Dave Dudley is best-known for his trucker songs including "Six Days on the Road" and "Truck Drivin' Son-of-a-Gun". His duet with Tom T. Hall called "Day Drinking" demonstrated that he was not limited to trucking songs. He is one of the best-known singers of the truck-driving era in country music and was one of the icons in this category.
Dave was born in 1928 in Spencer, Wisconsin. He had a short career as a semi-professional baseball player. After he suffered an arm injury he was no longer able to play baseball. He then decided to pursue a career in country music. He was one of the earliest artists to record for National Recording Corporation on the NRC label.
He first appeared on the Country charts in 1961 with the song "Maybe I Do," released by Vee Records. He later moved to Golden Wing Records. Two years later, in 1963, the label released the single "Six Days on the Road". In 1963, Dudley moved on to Mercury records. Dave Dudley continued to have success into the 1970s. He continued to record for Mercury Records.
In the 1980s, Dave Dudley continued to record, but not as much as he once had. He remained popular in concert. In total, Dudley recorded more than 70 albums. However, he did not manage to reclaim his past success, and neither his single "Where's that Truck?", recorded with DJ Charlie Douglas, nor the track "Dave Dudley, American Trucker", recorded in 2002 in the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, helped revive his career.
Dudley died on December 22, 2003 after suffering a heart attack at his home in Wisconsin.
Two Six Packs Away
Dave Dudley Lyrics
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And I went out on the town draggin'
I hit a big oak tree
It looked like a wreck to the wagon
I got a hospital bill
And the judge waitin' for me to pay
I had a sweet little honey
I told the judge there was two trees
And I went 'tween 'em
(Two six packs away, yeah)
He said, from what I hear your condition
That's the way that you seen 'em
(Two six packs away, yeah)
He laid down a hammer
And he gave me ninety long days
I had a sweet little honey
Just two six packs away
Well, I'm workin' on a country road
But it's sunny weather
It's gonna take a while
To put my wheels back together
Now Sunday rolls around
That's my cigarette day
And my baby's still a waitin'
Just two six packs away
When I get out of this place
And don't say I never saw one
(Two six packs away, yeah)
Goin' down to Joe's
And have that big bartender draw one
(Two six packs away, yeah)
For my throat is dry
And my mouth feels like clay
And my baby is a waitin'
Just two six packs away
And my baby is a waitin'
Just two six packs away
And my baby is a waitin'
Just two six packs away
The song "Two Six Packs Away" by Dave Dudley tells a story of a man who has gotten into trouble after having too much to drink. He went out for a night on the town, got behind the wheel of his car, and ended up crashing it into a tree. Now he is facing the consequences, including a hospital bill and jail time. The man is remorseful and wants to make amends, but he can't help thinking about his sweetheart who is just "two six packs away."
The lyrics of the song show the stark reality of the effects of excessive drinking, from the danger of driving while intoxicated to the legal and financial consequences of such behavior. The man in the song is also struggling with addiction and has a hard time resisting the temptation to drink again. He is counting down the days until he is released from jail so that he can be reunited with his sweetheart.
Overall, the song serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of alcohol and the importance of taking responsibility for one's actions. It is a reminder to listeners to think twice before getting behind the wheel after drinking and to make better choices for themselves and those around them.
Line by Line Meaning
I got on my wheels
I got in my car
And I went out on the town draggin'
And I hit the town looking for a good time
I hit a big oak tree
I crashed my car into a large oak tree
It looked like a wreck to the wagon
It caused significant damage to my vehicle
I got a hospital bill
I had to pay a bill for medical attention
And the judge waitin' for me to pay
And I also had to pay a fine to the judge
I had a sweet little honey
I had a girlfriend
Just two six packs away
Who was easy to impress with a couple of six-packs of beer
I told the judge there was two trees
I tried to excuse my accident by telling the judge that there were two trees that I was trying to avoid
And I went 'tween 'em
And I drove between them (to avoid the collision)
He said, from what I hear your condition
But the judge didn't believe my story because of my apparently inebriated state
That's the way that you seen 'em
And he thought I was seeing things that weren't there due to my level of intoxication
He laid down a hammer
So the judge gave me a harsh sentence
And he gave me ninety long days
I was sentenced to a long prison term
Well, I'm workin' on a country road
But I'm now out of prison and working on a construction site
But it's sunny weather
But the weather is nice
It's gonna take a while
But it's going to be a long time before I can afford to fix my car
To put my wheels back together
And get back on the road
Now Sunday rolls around
Now it's Sunday
That's my cigarette day
The day I usually relax and smoke cigarettes
And my baby's still a waitin'
And my girlfriend is still waiting for me
Just two six packs away
Just a few beers away from making her happy
When I get out of this place
When I can finally leave this construction site
And don't say I never saw one
And don't say I didn't keep my promise
Goin' down to Joe's
I'm going to Joe's bar
And have that big bartender draw one
And have the big bartender pour me a drink
For my throat is dry
Because I'm thirsty
And my mouth feels like clay
And my mouth is dry and uncomfortable
And my baby is a waitin'
And my girlfriend is looking forward to spending time with me
Just two six packs away
And she's only a few beers away from being happy
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RONNIE SELF
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind