Friday, June 6, 2008

18 Wheels and a Dozen Roses :: Kathy Mattea

Friday greetings, friends! This week, my posting take me back to my time as kid, listening to my dad's favorite music. Growing up, I went through musical phases with my dad - from Bob Dylan and Peter, Paul & Mary to the Beatles' White Album and Bonnie Rait to the Dixie Chicks, I sat with my dad by first by the turntable, and later, the CD player, and soaked it in. In fourth grade, while my friends listened to top 40 radio and found Ace of Base, I knew all the words to "Buckets of Rain" and "Something to Talk About." Today's post reflects that era of my life. My dad has always been a fan of country music - not the mass-produced cheap stuff that's on every other heartland radio station, but good old-fashioned bluesy, bluegrass country, complete with steel guitar, upright bass and all that good stuff. A favorite album of my dad's and mine - after the peak of our Dylan obsession and before we discovered the Dixie Chicks, was Kathy Mattea's "A Collection of Hits." The following was one of my favorite songs on that record, which I listened to several times through on my last road trip from Chicago to Ohio. Below is a live performance of the song. I almost decided not to post this video because Mattea stps and talks for a couple of minutes halfway through the song, but then she mentions the word "hootenany," and I was suckered into using this version... :-) Enjoy.




Charlie's got a gold watch

Don't seem like a whole lot

After thirty years of drivin'

Up and down the interstate

But Charlie's had a good life

And Charlie's got a good wife

And after tonight she'll no longer be countin' the days

CHORUS

Eighteen wheels and a dozen roses

Ten more miles on his four day run

A few more songs on the all night radio

And he'll spend the rest if his life with the one that he loves



They'll buy a Winnebago

Set out to find America

Do a lotta catchin' up

A little at a time

With pieces of the old dream

They're gonna light the old flame

Doin' what they please

Leavin every other reason behind

1 comment:

gitfiddler said...

I've heard the title of the song but never knew what it sounded like until now. I adore it!
Thanks for posting, Sumnah! See you sooN!