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.
Truck Drivin' Man
Red Simpson Lyrics
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There's some that I don't even know but I'm looking forward to
Cause I like my women everywhere I go
So roll on big wheels don't you roll so slow
Peggy Ann is a waitin' in Memphis and Betty Lou in Maine
I got a good ole gal in Knoxville but man I forgot her name
But not her figure I remember that
Yeah I'm a kiss stealin' a wheelin' deelin' a truck drivin' son of a gun
But where I sit I don't believe you'd say I'm wastin' mine
I'm movin' faster than a Jimmy-8
If you think I'm losin' time you're runnin' late
I got a steady little baby waitin' back home for me
But there are six more towns to go till I'm back in Tennessee
And six more women at least I know
Yeah I'm a kiss stealin' wheelin' deelin' a truck drivin' son of a gun
The song Truck Drivin' Fool by Red Simpson tells the story of a truck driver who is always on the move and has a girl waiting for him in every eastern town from Boston to St. Louis. He enjoys having women everywhere he goes and doesn't mind forgetting some of their names, as long as he remembers their figures. The driver is proud of his job and lifestyle, describing himself as a "kiss-stealing, wheelin', dealin', truck-drivin' son of a gun." The driver is aware that he has a woman waiting for him at home but is enticed by the thought of the six more women he knows he will encounter before he reaches Tennessee.
The lyrics of the song represent the freedom and adventurous life of a truck driver. The driver is always on the move, exploring new places, and meeting new people. The sense of adventure is highlighted by the anticipation of meeting new women along the way. However, the driver is also aware that he has responsibilities and someone waiting for him at home. The duality of his life is presented in the song, where he enjoys his carefree life on the road but essentially wants to return home after his trip.
Line by Line Meaning
I got a cute little gal in every eastern town from Boston to St Louis
I have a girlfriend in every town from Boston to St Louis.
There's some that I don't even know but I'm looking forward to
There are some I don't know but I want to meet them.
Cause I like my women everywhere I go
I love women everywhere I travel.
So roll on big wheels don't you roll so slow
Drive fast, big wheels.
Peggy Ann is a waitin' in Memphis and Betty Lou in Maine
Peggy Ann is in Memphis waiting for me and Betty Lou is in Maine.
I got a good ole gal in Knoxville but man I forgot her name
There is a girl I used to know in Knoxville but I can't remember her name.
But not her figure I remember that
But I remember her body shape.
Yeah I'm a kiss stealin' a wheelin' deelin' a truck drivin' son of a gun
I'm a truck driver who loves women, and I'm not afraid to steal a kiss or two.
Well there goes Joe flyin' low making up his time
Joe is driving fast to make up for lost time.
But where I sit I don't believe you'd say I'm wastin' mine
But where I am driving, I don't think I'm wasting time.
I'm movin' faster than a Jimmy-8
I'm driving faster than a Jimmy-8 truck.
If you think I'm losin' time you're runnin' late
If you think I'm wasting time, you're wrong.
I got a steady little baby waitin' back home for me
I have a girlfriend back home waiting for me.
But there are six more towns to go till I'm back in Tennessee
But there are six more towns before I reach Tennessee.
And six more women at least I know
And I know at least six more women in those towns I haven't met yet.
Yeah I'm a kiss stealin' wheelin' deelin' a truck drivin' son of a gun
I'm a truck driver who loves women, and I'm not afraid to steal a kiss or two.
Lyrics © SHELBY SINGLETON MUSIC INC
Written by: DIXIE DEEN, RAY KING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind