Red Simpson was raised in Bakersfield, California, the youngest of a dozen children. At age 14, he wrote his first song.
Simpson was working at the Wagon Wheel in Lamont when Fuzzy Owen saw him and arranged for Simpson to work at his Clover Club as a piano player. He then got a job replacing Buck Owens at the Blackboard Club on weekends. Simpson was influenced by Owens, Merle Haggard and Bill Woods, who asked Red if he would write a song about driving trucks. (By the time Simpson handed him four truck songs, however, Woods had stopped recording.) Simpson began writing songs with Owens in 1962, including the Top Ten hit "Gonna Have Love."
In 1965, Capitol records producer Ken Nelson was looking for someone to record some songs about trucking. His first choice was Haggard, who wasn't interested, but Simpson readily agreed. His first, Tommy Collins' "Roll, Truck, Roll," became a Top 40 country hit and Simpson recorded an album of the same name. That year he offered up two more trucking songs, both of which made it to the Top 50 or beyond. As a songwriter, he scored his first number one hit with "Sam's Place," recorded by Buck Owens. After that, Simpson decided to become a full-time writer. He returned to performing in 1971 with his Top Five hit "I'm a Truck," which had been written by postman Bob Staunton.
In 1972, he debuted on the Grand Ole Opry and had two more "truck" hits for Capitol. In 1976, Simpson signed to Warner Brothers and released "Truck Driver's Heaven." The following year, he teamed up with Lorraine Walden for a series of duets that included "Truck Driver Man and Wife." In 1979, Simpson appeared for the last time on the charts with "The Flying Saucer Man and the Truck Driver." Haggard recorded his song "Lucky Old Colorado" in 1988. Later that year Simpson was diagnosed with skin cancer and underwent surgery, but he fully recovered and continued his writing and performing career.
In the 1995, Red re-entered the studio to record a pair of duets with Junior Brown — "Semi Crazy" and "Nitro Express".
Simpson performed frequently in the Bakersfield area, including a regular Monday night gig at Trout's in Oildale. Simpson's most recent release is "Hey, Bin Laden". He was also working on a project with Windsor Music tentatively entitled The Bard of Bakersfield.
Simpson also appeared alongside Bakersfield business owner Gene Thome on his ode to Simpson, Haggard, and Owens "It's a Bakersfield Thing" released in early 2015. He died on January 8, 2016, at a hospital in Bakersfield.
Take Me Home
Red Simpson Lyrics
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Hopped on my skate and skated to the circle k.
I'm on the road, and I know I won't be going home today
I guess I'll have to stay
Well, it's been twelve years of playing and there's not one do I regret
We broke the camels back and paid our dues in blood and sweat.
I've seen the sunrise, seen it rain, and also watched it set.
Still by far this place sucks the most, the worst that I've seen yet.
Stuck on the road!
And once again I won't be going home today.
Well, I don't wanna stay.
Been five days and still the van is broken down.
Well, how much longer are we stuck here in this town?
You got to go!
We need to get our ass back out there on the road.
It's dark and getting cold.
After 20 shows in 20 days and still no problems yet.
Everything was going good, or at least as good as good can get,
My spirits high, my belly's full, can nothing bring me down?
Try ten more days of dwelling in this shit you call a town.
Take me home - It's where I wanna be.
Take me home - It's you I wanna see.
Take me home - Try and find a way.
Take me home!
"Sorry sir, but we still don't have your part."
Said some inbred at the mobile mini mart
He's got to go!
He said it might take up to a half a week or so.
Looks like we'll miss the show.
One more time we're on the road it's as bad as it can get.
But still we keep on coming back, we never will forget.
This is our life, this is our job, it's what we love to do.
But I'm packing up and heading home,
As soon as this tour's through.
Take me home - It's where I wanna be.
Take me home - It's you I wanna see.
Take me home - Try and find a way.
Take me home!
