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Convoy (song)

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"Convoy"
SinglebyC. W. McCall
from the albumBlack Bear Road
B-side"Long Lonesome Road"
ReleasedNovember 1975
Recorded1975
Genre
Length3:49
LabelMGM
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Don Sears
  • Chip Davis
C. W. McCallsingles chronology
"Black Bear Road"
(1975) 		"Convoy"
(1975) 		"There Won't Be No Country Music (There Won't Be No Rock 'n' Roll)"
(1976)

"Convoy"is a 1975novelty songperformed byC. W. McCall(a character co-created and voiced by Bill Fries, along withChip Davis) that became a number-one song on both the country and pop charts in the US and is listed 98th amongRolling Stonemagazine's 100 Greatest Country Songs of All Time.[1]Written by McCall and Chip Davis, the song spent six weeks at number one on the country charts[2]and one week at number one on the pop charts. The song went to number one inCanadaas well, hitting the top of theRPMTop Singles Chart on January 24, 1976.[3]"Convoy" also peaked at number two in the UK. The song capitalized on the fad forcitizens band(CB)radio.The song was the inspiration for the 1978Sam PeckinpahfilmConvoy,for which McCall rerecorded the song to fit the film's storyline.[4]

The song received newfound popularity with its use during the 2022Freedom Convoy.[5][6][7]In a call withWRIF's Drew & Mike Show shortly before he died, Fries expressed enthusiasm over the Freedom Convoy's use of his song "only because his biggest hit [was] getting a second life".[8][9]

Plot

[edit]

The song consists of three types of interspersed dialogue: a simulatedCBconversation withCB slang,the narration of the story, and thechorus.It is about a fictional trucker rebellion that drives from the West Coast to the East Coast of the United States without stopping.[10]What they are protesting (other than the55 mph speed limit,then recently introduced in response to the1973 oil crisis) is shown by lines such as "we tore up all of our swindle sheets" (CB slang for log sheets used to record driving hours; the term referred to the practice of falsifying entries 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) and "left 'em sittin' on the scales" (CB slang for US Department of Transportationweigh stationson 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."[11]

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 McCall.[12]

At the beginning of the song, Rubber Duck is the "front door" (the leader) of threesemi-trailer trucks(tractorandsemi-trailer) when he realizes they have aconvoy.Following the Rubber Duck, Pig Pen brings up the rear (the "back door" ) in a "'Jimmy' haulin'hogs"(a truck powered by a two-stroke Detroit Diesel engine-A.K.A. Screamin' Jimmy, after Detroit Diesel's then-ownerGeneral Motors[13]-with a livestock semi-trailer loaded with live pigs). The two other trucks are aKenworthpullinglogs,and a cab-overPeterbiltwith a "reefer" (refrigerated trailer) attached; the lyrics are unclear which one of the two the Rubber Duck was driving (the sequel song "'Round the World with the Rubber Duck"more strongly implies he indeed is driving the Peterbilt,[14]which would be consistent with McCall's previous songs and commercials portraying him as a bread truck driver[15]).

The convoy begins at night on June 6 on "I-one-oh" (I-10) just outside "Shakeytown" (Los Angeles,California), as the Rubber Duck informs the two trucks that "it's clean clear to Flagtown" (Flagstaff, Arizona) and that he is going to "put the hammer down" ( "hammer" being theaccelerator pedal) as the convoy plans to "cross the USA". By the time they get to "Tulsatown" (Tulsa, Oklahoma), there are 85 trucks and the "bears / Smokeys" (state police,specifically thehighway patrol,who commonly wear the samecampaign hatsas theUnited States Forest ServicemascotSmokey Bear) have set up a road block on thecloverleaf interchangeand have a "bear in the air" (police helicopter). The convoy moves ontoInterstate 44,and by the time they reach "Chi-town"(Chicago,Illinois), the convoy—now 1,001 vehicles strong—includes a driver with the handle "Sodbuster", a "suicide jockey" (truck hauling explosives, in this case dynamite), and "11long-haired friends of Jesus"in a"chartreuse(Volkswagen) Microbus".Rubber Duck directs the Microbus behind the dynamite truck for divine protection. Meanwhile, the police have called out" reinforcements from the 'Illi-noise' (Illinois)National Guard"and have filled the" chicken coops "(weigh stations) in an effort to stall and/or break up the convoy. Rubber Duck tells the convoy to disregard the toll as they head for the state border and continue east toward theNew Jerseyshore, crashing through the toll gate at 98 miles per hour (158 km/h), well above thenational 55 mph limit in place at the time,in the process.

