Drug Store Truck Drivin' Man
Jeffrey Shurtleff/Joan Baez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He's the head of the Ku Klux Klan
When summer rolls around
He'll be lucky if he's not in town
Well, he's got him a house on the hill
He plays country records till you've had your fill
He's a fireman's friend he's an all night DJ
He's a drug store truck drivin' man
He's the head of the Ku Klux Klan
When summer rolls around
He'll be lucky if he's not in town
Well, he don't like the young folks I know
He told me one night on his radio show
He's got him a medal he won in the War
It weighs five-hundred pounds and it sleeps on his floor
He's a drug store truck drivin' man
He's the head of the Ku Klux Klan
When summer rolls around
He'll be lucky if he's not in town
He's been like a father to me
He's the only DJ you can hear after three
I'm an all night musician in a rock and roll band
And why he don't like me I can't understand
He's a drug store truck drivin' man
He's the head of the Ku Klux Klan
When summer rolls around
He'll be lucky if he's not in town
He'll be lucky if he's not in town
This one's for you, Ralph
The lyrics to Jeffrey Shurtleff's song Drug Store Truck Drivin' Man seem to be about a particular person named Ralph, who is a truck driver for a drug store and also the head of the Ku Klux Klan. The lyrics suggest that despite his seemingly harmless exterior, Ralph holds a lot of racist and bigoted beliefs. He is described as having a house on the hill where he plays country music records, and he is also an all-night DJ who holds strong opinions that are different from the music he plays.
The second verse in the song suggests that Ralph doesn't like young people, and he has expressed this sentiment on his radio show. However, he also claims to have won a medal in the war that he proudly displays in his house, even though it weighs five-hundred pounds and sleeps on his floor. The song concludes with the singer speaking fondly of Ralph, who has been like a father to him, but he is unable to understand why Ralph doesn't like him since he is a musician in a rock and roll band.
Overall, the song seems to be a commentary on the idea that people can have two sides to them - a public persona that is perfectly pleasant, and a private side that harbors some deep-seated beliefs that might be harmful to others. It might also suggest the idea that a person's occupation or public image does not necessarily reflect who they really are, and we should be careful not to make assumptions about people based on their outward appearances or job titles.
Line by Line Meaning
He's a drug store truck drivin' man
He is a man who drives a truck for a drug store.
He's the head of the Ku Klux Klan
He holds a leadership position in the Ku Klux Klan, a white supremacist group.
When summer rolls around
He'll be lucky if he's not in town
During the summer, it would be fortunate if he were not present in the area.
Well, he's got him a house on the hill
He plays country records till you've had your fill
He's a fireman's friend he's an all night DJ
But he sure does think different from the records he plays
He owns a house on a hill and listens to a lot of country music as an all-night DJ, yet his personal beliefs are different from the themes of the songs he plays. Additionally, he has befriended firefighters.
Well, he don't like the young folks I know
He told me one night on his radio show
He's got him a medal he won in the War
It weighs five-hundred pounds and it sleeps on his floor
He does not express favorable opinions towards the young people that are known to me, and his views on his radio show have conveyed such sentiment. He possesses a medal he won in a conflict that is very sizable and sleeps on his floor.
He's been like a father to me
He's the only DJ you can hear after three
I'm an all night musician in a rock and roll band
And why he don't like me I can't understand
He has acted like a father figure to me, and the only DJ who plays music past three in the morning. I play in a rock band until dawn, yet I cannot explain why he does not approve of me.
He'll be lucky if he's not in town
It would be good luck if he was absent from the area.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jwilhite12357
I was fortunate enough to have been there to hear this live. Great memories. thanks for posting.
@majorpayne4098
Was serving our country during this festival. Missed a hell of a good time...
@joelmaqueira4851
Thank you for your service and thank God you came home safe and sound.
@bobf4819
Two great performers. I love the start of the song where Jeff starts singing a few words and then Joan chimes in. Wow, their voices immediately meld perfectly, for some really beautiful harmony
@bsjif
I've been looking high and low for this! Thanks!
@dhscpa1956
Jeff and Joanie were a great duet. I call Jeff the Caveman Folk Singer
@Dharani26
We need this spirit in America now more than ever!
@someotherdude
Turning a person into a demon if they're not of your political persuasion?
@mechellejackson1474
today
@TommyDore
Yeah it was written by Roger McGuinn and Gram Parsons. Roger says they wrote it in London months after Ralph Emery had played one verse of a song they pitched for Emery's WSM show. Getting wasted (in McGuinn's words) they started goofing on Emery who was making truck ads when they pitched You ain't going Nowhere. Emery asked them what's that supposed to mean? Roger said "I dunno it's a Dylan song." Emery told he wouldn't play it and went back to his ads. Gotta love the real story.