McCall was born Billie Dale Fries on November 15, 1928, in Audubon, Iowa. His father was also called Billie and so he was the junior. He later legally changed his name to William Dale Fries, Jr.
McCall is best known for the 1976 No. 1 hit song, "Convoy". Its theme of using CB radio to rebel against the new federal speed limit of 55 mph was popular and topical so the single sold over two million copies and was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA in December 1975. Though McCall is not a one-hit wonder, "Convoy" went on to become his signature song. McCall first charted the song "Wolf Creek Pass", which reached No. 40 on the U.S. pop top 40 in 1975. Two other songs reached the Billboard Hot 100, "Old Home Filler-Up an' Keep on a-Truckin' Cafe", as well as the environmentally-oriented "There Won't Be No Country Music (There Won't Be No Rock 'n' Roll)". "Classified" and "'Round the World with the Rubber Duck" (a pirate-flavored sequel to "Convoy") bubbled under the Hot 100. A dozen McCall songs appeared on Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart, including the sentimental "Roses for Mama" (1977).
In 1978, the movie Convoy was released, based on the C. W. McCall song. The film starred Kris Kristofferson, Ali MacGraw, Burt Young, and Ernest Borgnine and was directed by Sam Peckinpah. It featured a new version of the song, written specially for the film.
The song "Convoy" is featured in Grand Theft Auto V. In 2014, Rolling Stone ranked "Convoy" No. 98 on their list of 100 Greatest Country Songs.
In addition to the "original six" McCall albums released between 1975 and 1979, two rare singles exist. "Kidnap America" was a politically/socially-conscious track released in 1980 during the Iran hostage crisis, while "Pine Tar Wars" referred to an event that actually happened in a New York Yankees–Kansas City Royals baseball game during 1983 (a dispute concerning the application of a large quantity of pine tar to a baseball bat used by George Brett, one of the Royals' players).
Fries died on April 1, 2022, at age 93 from complications of cancer. In an interview he conducted on February 9 while in palliative hospice care, he gave his blessing for the use of his signature song "Convoy" for the Freedom Convoy protests in Canada, with Taste of Country noting that he was "energized and enthusiastic" about the revival of interest in the song and its message.
The Little Things in Life
C.W. McCall Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Since you got up on the early side a' mornin'?
And saw the sun a-risin'
Bright an' shiny on the eastern side a' day?
And long will it be
'Til you listen to the sound of evenin' thunder?
And go runnin' through the raindrops
And stop to smell the flowers on the way
How long has it been
Since you heard the leaves a-rustlin' in November?
And felt the autumn wind
Blowin' soft across a sky of sil'vry gray?
And how long will it be
'Til you walk along the riverside together?
And take the time to skip a stone
And stop to watch the ripples fade away
But we're so busy tryin' to make it
Workin' mornin', noon and night
That we never see the sunlight
And anytime we started lookin'
For the little things in life that make it livin'
How long has it been
Since you held your woman in your arms and kissed her?
And told her that you'd love her
'Til the day that heaven takes you both away?
And how long will it be
'Til you wake up late at night and turn to whisper,
"Hon, I promise you tomorrow ain't a-gonna be just another day."
But we're so busy tryin' to make it
Workin' mornin', noon and night
That we never feel the lovelight
And anytime we started hearin'
All them quiet words that come from up above
We're so busy tryin' to fight it
Drivin' hard to beat the stoplight
That we never see the starlight
And anytime we started lookin'
For the little things in life that make it love
Yeah, the little things in life that make it livin'
Are the little things in life that make it love
In "The Little Things in Life" by C.W. McCall, the lyrics express a deep sense of reflection and contemplation about the simple moments and joys in life that often go unnoticed. The song prompts the listener to question how long it has been since they have truly experienced the beauty of nature, taken the time to appreciate their loved ones, or demonstrated gratitude for the blessings in their lives. The lyrics suggest that people can easily become caught up in the hustle and bustle of day-to-day life, but in doing so, they might miss out on the meaningful moments that make life worth living. The song encourages people to slow down, take a step back, and cherish the "little things" that add up to a life full of love and happiness.
