McCall did a sequel song to Convoy. The convoy had been headed east and when they hit the coast, with nowhere to go, the Rubber Duck called up the microbus to lead the way across the Atlantic. Those that didn’t make it “just didn’t have enough faith.” They cruised on through Europe, heading east. Truckers just loved the German autobahn too.
Baker, I have that burned on CD in my bus as well. Has a piratey chorus to it with a few Yo Ho Ho’s and such. Been a while since I’ve listened to it.
As long as we’re celebrating “C.W.,” I have to mention one of my favorites http://www.narrowgauge.org/4x4/cw_pages/lyrics/spirit/wcp.html]Wolf Creek Pass
if only for
That’s a scene painted with an economy and poignancy that cries out for greater recognition. Where are those Pulitzer folks when it comes to recognizing quality writing?
Strange, I was just talking about C.W. McCall with a friend the other day.
I liked the song, “Lewis and Clark,” about two Iowa sherrif’s deputies:
“I’m Fairweather Lewis, and this here’s Willard Clark
And we’re the Potowatamie County weed patrol.”
That’s “Crispy Critters.” Based on a true story.
One of my favorite McCall songs is a bit more recent (around 1990)–“Comin’ Back For More,” the ballad of Alferd Packer of cannibal fame. Great chorus:
“It was a gen-u-wine original
Highly path-o-logical
Finger lickin’ digital cafe.
It was Al Packer’s legendary
Culinary
Fast food
Cannibal Bar and Buffet.”
BTW, Bill Fries is in his 70s now, lives in Ouray, Colorado (where he was once the mayor.)
“Hunting bear” – could this refer to trying to find police with radar detectors, etc.? One of the big draws of CB radio was that it let drivers warn each other about police ahead.
I’m suprised no one has mentioned this:
“We just ain’t a-gonna pay no toll.”
So we crashed the gate
Doing ninety-eight
And just let them truckers roll, 10-4.
Now that might be another reason they’d get in trouble with the law.
(Every now and then, I still hear the phrase “crash the gate doing ninety-eight.”)
Thanks for all the help, guys. As for the “swindle sheets”, I forgot to ask but thanks for clearing that up anyway.
OK, I have to ask. Do truckers routinely break laws? Are they continuously in trouble with the police? This is the image you get from trucker movies, this song et al. If it’s real, why do they need to speed so much? Are they really in that much of a hurry?
I did mention that part in the original post. It’s one of the last lines of the song, long after they get in trouble with the law.
Keep in mind the suicide jockey was hauling dynamite–and that mighty convoy was indeed traveling nearly at a hundred miles per hour. It’s no wonder they called out the National Guard–this was a terrorist emergency; with those eleven long-haired friends of Jesus in the chartreuse microbus involved, you can’t fault the law enforcement community for ocncluding that it was clearly a fanatic religious cult hellbent on some suicide mission.
The faster they drive the more loads they can deliver in a given time. They also can deliver more by working more hours (regulations restrict the number of hours truckers can drive). More work = more money. So there is a financial incentive to skirt the laws.
A few months back, my wife and I were talking about some of the records that her parents had when she was a kid and the subject of C.W. McCall and Convoy came up. Not having heard the song for about 25 years, I was surprised how much if it I remembered. Then, as I was looking at the lyrics (I had to look them up, of course), I had an “ah-ha!” moment. When I was a kid and had heard the song, I only paid attention to the conflicts between the truckers and “smokey”. When I saw the line about being on “I one oh”, it suddenly occured to me that he also described a specific trip with a specific route. Funny the things we miss when we’re kids. I didn’t drive and I wasn’t familiar with the interstate highway system, so that part didn’t mean much. I think about it years later and suddenly see what I didn’t many years ago.
Damn I feel old! I remember when C.W.McCall’s stuff was all the rage! I loved “Wolf Creek Pass” the very most. I still think of it when I go under overpasses. “Took that top layer of chickens off slicker 'n scum off a Loosianna swamp” yeah thats a visual!
Damn I am gonna have to find them again!
Sorry 'bout that, good buddy. I must have read the post too fast.
What Little Nemo said. I’ve seen trucks going at insane speeds in the worst kind of weather. Obviously, the faster they can haul freight, the more hauls they can do, the more money they can make. And if they can get away with carrying more weight than the law allows, it’s a bonus. I look at “Convoy” as a rebellion fantasy about breaking all the rules.
I’ve driven through the real Wolf Creek Pass. In a blizzard. I’m lucky to be alive.
Will this do? 
Just to narrow it down a little bit… The “C” in C.W. McCall is Chip Davis, the “W” is Bill “William” Fries. Chip wrote the music, Bill was the singer. Chip Davis and the musicians for C.W. McCall ARE Manheim Steamroller. When the the McCall songs ran their course they switched over to the new synthesizer/electronic/new age music. Chip talks about it in “The Real McCall” album where he and Bill got back together to re-record all the old songs in stereo for a new release 20 or so years after the original Convoy came out.
I’ve listened to this now. It’s freaking hilarious. Unfortunately Pricegal doesn’t agree, so I’m experiencing domestic disturbances right now.
How have I managed to not find this discussion in all these years? Especially since I’m the number two resource for C.W. McCall (Bill Fries would be number one).
There is much truth in this discussion, but some errors. For better information, please consult cw-mccall.com. Thank you.
Ed. the Space Cadet, Leader of the Crispy Critters
You know, I was reading this thread and wondering why no-one was linking to the song… until I looked at the dates and reaized that it was pre-Youtube. That makes it almost as archaic as, well, CB.
Ahhh! Zombie truckers!
Hauling a load of brains, do doubt.