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" (slow down). By the end, Pig Pen has fallen so far back, when Rubber Duck is in New Jersey, Pig Pen got detached from the convoy between Tulsa and Chicago and ended up inOmaha, Nebraska(a reference to the headquarters ofAmerican Gramaphone,which released the song, as well asBozell & Jacobs,who created the C. W. McCall character; Omaha is infamous for its slaughterhouses, which a truck with cargo like the hogs hauled by Pig Pen would likely head to).

Chart history

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Sequel

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McCall's "'Round the World with the Rubber Duck"is the sequel to" Convoy ".[36]In this continuation, the convoy leaves the U.S. and travels around the world, through Britain,France,WestandEast Germany,theUSSR,Japan,andAustralia.[37]

Remakes and covers

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  • In 1976, a parody by Laurie Lingo & The Dipsticks entitled "Convoy GB" made No. 4 on the UK singles chart. The name "Laurie Lingo" is a pun; in the UK, a large truck is known as a "lorry", and thus "lorry lingo" would be "truckslang".The act actually consisted ofBBC Radio 1DJsDave Lee TravisandPaul Burnettwith "The Dipsticks" being theTop of the PopsvocalistsThe Ladybirds.The parody used the same tune, but altered the song's lyrics to take place in the UK, with dialogue featuring Travis and Burnett as truckers "Superscouse"and" Plastic Chicken ".
  • McCall himself recorded a new version of the song with saltier lyrics for the soundtrack of the 1978 filmConvoy.McCall also made two additional re-recordings of the original song, one for his 1990 albumThe Real McCall: An American Storyteller,and the other for the 2003Mannheim SteamrolleralbumAmerican Spirit.[citation needed]
  • Another parody, "Chat Room", was produced byBob Rivers.[38]
  • In 1981, rap artistBlowflyrecorded adirty rapversion of the song on his albumRappin Dancing and Laughin.This seven-minute version, describes an all-black convoy ofstrikebreakersdelivering Blowfly's album to New York City, concludes with a list of vulgar slang terms arranged in Alpha betical order and a dialogue between Blowfly and his alter ego, Clarence Reid.[citation needed]
  • In 1990, Karen and Wade Sheeler recorded a parody called "Car Phone", which later appeared on theDr. Demento 25th Anniversary Collection.[39]
  • In 2000,Pricelineaired atelevision commercialfeaturing actorWilliam Shatnerperforming the song with altered lyrics about the company's services.
  • In 2010,country-rapartistColt Fordrecorded the song for his 2010 albumChicken & Biscuits.[citation needed]
  • The Spanish groupMocedadesdid the song with the translated titleAirein their 1982 studio albumAmor de Hombre.[40]The Spanish lyrics for this song were written by Fernando De Diego.[41]
  • Rock novelty act They Might Be Giants sampled a line from Convoy in their 1988 track “The World’s Address” from the “Lincoln” album.

Paul Brandt version

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The song wascoveredin 2004 byPaul Brandt.[42]The video features Brandt and fellow country singersJason McCoyandAaron Linesas well as thenCalgary FlamesdefencemenMike CommodoreandRhett Warreneras truckers andGeorge Canyon,ofNashville Starfame, as the highway patrol officer. The video was seen onCMTin bothCanadaand theUnited States.It was filmed atCFB/ASU Wainwrighton Airfield 21. The song appears on the 2004 albumThis Time Around.

Brandt also recorded a Christmas version called "Christmas Convoy", which appears on the 2006 holiday albumA Gift.In this version, the convoy helpsSantadeliver his toys after a bad storm.