The lyrics are thought-provoking, and they evoke a sense of nostalgia and longing for a simpler time where people embraced the beauty of life. McCall's storytelling ability is evident in the song, as he paints vivid imagery through his lyrics that allow the listener to visualize the scenes he describes. The song melody perfectly complements the lyrics' theme, adding to the sentimental and reflective mood of the piece.
Line by Line Meaning
How long has it been
How long has it been since you did something that made you feel truly alive?
Since you got up on the early side a' mornin'?
Since you woke up early and noticed the beauty of a sunrise?
And saw the sun a-risin', Bright an' shiny on the eastern side a' day?
And felt the warmth and energy of a day starting fresh?
And long will it be
How much longer do you think it will be before you experience something like that again?
'Til you listen to the sound of evenin' thunder?
Until you take the time to appreciate the raw power of nature in a thunderstorm?
And go runnin' through the raindrops And stop to smell the flowers on the way
And run around playfully in the rain, while also stopping to notice and appreciate the beauty of nature around you?
Since you heard the leaves a-rustlin' in November?
Since you've taken the time to soak in the natural beauty of fall, such as the rustling of the leaves?
And felt the autumn wind
And noticed the way the wind feels different in the fall?
Blowin' soft across a sky of sil'vry gray?
Blowing across a sky that looks almost like silver, and appreciating the way it creates a certain mood and atmosphere?
Until you walk along the riverside together?
Before you and a loved one take a stroll along a river, hand in hand?
And take the time to skip a stone
And pause to skip stones across the water, not caring how long it takes?
And stop to watch the ripples fade away
And watch the patterns that the stones create in the water, taking it all in?
But we're so busy tryin' to make it Workin' mornin', noon and night
But in our busy lives, we get caught up in work and forget to appreciate the little things that make life worth living?
That we never see the sunlight
So we don't take the time to enjoy the light and warmth of the sun?
And anytime we started lookin' For the little things in life that make it livin'
If we did take the time to appreciate those little things, we'd see how much they really add up to a fulfilling life?
Since you held your woman in your arms and kissed her?
Since you've held someone you love and kissed them passionately?
And told her that you'd love her
And told them that you'll always keep loving them, no matter what, until you're both gone?
'Til the day that heaven takes you both away?
Until the day when you both pass on into the next life?
Til you wake up late at night and turn to whisper,
Until you've whispered lovingly to someone you care about in the middle of the night?
"Hon, I promise you tomorrow ain't a-gonna be just another day."
"I promise you that tomorrow will be special and wonderful, and we'll make it that way together."
And anytime we started hearin' All them quiet words that come from up above
And if we paused to listen every now and then, we might hear the profound messages that life is trying to tell us?
We're so busy tryin' to fight it Drivin' hard to beat the stoplight
But often we're too busy fighting against life, rushing frantically to get things done, even running through yellow traffic lights?
That we never see the starlight
And as a result, we miss out on the simple beauty of things like starlight and the peacefulness it provides?
And anytime we started lookin' For the little things in life that make it love
If only we'd take a bit more time to notice the little things, we'd be able to see how much love is out there just waiting to be discovered?
Yeah, the little things in life that make it livin', Are the little things in life that make it love
As it turns out, these little moments of joy and beauty are what make life worth living, and what teach us about love.
Contributed by Eli Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
onesixfive
Probably my least favorite CW album but there are some gems and this is one
Kathy Norton
This song reminds me of Always Look at the Bright side of Life from ‘Spamalot. He has a lot of happy and crazy so he and nice ones. “Mountains on My M” is one of the nice, slow ones. Ethnically, is he German?
I would like to put a dreadlock wig on him and also a Raastadarian hat.