Red Simpson's song Take Me Home takes the listener on a journey through the life of a musician on the road, longing for home. The song begins with the singer waking up to start another day, hopping on his skateboard and heading to the Circle K. He knows he won't be going home today, and it seems like he's resigned to his fate. He's been playing for twelve years and doesn't regret it, even though they've paid their dues in blood and sweat. He's seen the sun rise and set, but this place sucks the most - it's the worst he's seen yet.
As the song progresses, the band is stuck on the road, with a broken-down van in a town they don't want to be in. They've already done 20 shows in 20 days with no problems yet, but everything changes when they get stuck. The inbred at the mobile mini-mart tells them they won't get their part for half a week or so, and they'll miss the show. It seems like things can't get any worse, but they keep coming back, knowing that this is their life and job.
The song's chorus is a plea to be taken home. It's where the singer wants to be, and it's who and what he wants to see. He just wants to find a way home. The repetition of this chorus throughout the song emphasizes the singer's longing for home, and the repetition of the phrase "take me home" creates a sense of urgency and desperation.
Line by Line Meaning
Woke up again just to start another day.
I woke up to start a day that will keep me far from home.
Hopped on my skate and skated to the circle k.
I used my skateboard to travel to Circle K convenience store.
I'm on the road, and I know I won't be going home today
I am currently traveling and will not return home today.
I guess I'll have to stay
Since I can't go home, I have to remain where I am.
Well, it's been twelve years of playing and there's not one do I regret
I have been playing music for twelve years, and I wouldn't change a thing.
We broke the camels back and paid our dues in blood and sweat.
We have worked very hard and given our all to this endeavor.
I've seen the sunrise, seen it rain, and also watched it set.
I have seen many different things while traveling.
Still by far this place sucks the most, the worst that I've seen yet.
This place is by far the worst I've ever been to.
Take Me Home!
I want to go home.
Stuck on the road!
I am currently trapped on the road.
And once again I won't be going home today.
Unfortunately, I will not be able to return home today.
Well, I don't wanna stay.
I do not want to remain where I am.
Been five days and still the van is broken down.
The van we're traveling in broke down five days ago and hasn't been fixed yet.
Well, how much longer are we stuck here in this town?
I wonder how much longer we'll be trapped in this town.
You got to go!
We need to leave this place as soon as possible.
We need to get our ass back out there on the road.
We have to get back out on the road and continue traveling.
It's dark and getting cold.
The weather is getting worse, and it's getting dark.
After 20 shows in 20 days and still no problems yet.
We played 20 shows in 20 days without any issues.
Everything was going good, or at least as good as good can get,
Things were going well, given the nature of our lifestyle.
My spirits high, my belly's full, can nothing bring me down?
I am in high spirits and well-fed, but will that be enough to keep me going?
Try ten more days of dwelling in this shit you call a town.
I dread the thought of spending another ten days in this terrible town.
Take me home - It's where I wanna be.
I want to return to my home.
Take me home - It's you I wanna see.
I want to see my loved ones at home.
Take me home - Try and find a way.
I want to go home, even if it means finding a difficult route.
"Sorry sir, but we still don't have your part."
Someone at the mobile mini mart told me that they don't have the part we need to fix our van.
Said some inbred at the mobile mini mart
A rude person at the mini-mart made a comment that suggests they are uneducated.
He's got to go!
We have to leave and get back on the road.
He said it might take up to a half a week or so.
He does not know when we can get our van fixed, but it might take several days, at least.
Looks like we'll miss the show.
It appears we won't be able to perform at our next concert.
One more time we're on the road it's as bad as it can get.
We're back on the road again, and it's as bad as it possibly could be.
But still we keep on coming back, we never will forget.
Despite the hardships, we will never forget our love for playing music and traveling.
This is our life, this is our job, it's what we love to do.
Playing music and traveling is our life, our passion, and our career.
But I'm packing up and heading home,
I'm getting ready to leave and head back home.
As soon as this tour's through.
Once the tour is over, I'll go straight home.
Writer(s): Schlee Andrew C
Contributed by Layla G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.