References

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  1. ^"100 Greatest Country Songs of All Time".Rolling Stone.June 1, 2014.RetrievedOctober 30,2017.
  2. ^Whitburn, Joel(2004).The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition.Record Research. p. 220.
  3. ^"Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada".Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Archived fromthe originalon October 20, 2012.RetrievedSeptember 17,2011.
  4. ^"Country Singer C.W. McCall of 'Convoy' Fame Dies at 93".Yahoo Sports.April 4, 2022.RetrievedMay 5,2023.
  5. ^Barnett, Betsy (March 2, 2022)."We Got Us a Convoy: The Colorado Freedom Convoy Heads East on I70 on Thursday".Kiowa County Independent.RetrievedApril 12,2022.
  6. ^Unterberger, Andrew (April 4, 2022)."Forever No. 1: C.W. McCall's 'Convoy'".Billboard.RetrievedApril 12,2022.
  7. ^"Country music star C.W. McCall dies at 93".MSN.April 12, 2022.RetrievedApril 12,2022.
  8. ^Dukes, Billy (February 17, 2022)."'Convoy' Singer C.W. McCall Is in Hospice ".Taste of Country.RetrievedMarch 24,2023.
  9. ^"Drew And Mike – February 9, 2022 – The Drew and Mike Show".February 10, 2022.RetrievedMarch 24,2023.
  10. ^Ochs, Meredith (June 6, 2017)."How A Trucker's Protest Anthem Became A '70s Hit".NPR.RetrievedMay 4,2023.
  11. ^Moore, Addie (April 28, 2020)."How C.W. McCall's 'Convoy' Became a Cultural Phenomenon".Wide Open Country.RetrievedMay 5,2023.
  12. ^Unterberger, Andrew (April 4, 2022)."Forever No. 1: C.W. McCall's 'Convoy'".Billboard.RetrievedMay 5,2023.
  13. ^Jensen, James."Detroit Diesel - North American Diesel icon".Dieselduck.info.
  14. ^ "'Round The World With The Rubber Duck ".The Works of C.W. McCall: Rubber Duck.TechRen Enterprises.Archivedfrom the original on May 18, 2009.RetrievedMarch 9,2009....And them cab-over Petes don't float.
  15. ^Ligo, Joe (May 19, 2021)."The 1970s Trucking Craze Can Be Traced Back to a Regional TV Commercial for Bread".The Drive.RetrievedDecember 12,2023.
  16. ^"National Top 100 Singles for 1976".Kent Music Report.December 27, 1976.RetrievedJanuary 11,2022– viaImgur.
  17. ^C.W. MCCALL - CONVOY - austriancharts.atRetrieved 2023-04-28
  18. ^"RPM Country Playlist - January 17, 1976"(PDF).
  19. ^"RPM Top Singles - January 24, 1976"(PDF).
  20. ^"RPM Pop Music Playlist - January 17, 1976"(PDF).
  21. ^C.W. MCCALL - CONVOY - germancharts.deRetrieved 2023-04-28
  22. ^C.W. MCCALL - CONVOY - leschartsRetrieved 2023-04-28
  23. ^irishcharts - C.W. McCall - ConvoyRetrieved 2023-04-28
  24. ^C.W. MCCALL - CONVOY - charts.nzRetrieved 2023-04-28
  25. ^CW MCCALL | full Official Chart HistoryRetrieved 2023-04-28
  26. ^"C.W. McCall Chart History (Hot Country Songs)".Billboard.
  27. ^"C.W. McCall Chart History (Hot 100)".Billboard.
  28. ^"C.W. McCall Chart History (Adult Contemporary)".Billboard.
  29. ^"Cash Box Top 100 1/31/76".Tropicalglen.Archived fromthe originalon October 20, 2018.RetrievedOctober 30,2017.
  30. ^"National Top 100 Singles for 1976".Kent Music Report.December 27, 1976.RetrievedJanuary 15,2022– viaImgur.
  31. ^"Forum - 1970 (ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts)".Australian-charts.Archived fromthe originalon June 2, 2016.RetrievedMay 7,2017.
  32. ^"Top Singles – Volume 26, No. 14 & 15, January 08 1977".RPM.Library and Archives Canada.Archived fromthe originalon March 19, 2016.RetrievedMarch 24,2017.
  33. ^"The Official New Zealand Music Chart".THE OFFICIAL NZ MUSIC CHART.
  34. ^"Top 100 Hits of 1976/Top 100 Songs of 1976".Musicoutfitters.RetrievedOctober 30,2017.
  35. ^"Cash Box YE Pop Singles - 1976".Tropicalglen.Archived fromthe originalon October 20, 2018.RetrievedOctober 30,2017.
  36. ^Christy, Richard (February 18, 1977)."Record Reviews".The Kingston Whig-Standard (Kingston, Ontario, Canada).p. 42.
  37. ^C.W. McCall – 'Round The World With The Rubber Duck,retrievedApril 28,2023
  38. ^"The Bob Rivers Show with Bob Spike and Joe".Archived fromthe originalon October 23, 2011.RetrievedOctober 21,2011.
  39. ^"Sheeler and Sheeler: Car Phone".RetrievedAugust 27,2017.
  40. ^"Álbumes originales de Mocedades: Amor de hombre".mocedades.Archived fromthe originalon August 24, 2014.RetrievedJanuary 27,2022.
  41. ^"Album: Amor de hombre de Mocedades en Los40".Archived fromthe originalon August 27, 2014.RetrievedAugust 24,2014.
  42. ^Erlewine, Stephen Thomas."This Time Around– Paul Brandt ".Allmusic.RetrievedAugust 17,2011.
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