Convoy (Song) Information

"Convoy" is a 1975 novelty song performed by C. W. McCall (pseudonym of Bill Fries) that became a number-one song on both the country and pop charts in the United States. Written by McCall and Chip Davis, the song spent six weeks at number one on the country charts ^[1] and one week at number one on the pop charts. The song went to number one in Canada as well, hitting the top of the RPM Top Singles Chart on January 24, 1976.^[2] "Convoy" further peaked at number two in the UK. The song's success helped start a fad for citizens band (CB) radio. The song was the inspiration for the 1978 Sam Peckinpah film Convoy.

The song

The song consists of three types of interspersed dialog: a simulated CB conversation with CB slang, the narration of the story, and the chorus. It is about a fictitious trucker rebellion that drives from the west to the east coast of the United States without stopping. What they are protesting against (other than the 55 mph speed limit), is shown by lines such as "We tore up all our swindle sheets and left 'em settin' on scales." (The reference is to log sheets used to record driving hours. These sheets were referred to on occasion as 'swindle sheets' as their entries were often falsified to show that drivers were getting proper sleep when, in reality, the drivers were driving more than the prescribed number of hours before mandatory rest. 'Scales' refers to Department of Transportation weigh stations on Interstates and highways to verify the weight of the truck and the drivers' hours of working through log books.) The song also refers to toll roads: "We just ain't a-gonna pay no toll."

The conversation is between "Rubber Duck," "Pig Pen" and "Sodbuster," primarily through Rubber Duck's side of the conversation. The narration and CB chatter are by Fries.

At the beginning of the song a "Kenworth pullin' logs," being driven by Rubber Duck, is the "front door" (the leader) of three eighteen-wheelers (tractor and semi-trailer) when he realizes they have a convoy. Following the Rubber Duck is an unnamed trucker in a "cab-over Pete with a reefer on" (a refrigerated trailer, hauled by a Peterbilt truck configured with the cab over the engine), while Pig Pen brings up the rear (the "back door") in a "'Jimmy' (GMC truck) haulin' hogs."

The convoy begins toward "Flagtown" (Flagstaff, Arizona) at night on June 6 on "I-one-oh" (I-10) just outside "Shakytown" (Los Angeles, California, due to its earth tremors). By the time they get to "Tulsatown" (Tulsa, Oklahoma), there are 85 trucks and the "bears / Smokeys" (police, a reference to the campaign hats worn by many state police departments as well as the United States Forest Service mascot Smokey Bear) have set up a road block and have a "bear in the air" (police helicopter). By the time they get to "Chi-town" (Chicago, Illinois), the convoy includes "Sodbuster" (another trucker in an unspecified make of truck), a "suicide jockey" (truck hauling explosives) and "eleven long-haired friends of Jesus (11 born-again hippies) in a chartreuse microbus" (a Volkswagen Type 2), and the police have called out "reinforcements from the 'Illi-noise' (Illinois) National Guard." The convoy crashes another road block when crossing a toll bridge into New Jersey, and by this time they have "a thousand screamin' trucks" in all.

The song's running gag has Rubber Duck complaining about the smell of the hogs that Pig Pen is hauling. He repeatedly asks the offending driver to "back off" (fall further behind). By the end, Pig Pen has fallen so far back that when Rubber Duck is in New Jersey, Pig Pen has only gotten as far as Omaha (a reference to the headquarters of American Gramaphone, which released the song, and also a reference to the slaughterhouses for which Omaha is famous). Also, Omaha was C.W. McCall's home 20.

Critical reception

Most recently in 2010, the song is criticized by Matthew Wilkening of AOL Radio, who ranked it at #14 on the list of the 100 Worst Songs Ever and questioned, "How dumb was all that '10-4, good buddy' stuff?" then laughed in Internet slang while continuing, "We would never do something that stupid!"^[3] TGWTG internet reviewer Todd in the Shadows placed this song as the 2nd worst hit song released in 1976 (only behind "Afternoon Delight" by the Starland Vocal Band).^[4]

Chart performance

Sequel

McCall's "'Round the World with the Rubber Duck" is the sequel to "Convoy." In this continuation, the convoy leaves the United States and travels around the world, through Britain, France, West and East Germany, the USSR, Japan, and Australia.

Remakes

C. W. McCall recorded a new version of the song with saltier lyrics for the soundtrack of the 1978 film Convoy. McCall also made two additional re-recordings of the original song, one for his 1990 album The Real McCall: An American Storyteller, and the other for the 2003 Mannheim Steamroller album American Spirit. He also recorded a Christmas version titled "Christmas Convoy."

In 1976 a parody, Convoy GB, featuring BBC Radio 1 DJs Dave Lee Travis and Paul Burnett as Laurie Lingo & The Dipsticks, made #4 on the UK singles chart. In this version, the two truckers are "Superscouse" and "Plastic Chicken".

In 1981, rap artist Blowfly recorded a "dirty" rap version of the song on his album Rappin Dancing and Laughin.

In 2010, country-rap artist Colt Ford recorded the song for his 2010 album Chicken & Biscuits.

Paul Brandt version

The song was covered in 2004 by Paul Brandt. The video features Brandt and fellow country singers Jason McCoy and Aaron Lines as well as then Calgary Flames defensemen Mike Commodore and Rhett Warrener as truckers and George Canyon, of Nashville Star fame, as the highway patrol officer. The video can be seen on CMT in both Canada and the United States.

Paul Brandt was at the Dauphin Country Music Festival in Manitoba and saw a trucking company with his name on it. After some talking, the owner of the company agreed to let Paul Brandt use his trucks for the music video.

References

1. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 220.
2. ^ http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.4077a&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=kjerdnvbvl3a8p4jfufutrc7u6
3. ^ Wilkening, Matthew (2010-09-11). "100 Worst Songs Ever -- Part Five of Five". AOL Radio. http://www.aolradioblog.com/2010/09/11/100-worst-songs-ever-part-five-of-five/. Retrieved 2010-12-25.
4. ^ Nathanson, Todd (2011-04-14). "Top Ten Worst Hit Songs of 1976". Channel Awesome. http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/videolinks/teamt/tis/tpsr/30597-top-ten-worst-hit-songs-of-1976.

External links

• C.W. McCall: An American Legend

Categories: 1975 singles | 1976 singles | C. W. McCall songs | Novelty songs | Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles | Billboard Hot Country Songs number-one singles | Billboard Hot Country Songs number-one singles of the year | Number-one singles in New Zealand | Paul Brandt songs | Trucking industry in the United States | RPM Top Singles number-one singles | Ferlin Husky songs | Boxcar Willie songs | Songs about trucks

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