Phantom 309-Boxcar Willie

[ti:Phantom 309] [ar:Various Artists] [al:Truckin' - The Very Best Of] [by:] [offset:0] [00:00.00]Phantom 309 - Boxcar Willie [00:08.96]Things didn't work out an' I was down on my luck [00:11.96] [00:13.34]Got tired of roamin' and bummin' around [00:15.53] [00:16.22]So I started thumbin' back east toward my home town [00:19.09] [00:21.83]Now I made a lotta miles the first few days [00:24.48] [00:25.41]I figured I'd be home in a week if my luck held out this way [00:29.16] [00:30.66]But the third night out I got stranded way out of town [00:34.13] [00:35.07]At a cold lonely crossroads: rain was pouring down [00:38.32] [00:40.72]I was hungry an' freezin' an' done caught a chill [00:43.66] [00:44.61]When the lights of a big semi topped the hill [00:47.22] [00:48.98]Lord I sure was glad to hear them air brakes come on [00:52.05] [00:53.30]An 'I climbed in that cab where I knew it'd be warm [00:56.43] [00:57.68]At the wheel sat a big man he weighed about 210 [01:00.86] [01:02.30]He stuck out his hand and said with a grin: [01:04.99] [01:05.93]"Big Joe's the name " an' I told him mine [01:08.74] [01:09.86]He said: "The name of my rig is Phantom 309 " [01:13.00] [01:15.52]Well I asked him why he called his rig such a name [01:18.45] [01:19.07]He said: "Son this ol' Mac can put 'em all to shame [01:22.25] [01:22.82]"Well there ain't a driver or rig runnin any line [01:25.22] [01:25.97]"That's seen nothin' but taillights from Phantom 309 " [01:28.60] [01:32.49]Well we rode and talked the better part of the night [01:35.42] [01:36.05]When the lights of a truck stop came in sight [01:38.67] [01:39.95]He said: "I'm sorry son this is far as you go [01:42.79] [01:43.72]"'Cause I gotta make a turn just on up the road " [01:46.36] [01:49.00]Well he tossed me a dime as he pulled her in low [01:52.10]An' said: "Have yourself a hot cup on old Big Joe " [01:55.04] [01:56.03]When Joe an' his rig roared out into the night [01:58.53] [01:59.22]Iin nothing flat he was clean outta sight [02:01.94] [02:03.45]Well I went inside an' ordered me a cup [02:05.63] [02:06.56]An' told the waiter Big Joe was a-settin' me up [02:09.02] [02:10.78]Aw you could of heard a pin drop: it got deathly quiet [02:14.49] [02:16.05]An' the waiter's face turned kinda white [02:17.93] [02:19.24]"Well did I say somethin' wrong " I said with a half way grin [02:23.44] [02:24.74]He said: "Naw " This happened every now an' then [02:27.30] [02:28.74]"Every driver in here knows Big Joe [02:30.63] [02:31.88]"But son let me tell you what happened about 10 years ago [02:35.12] [02:36.42]"At the crossroads tonight where you flagged him down [02:38.93] [02:40.17]"There was a bus load of kids a-comin' from town [02:42.89] [02:43.92]"An' they were right in the middle when Big Joe topped the hill [02:47.15] [02:48.33]"It could have been slaughter but he turned his wheels [02:51.03] [02:52.36]"Well Joe lost control an' went into a skid | [02:55.67] [02:57.06]"Gave his life to save that bunch of kids [02:59.36] [03:00.30]"There at that crossroads was the end of the line [03:02.70] [03:03.46]"Fore Big Joe an' Phantom 309 [03:05.41] [03:07.10]"But every now and then some hiker will come by [03:09.55] [03:10.86]"An' like you Big Joe will give him a ride [03:13.31] [03:13.95]"Here have another cup an' forget about the dime [03:16.16] [03:16.97]"Keep it as a souvenier from Big Joe and Phantom 309 "