The precursor to BTO was the band Brave Belt, which was formed in 1970 by Randy Bachman and Chad Allan (both of The Guess Who), Robbie Bachman and Fred Turner. An original form of the group included musician Keith Emerson of The Nice (and later of Emerson, Lake & Palmer), but he was dropped due to illness. After two moderately successful Brave Belt albums came out, Allan was replaced by Tim Bachman, the third of the Bachman brothers, and the band changed its name to Bachman-Turner Overdrive.
Hailing from Winnipeg, Canada as stated before, BTO released their first album under that name in the spring of 1973. Their second album was Bachman-Turner Overdrive II, and it became a massive hit in the US and their native Canada. It also yielded their best-remembered single, "Takin' Care of Business" written by Randy Bachman. BTO were one of the early hard rock bands which opted for songs backed by catchy melodies and powerful riffing. The band also promoted a strait-laced lifestyle due to the Mormon religious beliefs of Randy Bachman.
Tim Bachman left because of limited performance skills and personal lifestyle issues, and was replaced by Blair Thornton. The first album with the modified lineup, 1974's Not Fragile became a hit, including the #1 single "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet". The band continued to steadily produce successful albums through the mid-1970s including Four Wheel Drive and Head On (both 1975).
After the release of Freeways in 1977, Randy Bachman left the group for a solo career and another band, Ironhorse. Randy was replaced by Jim Clench, formerly of April Wine, and BTO released a pair of albums before breaking up in 1979. They reunited in 1983, leading to a lawsuit between the brothers, as one group, led by Randy, toured as Bachman-Turner Overdrive and another, led by Robbie, toured as BTO (Robbie Bachman, Fred Turner, Blair Thornton, and Randy Murray). Interestingly enough, in 1984 the line up for Bachman-Turner's first studio LP in 5 years consisted of Randy and Tim Bachman, Fred Turner and Garry Peterson on drums. In 1986 they were the opening band for the newly reformed Van Halen. By that time Fred Turner had left the band, probably to join the "other" BTO. Robbie Bachman's BTO toured and performed until early 2005.
Musicians Randy Bachman and Fred Turner reunited in 2010 for a tour and collaboration on new songs. In 2010, they notably played the half-time show at the Grey Cup in Edmonton, AB.
Website: http://www.bachmanandturner.com/
roll on down
Bachman-Turner Overdrive Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Travel down the long and the winding road
Look on the map, I think we've been there before
Close up the doors, let's roll once more
Cop's on the corner, look he's starting to write
I don't need no ticket so I screamed out of sight
Drove so fast that my eyes can't see
Let it roll down the highway
Let it roll down the highway
Roll, roll
Look at the sign, we're in the wrong place
Move out boys and let's get ready to race
Four fifty-four's coming over the hill
The man on patrol is gonna give us a bill
Time's real short, you know the distance is long
I'd like to have a jet but it's not in the song
Climb back in the cab, cross my fingers for luck
We gotta keep moving if we're going to make a buck
Let it roll down the highway
Let it roll down the highway
Roll
Roll on
(Let it roll)
(Let it roll)
Let it roll
Let it roll
Let it roll
Let it roll
Let it roll down the highway
Let it roll down the highway
Roll, roll, (let it) roll
Down the highway
Let it roll down the highway
Roll, roll, roll
Let it roll down the highway (whoa)
Let it roll down the highway
Roll, roll, roll
The song "Roll on Down the Highway" by Bachman-Turner Overdrive is a perfect representation of the rock and roll genre. The lyrics describe the band being out on the road, traveling in a truck and semi, trying to make a buck by playing gigs. The opening verse sets the scene for the rest of the song, with the singer excitedly describing the long and winding road ahead. The second verse then shows the band being pursued by a police officer after driving too fast, creating a sense of urgency and danger.
The chorus, "Let it roll down the highway," is a rallying cry that encapsulates the spirit of adventure and freedom that comes with traveling on the open road. The line "I'd like to have a jet but it's not in the song" serves as a reminder that the band may dream of a quicker way to get from one gig to the next, but ultimately they are dedicated to rolling on down the highway and making the best of the journey.
In summary, "Roll on Down the Highway" is a classic rock song that captures the essence of the rock and roll lifestyle. It celebrates the excitement and freedom of the open road while acknowledging the challenges and obstacles that come with it.
Line by Line Meaning
We rented a truck and a semi to go
We have rented a truck and a semi to go on a long and winding road.
Travel down the long and the winding road
We will travel down a long and winding road.
Look on the map, I think we've been there before
Looking at the map, I believe we have been to this place before.
Close up the doors, let's roll once more
Let's close the doors and get back on the road.
Cop's on the corner, look he's starting to write
A police officer is on the corner and looks like he is about to start writing a ticket.
I don't need no ticket so I screamed out of sight
I don't want to get a ticket, so I drove away quickly.
Drove so fast that my eyes can't see
I was driving so fast that everything around me became a blur.
Look in the mirror, is he still following me?
I looked in the mirror to check if the police officer was still following me.
Let it roll down the highway
Let's keep the truck rolling down the highway.
Look at the sign, we're in the wrong place
We made a wrong turn and are in the wrong location.
Move out boys and let's get ready to race
We need to move quickly and drive faster.
Four fifty-four's coming over the hill
A large truck with a 454 engine is coming over the hill.
The man on patrol is gonna give us a bill
We are going to get a fine from the police officer who is patrolling the area.
Time's real short, you know the distance is long
We are running out of time and we have a long way to go.
I'd like to have a jet but it's not in the song
I wish we had a jet but that's not possible.
Climb back in the cab, cross my fingers for luck
I got back in the truck and hope for good luck.
We gotta keep moving if we're going to make a buck
We need to keep moving to make money.
Down the highway
Let's keep moving down the highway.
Let it roll down the highway
Let's enjoy the ride down the highway.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Charles Turner, Randy Bachman, Robin Bachman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@shyman99
Randy's guitar solo in the bridge is a work of art. Not very many songs released for pop radio dedicated so much time for a lengthy solo like that, but it was just too good to shorten down. Many kids, like myself, learned how to air guitar from this record. 🎸
@damnyankeefl
robbie's sycnopated fills are perfect for it too. I always loved this song.
@CHACHING347
A Solo for the Ages!!One of the Greatest Guitar Solos ever
@hausf.kartreit1111
Randy Bachman Is a musical genius. He's playing that cool jingle jangle disco style rhythm & slams that Strat into OVERDRIVE for the BADDEST HOTTEST SOLO🎸🔥KUDOS Mr Bachman👉🍺🍕🎸BTO Gets me up in the morning to the Alarm Clocks warning👍🤠🌵⏰️Take the 8:15 into the City✌️😁🍺
@hansanderson6607
Still, one of the greatest Rock and Roll bands of all time.
@juliereminiec4937
Proto Metal Bands
@chapter11247
Never got the respect they deserved. Best Canadian rockers ever !!
@notwaiting
Rock n Roll doesn't get any better than this!!
@thomastarwater2989
In memory of Rob Bachman, who kept the beat going and became part of Bachman-Turner Overdrive’s success. “Roll On Down The Highway” remains my all-time favorite BTO song.
@jasonbrown-yl9bs
Love Fred Turners vocals. no one sounds like him.