"); those lyrics serve as the refrain of the song.
In the song's second verse, the man's wife (known here as "Mama") receives a late-night phone call from an unnamed source, informing her that the highway patrol had found a semitrailer truck jackknifed in a snowbank along an interstate highway in Illinois
. Despite learning that the search for her husband had been called off due to the fierce blizzard, and that Daddy had not been found at any of the local houses or motels, Mama remains confident that Daddy will be found alive. The woman and her children are left to pray for Daddy's safety, and in sadness and anticipation of a long night of worrying, sing the refrain to the song to comfort them.
In the final verse, Mama and the children wait up all night long, thinking that the next phone call will bring the worst possible news. However, "the Man upstairs" (an American reference to God) was listening – when the phone rings and Mama answers it, the voice on the other end is that of Daddy, apparently safe and sound. He asks if they had been singing that song during the search for him.
chatter and — toward the end of the song — an extra repetition of the refrain.
Much like the Greatest Hits 3 version of "If You're Gonna Play in Texas (You Gotta Have a Fiddle in the Band)
", the version of "Roll On" on Greatest Hits 2 is slightly different as well, featuring a quick fadeout to omit the truck sounds at the end.
On the Livin' Lovin' Rockin' Rollin'
box set, the album version is presented in its entirety with no crossfade to "Carolina Mountain Dewe", as well as a slight extension of the opening truck sound effects.
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
band Alabama
Alabama (band)
Alabama is a country music and southern rock band from Fort Payne, Alabama, United States. The band was founded in 1969 by Randy Owen and his cousin Teddy Gentry , soon joined by Jeff Cook...
. Written by Dave Loggins
Dave Loggins
David Allen "Dave" Loggins is a singer, songwriter and musician. He is widely remembered for his 1974 composition "Please Come to Boston", which was a top-10 hit in the U.S. for him, and was subsequently covered by numerous other artists. He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame...
, the song was released in 1984 as the title track to the band's fifth album. It became the group's 12 straight No. 1 single on the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
chart.
Story
"Roll On (Eighteen Wheeler)" was Alabama's contribution to an honored tradition in country music: the tribute to the AmericanUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
truck driver
Truck driver
A truck driver , is a person who earns a living as the driver of a truck, usually a semi truck, box truck, or dump truck.Truck drivers provide an essential service to...
. Here, the story is that of a man who drives an over-the-road semitrailer truck to support his wife and three children.
As the story begins, the man (referred to only as "Daddy") leaves for a several-day trip through the Midwest. When the children gather around their mother in sadness, she says all they need to do is remember the song their father had taught them ("Roll on highway, roll on along, roll on Daddy 'til you get back home, roll on family, roll on crew, roll on mama like I asked you to do"); those lyrics serve as the refrain of the song.
In the song's second verse, the man's wife (known here as "Mama") receives a late-night phone call from an unnamed source, informing her that the highway patrol had found a semitrailer truck jackknifed in a snowbank along an interstate highway in Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. Despite learning that the search for her husband had been called off due to the fierce blizzard, and that Daddy had not been found at any of the local houses or motels, Mama remains confident that Daddy will be found alive. The woman and her children are left to pray for Daddy's safety, and in sadness and anticipation of a long night of worrying, sing the refrain to the song to comfort them.
In the final verse, Mama and the children wait up all night long, thinking that the next phone call will bring the worst possible news. However, "the Man upstairs" (an American reference to God) was listening – when the phone rings and Mama answers it, the voice on the other end is that of Daddy, apparently safe and sound. He asks if they had been singing that song during the search for him.
Single edit and alternate versions
The album version of "Roll On (Eighteen Wheeler)" is approximately 40 seconds longer than the 7-inch single released for radio airplay and retail sale. The album version can be distinguished by sound effects of a semitrailer truck (both the engine starting and, at the song's end, traveling down the highway), citizens' band radioCitizens' band radio
Citizens' Band radio is, in many countries, a system of short-distance radio communications between individuals on a selection of 40 channels within the 27-MHz band. Citizens' Band is distinct from the FRS, GMRS, MURS and amateur radio...
chatter and — toward the end of the song — an extra repetition of the refrain.
Much like the Greatest Hits 3 version of "If You're Gonna Play in Texas (You Gotta Have a Fiddle in the Band)
If You're Gonna Play in Texas (You Gotta Have a Fiddle in the Band)
"If You're Gonna Play in Texas " is a song written by Murray Kellum and Dan Mitchell, and recorded by American country music band Alabama...
", the version of "Roll On" on Greatest Hits 2 is slightly different as well, featuring a quick fadeout to omit the truck sounds at the end.
On the Livin' Lovin' Rockin' Rollin'
Livin' Lovin' Rockin' Rollin': The 25th Anniversary Collection
Livin' Lovin' Rockin' Rollin': The 25th Anniversary Collection is a three-disc box set chronicling the career of country music band Alabama...
box set, the album version is presented in its entirety with no crossfade to "Carolina Mountain Dewe", as well as a slight extension of the opening truck sound effects.
Chart positions
| Chart (1984) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 1 |